My interest in the Swing Riots stems from the fact that I live in East Stratton and Stratton Park was the chief seat of the Baring family for almost 130 years. East Stratton lies within Micheldever parish at the head of the Dever Valley. The River Dever rises in Stratton Park and meanders its way for 11 miles through West Stratton, Micheldever, Weston Colley, Wonston, Stoke Charity, Sutton Scotney, Bullington and Barton Stacey before joining the River Test at Wherwell. These villages became a hot bed of radical protest culminating in the events of Friday 19thNovember 1830 when a mob, brandishing sticks, crowbars and sledge hammers, swept through the Dever Valley descending on farms, demanding money and breaking machines.
The mob had started early from Sutton Scotney, and as it headed east up the Dever Valley, it grew in size with every farm visited, where men were either pressed or voluntarily joined the mob. By 10am the Sutton Scotney mob had reached Weston Colley and were joined by another mob raised in Micheldever.
By noon the mob, now estimated to be 800 strong, arrived in East Stratton and again farm machinery was broken and money demanded. The land owner was Sir Thomas Baring of Stratton Park and he was in London on that fateful day. The mob demanded £10 from the landowner’s steward Francis Calendar and if it was not forthcoming, they threatened to go Sir Thomas Barings house and to break the windows.
Calendar handed over the £10 and the mob went to the Plough Inn at East Stratton and beer was provided for them in the adjacent meadow. That sets the scene for the tragic events which were to follow and ultimately led to the conviction of Henry Cook for attempted murder and his execution.
I had read a number of conflicting accounts of the Henry Cook incident and it was whilst researching the Baring family papers deposited at the Hampshire Record Office that I came across a number of records which for me shed new light on the incident.
Within the Baring papers are 43 records directly related to Swing Riots including depositions and letters. Six of the letters were written by the Mason brothers of Bullington who were transported for their role in the riots.
Returning to the events of Friday 19thNovember we left off with the mob taking beer in the meadow adjacent to the Plough Inn and the ringleaders, including the Mason brothers, inside the Plough.
From the Baring Papers, I will now turn to the deposition of Richard Collis, for an account of the events that followed, and I will read it to you, for these are the words of one of the rioters who spent the day with the mob.
Richard Colis of the parish of Mitcheldever labouer upon his oath saith that on Friday 19th I went to Mitcheldever with the rest of the West Stratton people, in the morning as soon as it was light, we met Henry Cook & Rich. Mansbridge and they went with us. George Prior jun. and I went to New Down to tell the people there & they came.
We went to Hen. Pain’s and had some beer and then went on to Borough Farm belonging to Mr Wm. Pain. Henry Cook & others whose names I don’t know broke the Machines & we went from Mr Pain’s to Mr Dear’s at Weston & there met the Sutton people, the Machine was broken, but I can’t say by whom. We went then to Mr Dowden’s & did the same there, but I can’t say who did it, as I did not get in until it was knocked to pieces. I saw a stranger take some money from Mr Dowden. I went to Parsonage Farm belonging to Sir Tho Baring, I saw Thomas Baverstock go into the mill out of the Threshing Machine with a large hammer & Thomas Bate had something, I think it was a pick axe, Cook was also there with a hammer.
We after went to the public house at Stratton and had some beer. A party of about 20 went on to Northington, Bob Lawson, Hen. Cook, George Hill and others were of the party and they beat the Machines to pieces. Afterwards we went to the Farm House and had some beer. The Gentlemen came down, Mr Bingham Baring, called out the spokesman & a stranger went out. Mr Baring collard the man I did not see any person strike Mr Baring but on returning home Cook said that he had struck Mr Baring. I saw nothing more.
The significance of this statement is that it describes a small party of some 20 men going to Northington Down Farm, not the main mob. This is borne out by Bingham Barings testimony in which he says he met a group of 20 to 30 men on the road between East Stratton and Northington Down Farm and when he asked them what they were doing, they said they were going to the farm to break the machinery. Bingham Baring rode to his father’s house, Sir Alexander Baring of the Grange, Northington, to gather some assistance.
By the time Bingham Baring arrived at Northington Down Farm with some 25 men the machines had already been broken and the mob were at the farmhouse. For the first time that day the two opposing sides were evenly numbered and Bingham Baring saw an opportunity to make an arrest, perhaps with the words of the Duke of Wellington ringing in his ears that landowners should make a stand against the rioters.Bingham Baring called for the mob’s spokesman and John Silcock of Bullington stepped forward. He asked Silcock what he was doing at the farm and Silcock replied that “they had broke the machines and that they would break all others”.
Baring then attempted to arrest Silcock but the mob rushed forward to prevent it and Bingham Baring was hit from behind and fell senseless to the ground. George Harding who had gone to the farm with Mr Baring said that he saw Mr Baring collar John Silcock and the mob rush forward. He saw Henry Cook raise his sledge hammer and it fell on the brim of Mr Baring’s hat and landed on his collar knocking him to the ground. Cook then raise his hammer again above Mr Baring but before he could lower it, Harding punched Cook under the ear and seized the hammer. Soon after the mob dispersed, perhaps realising the gravity and likely consequences of the incident.
This incident should never have happened as it was a complete departure from the confrontations at the other farms during that day, where the mob outnumbered the farm occupants and was overpowering and intimidating. Perhaps the ringleaders drinking in Plough Inn were not aware that a small group had left the main mob and headed offto Northington, we may never know.
At the trial of Henry Cook, Bingham Baring played down the severity of the incident and said that Cook had never seen him before, and therefore could have no malicious motive, but that it was done in the heat of the moment. When Henry Cook was asked what he had to urge in his defence, he said he begged Mr Baring’s pardon.
One other document from the Baring papers relating to the Henry Cook incident is of interest and it is a letter from Bingham Baring to his wife Lady Harriet Baring written on 21st November 1830 just 2 days after the incident:
Dearest Harriet,
Things have taken a better turn.
Yesterday morning I expected 1,400 men around the Grange to call me to reason for my interference.
The farmers were ready to desert their houses, barns and all.
Now the troops are come and the world is at ease.
I am well from my wound and shall eat today for the first time.
I shall be here until things are quiet.
Good bye and God bless you.
William Bingham Baring
The letter provides a personal insight at a time of great uncertainty and unrest.
The Baring papers are an invaluable source of such material, rich in first-hand accounts written in the language of the time, and I commend them to you as a source for researching the Swing Riots in Hampshire.
Thank You
The English Project, launched the world’s first English Language Day in 2009 to mark the first occasion on which English was used in Parliament and to raise awareness of the estimated 7,000 varieties of English spoken in 100 countries worldwide.
This first Parliamentary speech in English, rather than in French, was made on 13th October 1362. In the same Parliament, a Statute of Pleading was approved that also permitted debate and law-making in English.
