The CAPTAIN SWING RIOTS BICENTENARY COMMEMORATION is an initiative of the English Project to highlight the significance of late 1820s/1830 as a period of great significance linguistically, politically, socially, technologically and culturally.
In undertaking this project the English Project makes no claim to any monopoly over the subject matter and it welcomes activities by other organisations and individuals to mark this important anniversary.
The English Project is a registered charity with a board of Trustees including:
Professor Bill Lucas (Chair)
Professor Christopher Mulvey
Councillor Nicolas Lodge
Marcus Barrett
The Bicentenary Commemoration initiative has four Patrons
Councillor Martin Tod (Leader, Winchester City Council)
Councillor Jane Rutter
John Denham (former Member of Parliament)
Tony Williams (former Managing Partner of Clifford Chance)
The initiative is co-ordinated by Edward Fennell and works closely with a number of local academics from the County’s universities, local history societies and community groups as well as key organisations such as the Hampshire Record Office and the Heritage Open Days.
All financial matters including sponsorships and external funding related to the Bicentenary Commemoration are handled through the English Project.
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.
