BattlefieldsCaptain Swing riots Sussex 1830
modern

Captain Swing riots Sussex 1830

1830
Sussex, England
Era
modern
Battle Type
Pitched Battle
Location
Sussex, England
Status
Unregistered
The Combatants

Who Fought

Forces
Not recorded in historical accounts
Forces
threshing machinery, overseers and tithe farmers.
VS
Victor
Not recorded in historical accounts
Forces
Sussex agricultural labouring community
Outcome
Machines broken and ricks burned across Sussex. Military and yeomanry deployed. Prosecutions at the Sussex Special Commission resulted in transportation and imprisonment for scores of labourers.
The Battle

History & Significance

Sussex labourers joined the Captain Swing movement with machine-breaking, arson and wages riots across the county. The Sussex actions demonstrated the geographic reach of the agrarian protest and the depth of labourer grievances about wages, tithes and the New Poor Law.

Questions & Answers

Frequently Asked Questions

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