A Birmingham newspaper had announced on July 11, that on July 14, the second anniversary of the storming of the Bastille, there will be a dinner at the local Royal Hotel to commemorate the outbreak of the French Revolution; the invitation encourages "any Friend to Freedom" to attend.

Alongside this notice is a threat: "an authentic list" of the participants will be published after the dinner.

On the same day, "an ultra-revolutionary" handbill, written by James Hobson (although his authorship is not known at this time), had entered circulation.

Town officials offer one hundred guineas for information regarding the publication of the handbill and its author, to no avail.

The Dissenters find themselves forced to plead ignorance and decry the "radical" ideas promoted by the handbill.

It is becoming clear by July 12 that there will be trouble at the dinner.