第45章

ofproddingtroopsincreasedwiththeareaofdisturbances。’Ihaverequested

thateveryeffortmaybemadetoreinforcethetroopsinthewesternpart

ofSussex，’wroteSirRobertPeeltoaHorshammagistrateon18thNovember，

’andyoumayjudgeofthedifficultyofdoingso，whenImentiontoyouthat

themostexpeditiousmodeofeffectingthisistobringfromDorchesterthe

onlycavalryforcethatisintheWestofEngland。This，however，shallbe

done，and100men(infantry)shallbebroughtfromtheGarrisonofPortsmouth。’

UntilthemiddleofNovembertherisingwasconfinedtoKent，Sussexand

partsofSurrey，withoccasionalfiresandthreateninglettersinneighbouring

counties。Afterthattimethedisturbancesbecamemoreserious，spreading

notonlytotheWestofSussex，buttoBerkshire，Hampshire，andWiltshire。

On22ndNovembertheDukeofBuckinghamwrotefromAdingtoninHampshire

tothedukeofWellington：’Nothingcanbeworsethanthestateofthisneighbourhood。

Imaysaythatthispartofthecountryiswhollyinthehandsoftherebels……

1500riotersaretoassembleto-morrowmorning，andwillattackanyfarmhouses

wheretherearethreshingmachines。Theygoaboutlevyingcontributionson

everygentleman’shouse。Thereareveryfewmagistrates；andwhatthereare

arecompletelycowed。Inshort，somethingdecisivemustinstantlybedone。’

Therisingsinthesecountiesdifferedinsomerespectsfromtherisingin

KentandSussex。Thedisturbanceswerenotsomuchlikethefiringofatrain

ofdiscontent，theywereratherasuddenandspontaneousexplosion。They

lastedonlyaboutaweek，andwerewelldescribedinareportofColonel

Brotherton，oneofthetwomilitaryexpertssentbyLordMelbournetoWiltshire

toadvisethemagistrates。Hewroteon28thNovember：’Theinsurrectionary

movementseemstobedirectedbynoplanorsystem，butmerelyactuatedby

thespontaneousfeelingofthepeasantryandquiteatrandom。’Thelabourers

wentaboutinlargernumbers，combiningwiththedestructionofthreshing

machinesandthedemandforhigherwagesaclaimfor’satisfaction’asthey

calleditintheformofreadymoney。Itwastheirpracticetocharge£；2

forbreakingathreshingmachine，butinsomecasesthemobsweresatisfied

withafewcoppers。Thedemandforreadymoneywasnotanewfeature，for

manycorrespondentsoftheHomeOfficenoteintheirlettersthatthemobs

leviedmoneyinKentandSussex，buthithertothis’sturdybegging，’asCobbett

calledit，hadbeenregardedbythemagistratesasunimportant。Thewages

demandedinthesecountieswere2s。aday，whereasthedemandsinKentand

usuallyinSussexhadbeenfor2s。6d。or2s。3d。Wageshadfallentoalower

levelinHampshire，BerkshireandWiltshire。ThecurrentrateinWiltshire

was7s。，andColonelMair，thesecondofficersentdownbytheHomeOffice，

reportedthatwagesweresometimesaslowas6s。Itisthereforenotsurprising

tolearnthatintwoparishesthelabourersinsteadofaskingfor2s。aday，

askedonlyfor8s。or9s。aweek。InBerkshirewagesvariedfrom7s。to9s。，

andinHampshiretheusualrateseemstohavebeen8s。

TherisinginHampshirewasmarkedbyaconsiderabledestructionofproperty。

AtFordingbridge，themobundertheleadershipofamancalledCooper，broke

upthemachinerybothatasackingmanufactoryandatamanufactoryofthreshing

machines。Cooperwassoonclothedininnumerablelegends：hewasagipsy，

amysteriousgentleman，possiblytherenowned’Swing’himself。AttheFordingbridge

riotsherodeonhorsebackandassumedthetitleofCaptainHunt。Hisfollowers

addressedhimbareheaded。Inpointoffacthewasanagriculturallabourer

ofgoodcharacter，anativeofEastGrimsteadinWilts，whohadservedin

theartilleryintheFrenchWar。Sometwomonthsbeforetheriotshiswife

hadrobbedhim，andthenelopedwithaparamour。Thisunhingedhisself-control；

hegavehimselfuptodrinkanddespair，andtriedtoforgethismiseryin

recklessrioting。NearAndoveragainafoundrywasdestroyedbyamob，after

theringleader，Gilmore，hadenteredthejustices’roomatAndover，where

thejusticesweresitting，andtreatedwiththemonbehalfofthemob。Gilmore

alsowasalabourer；hewastwenty-fiveyearsoldandhadbeenasoldier。

ThemostinterestingeventintheHampshirerisingwasthedestruction

oftheworkhousesatSelbor

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