Western Rising and disafforestation riots facts for kids
The Western Rising was a series of protests and riots. They happened between 1626 and 1632. These events took place in places like Gillingham Forest, Braydon Forest in Wiltshire, and the Forest of Dean in Gloucestershire. People were upset because royal forests were being sold off and fenced.
When land was "disafforested," it meant it was no longer a special royal forest. This allowed the king to sell it like regular land. "Enclosure" meant fencing off land. This stopped local people from using it, even if they had used it for generations. They used the land for things like grazing animals or collecting wood.
Similar protests happened at the same time in Feckenham Forest and Leicester Forest. There were also riots at Malvern Chase. People there mostly managed to stop the enclosures.
People didn't just riot. Many landowners and tenants felt they weren't paid fairly for their land. They tried to fight these changes using the law. For example, the town council of Leicester took legal action. They worried about how the changes would affect the poorest people. These people might become a burden on the town's poor relief system.
The riots from 1626–1632 were followed by more unrest. This happened in many of the same places during the English Civil War and later. The selling of forest lands continued, and people kept fighting against it.
Contents
Why the Riots Started
Kings needed money, and selling royal lands was a quick way to get it.
Royal Forests and Money
As early as 1608, King James I's minister, Robert Cecil, 1st Earl of Salisbury, looked at royal forests. He wanted to make more money for the king. His ideas led to more wood being sold from the Forest of Dean. This wood was used for making iron. Later, in the 1620s, Lionel Cranfield, 1st Earl of Middlesex, pushed this idea further. He set up groups to measure royal lands in forests. They also tried to agree on payments for selling and fencing off these lands.
King Charles I's Need for Funds
In 1629, Charles I of England decided to rule without Parliament. This meant he needed to find money without new laws. Selling royal lands, especially forests, was an easy way to get quick cash. Also, many people thought the forests were not producing enough money.
However, many people relied on these forest lands to live. For a long time, forest laws were not strictly enforced. This meant many people lived there without official permission. Rights to timber and grazing animals were very important for common people. These rights were based on old customs, not written laws. This made it easy for the king to take them away.
Who Protested and How They Organized
The people involved in these protests were often skilled workers. They included artisans, wage earners, or self-employed laborers.
Forest Dwellers and Their Lives
Many of these people lived inside the forests. They often had small plots of land. They were not mainly farmers. In the Forest of Dean, many were miners. Their rights to dig for ore were being threatened. Government officials at the time suspected that local rich landowners were secretly behind the riots. They looked for proof that these gentry were helping to organize the protests.
The name 'Western Rising' makes it sound like one big organized effort. But there is little proof that different communities talked to each other. However, they did use many similar protest methods. One common tactic was using traditional "Lady Skimmington" costumes and parades. These parades showed the community's disapproval. They also helped organize people to break down fences. In arrest warrants, protest leaders were often called "alias Skimmington."
Key Events of the Western Rising
Gillingham Forest Riots
The first riots happened in Gillingham Forest, Dorset. In 1625, groups were sent to figure out payments for landowners in Gillingham. The plan was made official in May 1627. This allowed much of the land to be given to Sir James Fullerton.
Riots took place from 1626 to 1628. In December 1626, a court ordered the arrest of 14 men and 12 women. Seven people went to trial, and four men were fined. In 1628, soldiers destroyed some of the new fences. They were probably encouraged by local people. More trials happened. Deer were killed, and plants meant for new fences were burned. People building the fences for Fullerton were threatened. Messengers from the court were attacked, and prisoners were freed.
The King's Privy Council took the Gillingham riots very seriously. They said such "rude actions" could not be allowed. In late 1628, the Sheriff of Dorset tried to arrest 100 rioters. But he faced a much larger, armed crowd and had to retreat.
The government especially tried to arrest Henry Hoskins, John Phillips, and John Williams. They thought these men were major leaders. However, historians now believe these men were important locally but not major leaders of the whole "Western Rising."
Most rioters were artisans, like weavers and tailors. Many depended on the forest for their work. These included tanners, glove makers, and carpenters. They likely did not get paid for their losses. So, they were among the worst affected by the forest changes.
About 2,400 acres were sold by the Crown. About 750 acres were set aside to pay tenants and cottagers. But the poor people of Mere received very little.
Forest of Dean Protests
In the Forest of Dean, the Crown didn't want to sell all the land. They wanted to use the timber and iron ore for their own profit. During the reigns of James I and Charles I, more wood was sold for iron works. Some land was fenced off so that ore could be dug. About 3,000 acres were given to "courtiers and government officials." They planned to use the land for grazing, mining, and making charcoal. About 17,000 acres were left for people who claimed common land rights.
Riots quickly followed. In March 1631, the fences were destroyed. About 500 men gathered with drums, flags, and a fife. They were armed with guns, pikes, and other weapons. They destroyed fences belonging to Tristram Flower. Then they moved to lands given to Sir Edward Villiers. Lady Barbara Villiers' agent, Robert Bridges, was shot at and threatened. Iron ore pits were filled in, and fences were broken. An effigy (a dummy) of Lady Villiers' agent, Sir Giles Mompesson, was thrown into the pits and buried.
In April 1631, 3,000 rioters with banners and drums removed most of the remaining fences. They also attacked the houses of those who were fencing off land. By the end of the month, all the fences put up in 1628 were gone. For the next two years, rioters kept destroying fences as they were rebuilt.
Braydon Forest Unrest
In July 1626, a group was sent to survey Braydon Forest. They were meant to settle agreements with local landowners. They reported back the next year. But the land arrangements were complex. So, another group was needed in 1629 to make sure everyone got fair payment.
In November 1627, 4,000 acres were given to Phillip Jacobsen, the King's jeweler, and Edward Sewster, a London merchant. They paid a lot of money for the land and rights. They were allowed to fence off the lands and rent them to new tenants.
Like in Gillingham, the next step was to make the agreements official in court. The court confirmed the plans in 1628 and 1630.
Riots started in May–June 1631. Fences built by Jacobsen's agent, Simon Keble, were destroyed. Groups of over 1,000 rioters threatened to kill Keble. They also threatened to destroy his workers' houses. At least one house was destroyed. This house belonged to a servant who had reported some rioters. When the sheriff tried to stop the riots, the crowds shot at them.
Other Forest Riots
Riots in Feckenham, Leicester, and Malvern were not officially part of the "Western Rising." But they happened at the same time and for similar reasons.
Feckenham Forest
There was a lot of pressure on the wooded areas here. Wood was used to fuel salt pans in Droitwich Spa. This had been happening for a long time. As the population grew, the demand for salt increased. Much of the forest had been cut down and was being farmed by 1629.
Sir Miles Fleetwood was in charge of surveying the lands. Local people refused to accept the land they were given. They said they only agreed because they were scared. They felt the land they got did not make up for losing their common rights. About 155 of them complained to the court.
In late 1627, William Ashton and William Turnor were given the forest. This was confirmed in June 1629. The forest was officially "disforested." This meant 2,100 acres of woodland could be divided.
In November 1630, the Crown's share of land was reduced. But locals still did not accept it. The new owners were told to fence their lands by March 1, 1631. But on March 28, a riot happened. Three miles of fencing were torn down. The next year, 300 people rioted. They faced the Sheriff and 40 armed men. The rioters had "warlike weapons" like pikes and swords. The authorities acted to stop this "flat rebellion." They tried to arrest rioters and injured some.
In the end, the Crown and landowners successfully fenced off their lands. The Crown's land was quickly sold.
Leicester Forest
Sir Miles Fleetwood was also asked to survey and disafforest Leicester in 1626 and 1627. Commoners were to be paid if they had a valid claim. Many would not qualify. The court confirmed the plans in February 1628. The King then rented 1,598 acres to nearby landowners.
Riots broke out, destroying fences in spring 1627 and again in 1628. Legal challenges were also made against both the rioters and the enclosures. Local people and the Corporation of Leicester sent petitions to the King. The Privy Council found nothing wrong with Fleetwood's actions. So, challenges were made in the House of Lords in June 1628. The Lords supported Fleetwood. However, they ordered that legal cases against the rioters should stop. It seems a deal was made: if people stopped rioting, the government would drop the legal cases.
Compensation for Losses
The Crown paid a lot of money to local landowners and tenants. Five lords claimed about 2,755 acres were used by their manors. Of this, 1,030 acres went to the King, and the rest to the lords. These landowners then had to pay their tenants for their losses. About 554 acres went to tenants based on the size of their land. Each cottage also received about 1.5 to 2 acres. The Crown also paid freeholders in other towns. The borough of Leicester received 40 acres to help their poor.
However, many families who had built homes on "assart" land (land they occupied without permission) would not be paid. A petition in June 1628 said that families in 100 old cottages would not be paid. Many more living in newer cottages also would not get compensation.
Malvern Chase Disputes
In 1630, Charles I gave one-third of Malvern Forest to Sir Robert Heath and Sir Cornelius Vermuyden. Over many centuries, many rights to use the land had developed. When the new owners started to fence off the Chase, the commoners and others fought back. Several riots and disturbances happened.
However, a court order was issued in 1632. It said that only one-third of the Chase would be fenced off. The other two-thirds would remain for the commoners. They could use it according to their rights. This land would be free from the King's deer and forest laws.
Later disputes led to rules that any land fenced off had to be of similar quality to the rest of the land. This meant the common land could not be the worst land.
More Unrest Later On
More unrest happened leading up to the English Civil War. Protests continued until the 1660s.
In the Forest of Dean, 22,000 acres were disafforested. In 1639, 4,000 acres went to landowners as payment. The remaining 18,000 acres went to the Crown and were given to Sir John Winter. Riots broke out in 1641. Parliament canceled Winter's claim in March 1642. His property was seized because he supported the King during the Civil War.
Later, in 1657, the government tried to fence off one-third of the forest. Two-thirds were left for the commoners. Even though this was a fair deal, it caused resistance in April and May 1659. Fences were broken, and cattle were brought in to graze. Royalists tried to get the unhappy people to support Charles II.
After the King was restored to power, Sir John Winter got his rights to the Forest of Dean back. However, in 1668, forest law was brought back by Parliament. In 1672, the King's ironworks were closed. This was done to reduce the pressure on the forest from mining.
