Incendiarism in the 1800's- A symbol of farm labourers discontent
The poor living standards of farm
labourers and the use of new machinery led to several periods of
unrest amongst the farm labourers.
During the 1800's one of the
common forms of this unrest was Incendiarism usually setting light
to farm buildings.
In the whole of Essex there
were literally hundreds of buildings, haystacks etc set alight often
owned by farmers who were embracing the new technology.
In the Dengie Hundred there
were 16 incidents - Bradwell Juxta Mare(1), Tillingham (3),
Southminster (2), Burnham (6) , Althorne(1), Latchingdon (1) Mundon
(1) and Purleigh (1) all of which were identified during research by
Stephen Hussey and Laura Swish for their interesting book called
Horrid Lights.
There was general support for
the people responsible with few people willing to give names to the
authorities especially as punishments by Judges and
Magistrates, who were sympathetic to the land owners, were often severe such as Hanging or transportation.
Few people ventured outside
at night and it was comparatively easy for men used to moving around
the marshland countryside to walk to the target building ,set light
to it and then melt away unseen.
By the time that the alarm
was raised and enough people assembled to fight the fire the blaze
has usually achieved it's aim.
An example of a fire was
reported on the 3rd September 1857 in the Derby Mercury.
Sunday night about 12 O’clock a rick of hay containing about 40
loads the property of Rev Henry Bate Dudley on Tillingham Marshes
was discovered to be on fire.
On
being opened it raged with incredible fury in spite of every
exertion the same was entirely consumed.
Another whole rick near to the former was fortunately prevented from
destruction by the indefatigable efforts of the inhabitants of
Bradwell and Tillingham many of who notwithstanding the torrents of
rain which fell that evening continued by the flames all night.
The
fire was not quite extinguished by Tuesday noon.
