‘We do not come here...to inquire into grievances; we come here to decide law’: Prosecuting Swing in Norfolk and Somerset 1829-1832

Wallis, Rose

Abstract

The repressive sentences handed down by the Special Commissions in the wake of the Swing disturbances, have somewhat eclipsed the prosecution of offenders at county quarter sessions and regular Assize courts. In neglecting this avenue of research, we overlook the opportunity to address the actions and attitudes of the authorities at a more local level and the importance of local contexts in the shaping of prosecutions. This article investigates the ways in which the county commissions of the peace in Norfolk and Somerset structured the prosecution of Swing offenders, and contrasts them with the very different practice in Wiltshire.

• Journal Article Type: Article
• Acceptance Date: Jul 20, 2010
• Publication Date: Oct 1, 2010
• Journal: Southern History
• Print ISSN: 0142-4688
• Peer Reviewed: Peer Reviewed
• Volume: 32
• Pages: 159-175
• Keywords: magistrates, courts, Swing disturbances, prosecution, protest
• Public URL: https://uwe-repository.worktribe.com/output/1494755