Pentrich rising facts for kids
The Pentrich Revolution (also called the Pentrich Rising) was an armed protest in 1817. It started near the village of Pentrich, Derbyshire, in the United Kingdom. This event happened on the night of June 9–10, 1817. Much of the planning took place in Pentrich. However, the protest itself began from Hunt's Barn in South Wingfield.
About 200 to 300 men gathered. They were stocking makers, quarry workers, and iron workers. Their leader was Jeremiah Brandreth, an unemployed stocking maker. They set out from South Wingfield to march to Nottingham. They carried simple weapons like pikes, scythes, and a few guns. These weapons had been hidden in a quarry. The group had some unclear demands, including wanting to get rid of the country's National Debt.
However, one person among them, William J. Oliver, was a government spy. Because of this, the protest was stopped soon after it began. Three men were executed at Derby Gaol for their part in the uprising. They were Jeremiah Brandreth, Isaac Ludlam, and William Turner.
Why the Protest Happened
After the Napoleonic Wars ended in 1816, many things made the country's economy very bad. More factories and machines meant fewer jobs for people. Also, soldiers returning from war needed jobs. This led to a lot of unemployment.
The Corn Laws made the price of bread go up a lot. At the same time, a tax on income was removed. This meant the government had to get money for war debts by taxing other goods. This made prices even higher. On top of this, 1817 was a very wet and cold year. This caused a very poor harvest, meaning less food.
Factories that made war materials, like the Butterley Company, were also struggling. The price of iron ore dropped, and coal production fell. The business of making stockings had also been getting worse for about five years.
There was also a bigger political picture. For a long time, people had been asking for changes in how Parliament worked. They wanted to end "rotten boroughs," which were areas with very few voters but still had a lot of power. After the French Revolution, the government worried that any changes would lead to violence. So, they made stricter laws to prevent protests.
The Plan for Action
Since 1811, there had been small local protests. For example, people smashed stocking machines. They were angry that unskilled workers were making low-quality stockings. In bigger cities, there were also protests about food prices.
Across the country, there were secret groups planning changes. The group in Nottingham was led by William Stevens. The person representing Pentrich was a knitter named Thomas Bacon. Bacon was known for his strong ideas about change. He started the Pentrich Hampden Club. Several meetings were held in Pentrich. Bacon claimed that plans for a protest were ready. He had also asked about getting weapons from ironworks.
The decision to act was made when news arrived about a protest force coming from the north. This news was actually a trick made up by William Oliver, a paid spy for the government. The goal was to join this northern group and march to London. They wanted to support a bill by Sir Francis Burdett for changes in Parliament.
Bacon was suspected of breaking machines. There was a warrant for his arrest, so he went into hiding. He chose Jeremiah Brandreth, an unemployed stocking knitter with a family, to take his place. People had different opinions of Brandreth. But he promised the men that they would go to Nottingham. On the way, they would go to the Butterley ironworks. There, they would take weapons and kill the managers. In Nottingham, he said they would get food, drink, and money. They would also take over the army barracks. Then, they would go by boat down the River Trent and attack Newark. He told them that 16,000 people were ready to join them.
Among those present were Isaac Ludlam, a farmer who had lost his business. He owned a small quarry where he had hidden some pikes. William Turner, an ex-soldier, was also there. The plan was to meet at 10 p.m. on June 9. Ludlam's pikes would be given out. They would also get more weapons by asking for a man and a gun from each house they passed.
The March Begins
At 10 p.m. on June 9, about 50 men met at Hunt's Barn in South Wingfield. For four hours, they went around the area looking for weapons and more men. At one house, a widow named Mary Hepworth lived with her two sons. When she refused to open the door, the protesters broke a window. Brandreth fired a shot through it, killing a servant. Some of the group were shocked by this act. But Brandreth threatened to shoot them too if they didn't stay.
Eventually, the group headed for the Butterley Company works. When they arrived, George Goodwin, the factory agent, and a few officers faced them. One or two of the group left. Feeling less hopeful, the rest headed for Ripley.
At that time, there was no police force. Order was kept by private groups like the yeomanry (local volunteer soldiers). Information was gathered by the Home Secretary, Lord Sidmouth. He used a network of local judges and paid spies.
Through Ripley, they forced more people to join them. At Codnor and Langley Mill, they woke up people who ran pubs to get beer, bread, and cheese. It was raining heavily, and even more men left the group.
At Giltbrook, a small group of soldiers met them. These were 20 men from the 15th Regiment of Light Dragoons. The protesters scattered. About 40 were captured. The leaders managed to escape but were arrested in the following months.
What Happened Next
In total, 85 of the marchers were put in Nottingham and Derby jails. They were put on trial at the County Hall in Derby. Most were accused of trying to "overthrow the Government and the Constitution by force."
Twenty-three people were sentenced. Three were sent away for 14 years, and 11 for life. For the leaders, the government wanted to make an example of them. They hoped to "stop the demand for change by executing people for high treason."
Brandreth was caught in Bulwell on July 22. Isaac Ludlam was captured in Uttoxeter. Thomas Bacon and his brother John were caught in St.Ives. This was because of a £100 reward. The trial was organized by William Lockett. He gathered "respectable" jurors from the farming community whom he could trust.
At first, Bacon, Brandreth, and George Weightman (Bacon's nephew) were supposed to be tried. However, Bacon knew about William Oliver's role as a spy. If he had told this, it would have made the government look bad. It also might have made the jury side with the defendants. So, Brandreth was tried as the leader. Turner, Ludlam, and Weightman were tried as his helpers. All four were found guilty of high treason and sentenced to death. However, Weightman was saved because the jury asked for mercy. He and Bacon were sentenced to be sent away for life. Weightman was sent to Australia and died there in 1865. He never returned to England to his family. He was known as a good and honest person.
The three men—Brandreth, Ludlam, and Turner—were publicly hanged and beheaded in Derby. The Prince Regent said they did not have to be quartered (a more brutal part of the punishment).
Many people who believed in freedom were upset by the verdicts and executions. Lord Sidmouth, the Home Secretary, was especially criticized for using Oliver as a spy to cause trouble. However, Lockett said that the trial's results "would have a good effect on the behavior of the 'lower classes' in Pentrich and elsewhere."
Today, there is not much to see from the event. But the leaders, along with Weightman, are remembered in street names in Giltbrook. The old office building at Butterley Company, where Goodwin stood his ground, was torn down in 2009/10. The block used for executions can be seen at Derby Museum if you ask.
Historian E. P. Thompson saw this uprising as a link between earlier protests like the Luddite actions and later movements for change in the 1800s.
