tell them the story, although we were already in the field anxious to see
our commanders dressed up in their new uniform. All the golden dreams of
glory seemed to Sir John to have vanished by this unlucky affair, and
nothing; could induce him to shew himself off to his troop, though his
charger was ready to convey him to the field, and he was urged by all the
expostulations and intreaties of the captain. He therefore sneaked off
home to Rushall, and left the gallant captain to make the best of a bad
bargain by himself.
In the mean time we had been manoeuvring, charging, and wheeling, till we
were almost all tired, waiting for this exhibition. At length we were
informed of the disaster by one of the serjeants, Mr. William Butcher, of
Shercot, who had called at the captain's house to know what was the
matter. The mighty hero at last appeared in view, mounted upon his
charger, riding solemnly towards the troop, dressed in full uniform, the
same which he had worn down from town, with the exception, perhaps, of
_some trifling change_, which might have been rendered necessary by the
disastrous fright he had received upon the road. Some admired the dress,
some pitied the loss sustained by the poor captain, but myself, and many
of those who surrounded me, though we felt the deep disgrace which had
befallen our commander, could scarcely contain ourselves with laughter at
the ridiculous figure he cut, particularly when the event of the robbery
came across our thoughts. I had often heard of a hog in armour, but I had
never before seen any thing that appeared to convey the representation so
much to my mind as the ridiculous figure of our captain.
The very first field-day called to my recollection the sentiments of my
father and the worthy clergyman, Mr. Carrington, as to the patriotism of
these yeomanry corps. Their conversation was entirely about keeping up the
price of corn, keeping down the price of wages, and at the same time
keeping in subjugation the labourers, and silencing their dissatisfaction.
As I rode home from the field the first day, I felt that there was too
much truth in the assertions of Mr. Carrington and my father; I was,
however, determined to do my duty to the best of my power, without
troubling myself about the views and motives of my comrades, and likewise
at all times to resist with all my influence, any act of aggression or
oppression that might be attempted, come from whatever quarter it might.
Nor was I less resolved to be always ready at a short notice to meet the
enemy whenever I should be called upon.
Within one month after I had been in this troop, the labourers of Enford
and the adjoining parishes, smarting under the privations and sufferings
they had to endure, in consequence of the rise in the price of provisions
and the low rate of wages, which latter many of the farmers had decided to
keep down to the old standard, and urged on also by those who ought to
have known better, and who instead of secretly exciting their poorer
neighbours to acts of desperation, ought to have come forward manfully to
advocate their rights; the labourers, under the secret influence of a
designing man or two, all struck their work, and, having assembled in a
large body, they openly avowed their intention to pull down several mills,
which were pointed out, as well as to burn the corn ricks of several
obnoxious individuals. I had been from home, and when I returned, I found
several of the neighbouring farmers assembled at my father's, in the
greatest consternation. Some of those whose premises had been pointed out
for destruction were present; and, although none of my father's property
was threatened, yet several of our servants had joined the rioters, who,
we were informed, were assembled to the number of two or three hundred.
and that they were proceeding towards Netheravon, where they meant to
regale themselves at the public house till the evening, when the work of
destruction was to begin. Each farmer fled to his home, in order to save
what he could, but all were in the greatest dismay. A servant now came to
inform us that our carter, Jerry Truman, who looked after the team at
Weddington farm, had left his horses and joined the rioters, and that two
men had been dispatched up to one of our shepherds upon the down, who had
refused to join them in the morning, to compel him to leave his sheep, and
to join them immediately.
My father, who, as well as myself, had been devising means to prevent, if
possible, the threatened mischief, now said, "though none of our property
is threatened, though we have had no share in oppressing the men, and
though those who by their arbitrary and overbearing conduct to their
servants, have greatly contributed to produce this state of things, are,
now the danger approaches, the first to fly from it, and consequently, for
their past infamously bad treatment of their labourers, and their recent
cowardice, almost deserve what they have brought upon themselves, and that
they should be left to their fate, yet, my son, it is our duty, even if it
were only in pity to the poor misguided men themselves, to endeavour to
avert by some prompt measure, if possible, the threatened calamity." He
added, "but we must be _prompt_ or our efforts will be in vain." I said in
answer, that I had made up my mind to proceed instantly to rescue the
shepherd, who was unwilling either to leave his flock or to join the
rioters; but my father advised me not to waste my time by encountering two
such ruffians as we knew were gone for him; he would, he said, take his
horse and proceed to put the sheep in the fold to prevent their getting
into and destroying the corn; and he would have me ride with all speed to
the only efficient magistrate in the neighbourhood, Mr. Webb, of Milton,
to procure a warrant for the apprehension of Truman, there being no
pretence for his rioting on account of the high price of provisions,
because he was a young unmarried man, and had for wages ten guineas a
year, and all his eatables and drink found for him in the house. "For,"
said he, "if we are armed with a warrant from the civil power, I think we
shall stand a much better chance of preventing mischief, and perhaps
bloodshed, than by any thing that will be done by the yeomanry, but I very
much doubt whether the latter will muster at all, although the alarmed
parties are flying in all directions to the officers, _Astley_ of
_Everly_, _Poore_ of _Rushall_, and _Dyke_ of _Syrencot_[12], for that
purpose:" all of whom were also magistrates. I merely asked my father,
whether I had better not apply to Mr. Astley first for a warrant, as he
only lived four miles off, and in the road to Mr. Webb's, who lived eight
miles distant. His answer was, "certainly not, we must not trust to
chance, proceed at once to Mr. Webb's, for, while you are humdrumming with
Mr. Astley, who will either be afraid or not know how to act, you will
have obtained what we want from Mr. Webb in half the time." I then sprung
on my horse, which, ready saddled, had stood at the gate during this
conference, and, putting him to full speed, I was out of sight in a
twinkling.
As I passed up the field I saw my two gentlemen striding over the fallows
towards the shepherd, whom they had approached within about two hundred
yards. Though I had made up my mind not to interfere with their scheme but
go direct to the magistrate, yet, as they were not a quarter of a mile out
of my road, I could not resist the inclination I felt to check their
progress. I therefore galloped up to them, to demand where they were going
over our private property. They at once boldly avowed their object to be
to make our shepherd leave his flock and join them at Netheravon. I
briefly expostulated, asking if they meant to compel the man to go against
his will; they replied, certainly, that he had refused to accompany them
in the morning, but they had now come to a determination that he should
go. As I found them determined, any further parley was in vain, and I
therefore jumped from my horse, which was in the habit of standing without
being held, and, placing myself before them, I demanded that they should
instantly desist, for they should proceed no further without violence.
They, nevertheless, advanced boldly and were instantly knocked down with
two blows of my fist; one of them remained quietly on the ground, the
other rose to commence a conflict, but he was instantly levelled to the
earth again, and they then both declared they would return with all speed
and leave the shepherd unmolested if I would spare them. I only demanded
that they would brush off in double quick time, with which they complied,
never staying to look behind them. This certainly was a very hasty
although a very successful method of taking the law into my own hands; but
the case was desperate and would not admit of any common remedy.
My horse almost fled to Milton, where luckily I found the worthy and truly
efficient magistrate at home. The oath was administered and the warrant
made out in a few minutes, while his servant gave my panting steed a
little hay and a drop of water, which enabled him to carry me back as
quickly as he had brought me. As I returned, our flock of sheep were
grazing, and the shepherd, having placed himself in my way, as I passed
him, he gratefully thanked me for rescuing him from the danger with which
he had been threatened. I reached home within one hour and a quarter,
having ridden a distance of sixteen miles and procured a warrant, besides
rescuing the shepherd, in that short space of time. I found my father
waiting for me with the tything-man of Littlecot, Mr. Davis, who kept the
Swan, an old gentleman upwards of 70 years of age; and as I was made a
special constable to execute the warrant, we lost not a moment in
proceeding to the scene of action. My father having got a poney ready for
the old gentleman to ride with us, and a fresh horse saddled for me, we
soon reached Netheravon, where we learned of the Rev. Mr. Williams that
the men, to the amount of about two hundred and fifty in number, had taken
possession of a large skittle ground at the back of the Red Lion; that
they had been drinking for an hour, having already taken two quarts of
strong beer each, and were preparing to take another quart each before
they sallied forth, to put in execution the devastating scenes that they
had contemplated. I contrived to communicate with the landlord, who said
that they were so far intoxicated that he dared not refuse them beer, and
that they had taken forcible possession of his cellar, and that nothing
would give him greater relief than to get quit of such troublesome and
desperate customers. I immediately formed a plan to get them out of the
skittle ground, and then to lock the doors and keep them out of the public
house, away from intoxicating liquors, of which they had already taken too
much. I proposed to go into the skittle ground with Davis, the old
constable, and seize Truman, for whose apprehension the warrant was
granted; and if I could get him into the street I had no doubt but the
others would follow in order to rescue him--As soon as this was effected
the people in the Red Lion were to bolt and lock all their doors, and keep
them out of the house. This was thought to be a desperate and a dangerous
plan, but it was a desperate affair, things were drawing fast to a crisis,
and it was of no use to doubt or deliberate.
Having formed my plan, I insisted upon it that my father, who was sixty
years of age, should remain without with the horses. Followed by the old
constable with his staff of office in his hand, I entered, and we had got
up to Truman, who was in the midst of them, before we were as yet scarcely
perceived by many of the groups, who were drinking, and busily arranging
their plan of operations. I shewed the warrant, and having seized Truman
by the collar, who turned as pale as ashes, I told him he must come
instantly with me, and before he had time to reply, or even say a word, I
hurried him through his companions, and I had already brought him to the
door of the yard when they came rushing after him, and had actually got
hold of him, before he was quite out of the door. With one determined
struggle, however, I dragged him by main force into the street, and, as I
had anticipated, the whole of the rioters rushed forward into the street,
and made a desperate effort to rescue him. I knew them all, and
notwithstanding they began to use violence, I held him firm, till I saw
that they were all clear of the yard, and all the doors of the public
house were closed, My father and Davis were unable to come to my
assistance, as I was now surrounded by the whole gang. Though I never felt
more confident or more cool in my life, yet the situation was one not only
of difficulty but of danger. But the principal object being attained, and
the plan having succeeded almost to a miracle, I had only to identify some
of the most determined and violent; and four of those that I knew
perfectly well, two of them being my own work-people, having proceeded to
collar me, while the others used considerable force to release him from
the grasp I had taken of his collar, I yielded him up to their
overpowering numbers; at the same time earnestly recommending to them to
disperse and retire to their homes, as the military were sent for and
expected every moment. Truman was one of the first to fly, and he returned
to his occupation immediately; and in a very short time afterwards the
whole of them had dispersed in different directions, though they might
have proceeded with impunity for aught the yeomanry did, they never having
assembled at all; and, in fact, although I was in the troop myself, I
never thought of sending for them.
My father, and the old constable, Davis, and myself, now returned home,
not a little elated with the success of our exertions in dispersing these
deluded and desperate men. But my father observed, that it would not do to
let the matter rest there, that the persons whom he had seen use great
personal violence to me, who was acting as a peace officer, must be taught
that they were not to violate the laws in such a daring manner with
impunity; and he urged the propriety of my obtaining a warrant to take
them before a magistrate, to answer for the breach of the peace which they
had committed by assaulting me in the execution of a warrant. My father
added, that their leaving their work, their assembling at the public
house, and even obtaining beer almost by force, might have been
overlooked, particularly as no serious mischief had followed; but the
forcible and violent rescue and resistance to the execution of the warrant
of a magistrate could not be overlooked; for, if we were disposed to do
so, it would be an insult to Mr. Webb, the magistrate who had granted it;
and if we treated him, who was the only real efficient magistrate in the
district, with disrespect, we could not expect that he would be disposed
in future to attend so promptly to our representations. I therefore took
my horse the next morning, and rode to Milton before breakfast; and,
having made the necessary depositions, he granted me a warrant for the
apprehension of _Truman_ and four others, who had been particularly
prominent in the rescue, namely, _Hurcot_, _Hale_, _Sheppard_, and
_Rawlings_, all of whom had either struck or laid violent hands upon me.
I had returned and taken my breakfast by ten o'clock, and had just got the
old constable, Davis, and was about to proceed with him to apprehend the
said persons, when four of the gentlemen of the yeomanry cavalry of the
Everly troop, rode boldly into the yard, and up to the door, like _brave
troopers_, saying that they had heard of my having a warrant for
apprehending some of the rioters, and that they were sent by Capt. Astley
to aid and assist in the execution of the warrant, adding, that they were
provided with ball cartridges, &c., and some to spare for me, if I chose
to saddle my charger and take my holsters. I could not avoid asking the
heroes, with rather a sarcastic smile, where they had kept themselves over
night, and why Captain Astley had not either come or sent some of the
troop when there was some real danger, and not waited till all the parties
were separated, and when there was little difficulty in securing the most
desperate of the rioters? I added, that as I had not made any military
show, by dressing myself up in my regimentals, when there was a real riot,
I should at all events trust to the constable's staff now it was all
peaceable; and I begged them to return to their officers with that
message. I however requested one of them, Richard Pocock, of Enford farm,
who now lives near Warminster, and whom I knew to be a tything man, to
doff his regimentals, and then I would admit him to aid and assist in his
civil, but I would not accept of him in his military capacity. This he
immediately complied with, and we took the five persons before the
magistrate, Mr. Webb, of Milton, who insisted upon committing them all to
prison the same night for want of bail, though they begged very hard for
mercy, in which petition I most heartily joined; but the worthy magistrate
would not listen to any such thing, it wanting only a month to the Autumn
Assizes, and I was therefore bound over to prosecute them, very much
against my inclination, as I thereby lost at least three valuable servants
during the harvest; and, as they appeared sensible of their error, I, for
my own part, was contented to let them depart to their homes, but the
magistrate was inexorable, declaring it to be too serious an offence to be
pardoned, without the interposition of a jury.
A true bill was found against them by the grand jury at the assizes, and
they were put to the bar. I appeared against them, but employed no
counsel; they had engaged Mr, Jekyl, at that period one of the most
eminent counsel upon the western circuit. After the court had heard the
evidence of myself and Mr. Davis, Mr. Jekyl made a most eloquent appeal to
the jury, a _common not_ a SPECIAL jury: he called some witnesses to their
character, but no one appearing, _I offered myself_ to give three of them,
who had been my father's servants, a character for sobriety and industry,
with which the court and counsel appeared much pleased. Their case went to
the jury, who instantly found them all guilty of the rescue and assault,
upon which I addressed the Court as the prosecutor, and petitioned that
they might be restored to their afflicted families, and I promised to take
them back immediately into the situations which they had before occupied
in my father's service. The humane judge, who participated in my feelings,
after having given them a suitable admonition, and called their attention
to my disinterested kindness, telling them they were entirely indebted to
my humanity for the lenity he should shew them, and having paid me a most
gratifying compliment, dismissed them with the punishment of a fine of a
shilling each, which I immediately paid for them. The whole court were
loud in their praises of my behaviour upon the occasion; but I felt ten
thousand times more satisfaction in doing a generous act than I did in all
the compliments which were bestowed upon me. I took the men into my
father's service directly, and I can safely say that I never for one
moment since had any reason to repent the exertion I made to save them
from punishment. Some of them lived many years in my service, and Truman
remained with me as long as I was in the farming business, and actually
was one of those who followed me out of Wiltshire into Sussex, when I went
to reside there, a distance of a hundred and twenty miles. Four out of the
five men are still alive, and I would cheerfully trust my life in either
of their hands, if it were necessary; and I sincerely believe there is not
one of them but would willingly risk his life to serve me.
I am writing this account in my dungeon, at eleven o'clock at night, on
the 20th of September, 1820, and it is impossible for any one who reads it
not to draw a comparison between my conduct and that of my persecutors. I
would not part with the sweet delightful reflection which the remembrance
of this ONE act of my life conveys to my mind, for all the wealth in the
possession of those who have been concerned in consigning me to be
incarcerated _without mercy_ in this dungeon for TWO YEARS and SIX MONTHS;
according to common calculation _full one quarter of the remaining part of
my natural life_. Let the reader only consider the spirit in which I acted
towards those who had violated the laws of their country, by resisting
with force the warrant of a magistrate, and who had violently assaulted
the peace officer in his duty in executing that warrant, and then contrast
it with the vindictive proceedings against me, for having attended a
public meeting, legally and constitutionally assembled, to remonstrate
with the throne against the cruel privations and sufferings of the people,
where no breach of the peace was committed, where not even the slightest
resistance was made or even premeditated against the civil power. "Look at
this picture, and look at that." I have had the consolation of being
repeatedly thanked in the most earnest manner by these poor fellows, for
my humanity in interposing with the court to spare them from punishment;
but I have felt still a much higher pleasure when they have offered up
their thanks to me for having ventured my life "to snatch them from the
jaws of the gallows," when they were incautiously about to rush into them,
by pulling down mills, and burning wheat ricks. These might well have been
called poor deluded creatures. These men were literally deluded, and those
who urged them on were _deluded_ by what was then called the liberal part
of the press. In fact, almost the whole daily press of that period united
in a conspiracy to delude the people, by railing at and exciting the
multitude against BUTCHERS, BAKERS, and FARMERS, to whom not only the
fools, but the knaves of the daily press attributed the high price of
provisions.
The liberal part of the press was so ignorant and so besotted as to vomit
forth its daily denunciations against the avariciousness of millers,
butchers, bakers, and farmers, and to endeavour to inflame the suffering
people, by teaching them that these persons conspired together to keep up
the price of provisions to an unnatural height, solely to put money in
their own pockets. The ministerial press of that day, under the controul
of Pitt, (and he was cunning enough to contrive to bribe almost all the
talent belonging to the press,) chimed in ding dong with their less
cunning opponents; for they knew that it was Pitt's policy to draw the
public attention from the real cause of the distress, from the real cause
of the high price of provisions, which they were well aware was the
enormous increase of the taxes; and by the joint efforts of the Whig and
Tory press, (for there was no other at that time,) they contrived to
_delude_ the poor people, the _lower orders_, to such a degree, that there
was seldom half a year passed away without a considerable number of
persons being consigned to an untimely end, for having been concerned in
wreaking their vengeance upon some miller, farmer, butcher, or baker, or
other dealer in human food. These poor fellows might truly be stiled the
_deluded multitude_; and the _deluders_, the conductors of the public
press, were but too successful in their efforts to continue them in
ignorance. Let any sober-minded, rational, sensible man only look back to
the columns of the public press, in the years 1795, and 96--the Times for
instance; let him take a file of the Times of that day, and for many many
years after that, even up to 1815 and 1816, and compare the language, the
stile, and the tenor of their articles with the language of the present
day in the same papers. How many riots, how many hangings, how many
special commissions we can trace back, all proceeding from the delusions
of the public press! How many persons have lost their lives for
plundering, pulling down, and burning the property of millers, butchers,
and bakers; how much blood has been spilt, every drop of which blood may
be fairly placed at the door of those who urged these poor fellows on, and
instigated them to acts of violence against those classes of persons, by
falsely accusing them of being the cause of the high price of provisions.