Warren James and the Dean Forest Riots: The Disturbances of 1831 - Softcover

Anstis, Ralph

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0956482775 ISBN 13: 9780956482778

Publisher: Breviary Stuff Publications, 2011

Synopsis

The full story of the riots in the Forest of Dean in 1831, and how they were suppressed, is told here for the first time. The book also gives the background to the riots; it discusses the simple lives of the foresters before the arrival in Dean of the Industrial Revolution, and how they lived in the Forest, pasturing their animals there and using it as if it was their own. It also describes the ancient way the free miners used to mine their iron and coal and how they regulated their mining activities through their Mine Law Court. It sets out the two main causes of the riots: the determination of the government to enclose large areas of the Forest for growing timber, thus restricting the foresters' access; and the influx of 'foreigners' eager to exploit not only the Forest's coal and iron resources but also the foresters themselves. Dominating the story is the enigmatic character of Warren James, the self-educated free miner who led the foresters in their attempt to stave off their increasing poverty and unemployment, and to protect their traditional way life from the threats of advancing industrial change. The tragic account of his unfair trial, his transportation to a convict settlement in Van Diemen's Land (Tasmania), his reprieve for political reasons, and his death far from the Forest is set against the background of the sordid and heartless times in which he lived.

About this title

About the Author

Ralph Anstis was a Londoner who moved to Coleford permanently in 1984 after his retirement from the Civil Service. Over the course of some 20 years, with his beloved wife Bess at his side, he immersed himself in the local history of the Forest of Dean and became a respected author of non fiction and fiction.

Edition details

• Publisher: Breviary Stuff Publications
• Publication date: 2011
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 0956482775
• ISBN 13: 9780956482778
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 246