buried in the graveyard of
Hernhill St Michael Kent
Peter Ewart kindly stepped into the breach and gave us an enthralling and informative talk in his usual inimitable style when the published speaker had to withdraw at the last minute.
In answering his own question “Why Swing?” Peter described the situation in Kent which led to a series of disturbances and acts of dissent by agricultural workers which became known as ‘Swing’. When Peter showed several letters signed by ‘Captain Swing’ in various hands and degrees of sophistication it became apparent that he was not one person but an alias to protect identities.
There had been minor unrest and the odd rick burning in 1829 when Kent farmers hired new machines to do the work. Men were horrified as there was no work for them and their families. A few dozen agricultural labourers protested as their families were destitute and in August 1830 men from Lyminge, Elham and Newington smashed a machine on a farm in Upper Hardres and started a period of civil unrest which escalated throughout Kent in the summer of 1830. There were reported incidences of gangs of men going about the countryside calling agricultural workers from their homes to aid with burning haystack, breaking machines and rioting. Numbers were rising had at Digges place in Bridge the gang was said to number between 80 to 100 men. This unrest spread rapidly into other counties with such speed that the government of the day were convinced this was the start of a Revolution as had happened in France .
1830 was the last decade of the Georgian period and the country was undergoing a severe recession with the economy nose diving. But the country was still using the 15th & 16th century Elizabethan Poor Laws which were managed at parish level. A poor rate was levied on those in the parish who could afford to pay and in turn these funds were paid out to those in the parish who were in need. The collection and administration of funds were dealt with by parish officers; the Churchwardens and the Overseers of the Poor.
By 1830 this system was creaking at the seams despite various attempts to improve the Poor Laws. Fewer people could afford to pay into the parish funds but more people in the parish required help. As the price of bread went through the roof and unemployment was at 40% the poor rate couldn’t cope and families were becoming destitute. Poverty was rife amongst agricultural workers and in Kent people were actually starving to death. For the first time in our history people were worse off than their grandparents. A situation which hadn’t happened before or since.
The first agitators taken before the Quarter sessions in Maidstone were treated lightly by Edward Knatchball who was criticised for his light sentencing. He told the defendant’s that he knew why they had done it but asked them not to continue and he would petition parliament.
A political agitator with an axe to grind William Cobbett rode around the country writing about what he saw and it is thought he accurately described the situation he found in East Kent and was shocked at the abject poverty. He noted the dirty ragged poor around Ash and noted that between Canterbury and Thanet there are not even any trees for the poor to collect and burn for heating. The imagined chocolate box cottages of the countryside with roses round the door and market gardens were more accurately one room hovels with mud floors. They were cold damp and dark with holes for windows and rags stuffed to keep out the weather. Hardly any furniture or cooking facilities and no land to grow food or rear animals for themselves. Cobbett was arrested and charged with seditions but he successfully defended himself against the charges.
As the unrest escalated 2,000 people throughout the country were arrested. No lenient sentences with even unguarded remarks attracting deportation. Whereas hangings had been public events now they took place in prisons for fear that the mob would prevent justice being done. Many were sentenced to long years of deportation and were never to see their families again whilst others were sentenced to hard labour in prison which few survived. Gradually the riots died out. But in 1838 William Toms – self styled Sir William Courtney gathered a large crowd of 1,000 followers about him to join in a revolution. This cumulated in the Battle of Bossenden Wood.
During the mid 19th century mechanisation of agriculture work saw few workers on the land. The terrible depression continued into the latter part of the 19th century with crops failing but many workers remembered Swing and were too frightened to band together in a Union to protect themselves until the end of the century.
Report by Tricia Baxter