BattlefieldsGillingham Forest Riots 1626-1628
English Civil War

Gillingham Forest Riots 1626-1628

1626
Dorset, England
Era
English Civil War
Battle Type
Pitched Battle
Location
Dorset, England
Status
Unregistered
The Combatants

Who Fought

Forces
Not recorded in historical accounts
Forces
Patent holder agents
VS
Victor
Not recorded in historical accounts
Forces
Gillingham commoners
Outcome
Enclosures pulled down; some rioters prosecuted in Star Chamber; disafforestation process disrupted
The Battle

History & Significance

Gillingham Forest in Dorset was subject to disafforestation and enclosure by royal patent in the 1620s, provoking serious riots. In 1626 and 1628, foresters and commoners pulled down enclosure fences erected by the Dorset crown forest lessees. The Gillingham riots were among the first of several major western forest riots in this period, preceding and inspiring the larger disorders at Braydon and Dean.

Questions & Answers

Frequently Asked Questions

Aubrey Research

Explore the landscape around Dorset

Aubrey generates in-depth historical research for any location in Britain — drawing on Domesday records, scheduled monuments, Victorian OS maps, geological data and archaeological archives to tell the full story of a place.

Research a location near Dorset