AtthebeginningofNovemberdisturbancesbrokeoutinSussex，andthe
movementdevelopedintoanorganiseddemandforalivingwage。Bythemiddle
ofthemonththelabourersweremastersoveralmostallthetriangleonthe
map，ofwhichMaidstoneistheapexandHytheandBrightonarethebases。
Themovement，whichwasmoresystematic，thorough，andsuccessfulinthis
partofthecountrythananywhereelse，isthusdescribedbythespecial
correspondentoftheTimes，17thNovember：’Divestedofitsobjectionable
character，asadangerousprecedent，theconductofthepeasantryhasbeen
admirable。Thereisnogroundforconcludingthattherehasbeenanyextensive
concertamongstthem。Eachparish，generallyspeaking，hasrisenperse；
inmanyplacestheirproceedingshavebeenmanagedwithastonishingcoolness
andregularity；therehasbeenlittleoftheordinaryeffervescencedisplayed
onsimilaroccasions。Thefarmershavenoticetomeetthemen：adeputation
oftwoormoreofthelatterproduceawrittenstatement，welldrawnup，
whichthefarmersarerequiredtosign；thespokesman，sometimesadissenting
orMethodistteacher，fulfilshisofficewithgreatproprietyandtemper。
Wheredisorderhasoccurred，ithasarisenfromdisliketosomeobnoxious
clergyman，ortitheman，orassistantoverseer，whohasbeentrundledout
oftheparishinawheelbarrow，ordrawnintriumphinaloadofballast
byadozenoldwomen。Thefarmersuniversallyagreedtothedemandsthey
made：thatis，theywerenotmadenoughtorefuserequestswhichtheycould
notdemonstratetobeunreasonableinthemselves，andwhichwereurgedby
threehundredorfourhundredmenafterabarnortwohadbeenfired，and
eachfarmerhadanincendiaryletteraddressedtohiminhispocket。’
Therewasanotherdevelopmentofthemovementwhichisnotnotedinthis
accountbythecorrespondentoftheTimes。Itoftenhappenedthatthefarmers
wouldagreetopaythewagesdemandedbythelabourers，butwouldaddthat
theycouldnotcontinuetopaythosewagesunlessrentsandtitheswerereduced。
Thelabourersgenerallytookthehintandturnedtheirattentiontotithes
andrents，particularlytotithes。Theirusualprocedurewastogoinabody
totherector，oftenaccompaniedbythefarmers，anddemandanabatement
oftithes，orelsetoattendthetitheauditandputsomenotunwelcomepressure
uponthefarmerstopreventthemfrompaying。
Itmustnotbesupposedthattheagitationforalivingwagewasconfined
tothetriangulardistrictnamedabove，thoughthereittookamoresystematic
shape。AmongtheHomeOfficePapersisaveryinterestingletterfromMr。
D。Bishop，aLondonpoliceofficer，writtenfromdealon11thNovember，describing
thestateofthingsinthatneighbourhood：’Ihavegonetothedifferent
PotHousesintheVillages，disguisedamongtheLabourers，ofanevening
andalltheirtalkisaboutthewages，somegive1s。8d。perdaysome2s。
somealltheysaytheywantis2s。6d。perdayandthentheysay
theyshallbecomfortable。IhaveeveryreasontobelievetheFarmerswill
givethe2s。6d。perdayafterabit。theyaregoingtohaveameeting
andIthinkitwillstopalloutrages。’
ThedisturbancesinSussexbeganwithafireon3rdNovemberatanoverseer’s
inBattle。Theexplanationsuggestedbytheauthoritieswasthatthepaupers
hadbeen’excitedbyalecturelatelygivenherepubliclybyapersonnamed
Cobbett。’NextnighttherewasanotherfireatBattle；butitwasatBrede，
avillagenearRye，thatopenhostilitiesbegan。AstherisingatBredeset
thefashionforthedistrict，itisperhapsworthwhiletodescribeitin
somedetail。6*
ForalongtimethepoorofBredehadsmartedundertheinsultsofMr。
Abel，theassistantoverseer，who，amongotherinnovations，hadintroduced
oneofthehatedparishcarts，andthelabourersweredeterminedtohave
areckoningwithhim。Aftersomepreliminarydiscussionsontheprevious
day，thelabourersheldameetingon5thNovember，anddeputedfourmento
negotiatewiththefarmers。Attheconferencewhichresulted，thefollowing
resolutions，drawnupbythelabourers，weresignedbybothparties：
’Nov。5，1830。AtameetingheldthisdayattheRedLion，ofthefarmers，
tomeetthepoorlabourerswhodelegateddavidNoakesSenior，ThomasHenley，
JosephBryantandTh。Noakes，tomeetthegentlementhisdaytodiscussthe
presentdistressofthepoor……Resolution1。Thegentlemenagreetogive
toeveryable-bodiedlabourerwithwifeandtwochildren2s。3d。perday，
fromthisdaytothe1stofMarchnext，andfromthe1stofMarchtothe
1stofOct。2s。6d。perday，andtohavels。6d。perweekwiththreechildren，
andsoonaccordingtotheirfamily。Resolution2。Thepooraredetermined
totakethepresentoverseer，Mr。Abell，outoftheparishtoanyadjoining
parishandtousehimwithcivility。’
Themeetingover，thelabourerswenttoMr。Abel’shousewiththeirwives
andchildrenandsomeofthefarmers，andplacedtheparishcartathisdoor。
Aftersomehammeringatthegates，Mr。Abelwaspersuadedtocomeoutand
getintothecart。Hewasthensolemnlydrawnalongbywomenandchildren，
accompaniedbyacrowdoffivehundred，totheplaceofhischoice，Vine
Hall，nearRobertsbridge，ontheturnpikeroad，wherehewasdepositedwith
allduesolemnity。Mr。Abelmadehiswaytothenearestmagistratetolodge
hiscomplaint，whilethepeopleoftheparishreturnedhomeandwereregaled
withbeerbythefarmers：’andMr。Coleman……hegaveeveryoneofushalf
apintofBeer，womenandmen，andMr。ReedofBredeHighgaveusaBarrel
becausewehaddonesuchagreatthingintheParishastocarrythatman
away，andMr。Colemansaidheneverwasbetterpleasedinhislifethanwith
theday’sworkwhichhadbeendone。’8*
TheparishridofMr。Abel，thenextreforminthenewerawastobethe
reductionoftithes，andherethefarmersneededthehelpofthelabourers。
Whathappenedisbesttoldinthewordsofoneofthechiefactors。Hedescribes
how，alittlebeforethetitheaudit，hisemployercametohimwhenhewas
workinginthefieldsandsuggestedthatthelabourersshouldseeifthey
could’getalittleofthetitheoff；’theywereonlytoshowthemselves
andnottotakeanyviolentaction。Otherfarmersmadethesamesuggestions
totheirlabourers。’WewenttothetitheauditandMr。Helecameoutand
spoketousagoodwhileandIanddavidNoakesandThomasNoakesandThomas
Henleyansweredhimbeggingaswellaswecouldforhimtothrowsomething
offforusandourpoorChildrenandtosetupaSchoolforthemandMr。
Helesaidhewouldseewhathecoulddo。
’Mr。ColemanafterwardscameoutandsaidMr。Helehadsatisfiedthem
allwellandthenMr。Helecameoutandwemadeourobediencetohimand
hetous，andwegavehimthreecheersandwentandsettheBellsringing
andwereallaspleasedascouldbeatwhatwehaddone。’
ThesuccessoftheBrederisinghadanimmediateeffectontheneighbourhood，
andeveryparishroundpreparedtodeportitsobnoxiousoverseerandstart
anewlifeonbetterwages。Burwash，Ticehurst，Mayfield，Heathfield，Warbleton
andNinfieldwereamongtheparishesthatadoptedtheBredeprogramme。Sometimes
theassistantoverseerthoughtitwisetodecampbeforethecartwasathis
door。Sometimesthemobwasaggressiveinitsmanners。’Averyconsiderable
Mob，’wroteSirGodfreyWebsterfromBattleAbbeyon9thNovember，’tothe
amountofnearly500，havingtheirParishOfficerincustodydrawninadung
Cart，attemptedtoenterthistownateleveno’clockthisMorning。’Theattempt
wasunsuccessful，andtwentyoftherioterswerearrested。Thewriterof
thislettertookanactivepartthroughoutthedisturbances。Inthisemergency
heseemstohavedisplayedgreatzealandenergy。Asecondletterofhis
on12thNovembergivesagooddescriptionofthestateofaffairsroundMayfield。
’TheCollectorofLordCarrington’sTitheshadbeendrivenoutoftheParish
andthesameProceedingwasintendedtobeadoptedtowardstheParishOfficer
whofledtheplace，ithadbeenintendedbytheRioterstohavetakenby
ForcethisMorningasmanyWaggonsaspossibleforciblycarriedoffthe
TitheCornanddistributeditamongstthemselvesincaseofinterruption
theywereresolvedtoburnit。Oneofthemostviolentanddangerouspapers
IhaveyetseenacopyofwhichIenclosewascarriedroundthe3adjoining
ParishesandunfortunatelywasassentedtobytoomanyOccupiersofLand。
IarrivedinTimetopreventitscirculationatMayfieldasmallTowntho’
populousparish3000。ByapprehendingtheBearerofthePaperwhoactedas
ChiefofthePartyandinstantlyinpresenceofalargeMobcommittinghim
forTrialIsucceededinrepressingthetumultuousactionthengoingon，
andbysubsequentlycallingtogethertheOccupiersofLand，andafterwards
theMobcomposedwhollyofAgriculturalLabourersIhadthesatisfaction
ofmediatinganarrangementbetweenthemperfectlytothecontentofeach
party，andonmyleavingMayfieldthisafternoontranquillitywasperfectly
restoredatthatPlace。’Theviolentanddangerouspaperenclosedranthus：
’Nowgentlementhisiswhatweintendtohaveforamarriedmantohave2s。
and3d。perdayandallovertwochildren1s。6d。perheadaweekandif
aManhasgotanyboysorgirlsoveragefortohaveemploythattheymay
livebythereLabourandlikewiseallsinglementohave1s。9d。adayper
headandweintendtohavetherentsloweredlikewiseandthisiswhatwe
intendtohavebeforeweleavetheplaceandiftherisnoalterationwe
shallproceedfurtheraboutit。Forweareallatoneandwewillkeepto
eachother。’
AtRingmerinSussextheproceedingsweremarkedbymoderationandorder。
LordGage，theprincipallandowneroftheneighbourhood，knowingthatdisturbances
wereimminent，metthelabourersbyappointmentonthevillagegreen。There
wereaboutonehundredandfiftypersonspresent。Bythistimemagistrates
inmanyplaceshadtakentoarrestingarbitrarilytheringleadersofthe
men，andhencewhenLordGage，whoprobablyhadnosuchintention，asked
fortheleaderorcaptainnobodycameforward，butaletterwasthrowninto
theringwithageneralshout。TheletterwhichLordGagepickedupandtook
totheVestryforconsiderationreadasfollows：’WethelabourersofRingmer
andsurroundingvillages，havingforalongperiodsufferedthegreatest
privationsandenduredthemostdebasingtreatmentwiththegreatestresignation
andforbearance，inthehopethattimeandcircumstanceswouldbringabout
anameliorationofourcondition，till，wornoutbyhopedeferredanddisappointed
inourfondexpectations，wehavetakenthismethodofassemblingourselves
inonegeneralbody，forthepurposeofmakingknownourgrievances，and
inapeaceable，quiet，andorderlymanner，toaskredress；andwewouldrather
appealtothegoodsenseofthemagistracy，insteadofinflamingthepassions
ofourfellowlabourers，andaskthosegentlemenwhohavedoneusthefavour
ofmeetingusthisdaywhether7d。adayissufficientforaworkingman，
haleandhearty，tokeepupthestrengthnecessarytotheexecutionofthe
labourhehastodo？Weaskalso，is9s。aweeksufficientforamarried
manwithafamily，toprovidethecommonnecessariesoflife？Haveweno
reasontocomplainthatwehavebeenobligedforsolongaperiodtogoto
ourdailytoilwithonlypotatoesinoursatchels，andtheonlybeverage
toassuageourthirstthecoldspring；andonretiringtoourcottagesto
bewelcomedbythemeagreandhalf-famishedoffspringofourtoilwornbodies？
Allweask，then，isthatourwagesmaybeadvancedtosuchadegreeaswill
enableustoprovideforourselvesandfamilieswithoutbeingdriventothe
overseer，who，bythebye，isastrangeramongstus，andasinmostinstances
wherepermanentoverseersareappointed，aremencalloustothetiesofnature，
losttoeveryfeelingofhumanity，anddeaftothevoiceofreason。Wesay
wewantwagessufficienttosupportus，withoutbeingdriventotheoverseer
toexperiencehispettytyrannyanddictation。Wethereforeaskformarried
men2s。3d。perdaytothefirstofMarch，andfromthatperiodtothefirst
ofOctober2s。6d。aday：forsinglemenls。9d。adaytothefirstofMarch，
and2s。fromthattimetothefirstofOctober。Wealsorequestthatthe
permanentoverseersoftheneighbouringparishesmaybedirectlydischarged，
particularlyFinch，thegovernorofRingmerpoorhouseandoverseerofthe
parish，thatincaseweareobliged，throughmisfortuneoraffliction，to
seekparochialrelief，wemayapplytooneofourneighboringfarmersor
tradesmen，whowouldnaturallyfeelsomesympathyforoursituation，and
whowouldbemuchbetteracquaintedwithourcharactersandclaims。This
iswhatweaskatyourhands——thisiswhatweexpect，andwesincerely