The Agricultural Riots of 1830

The basic causes of the agricultural uprisings in 1830 were the distressed conditions of the workers, i.e. the struggle to find work, the poor wages, the existence of only the bare essentials of life,with the poorhouse as the last refuge. One important factor was the increasing use of the threshing machine which could perform the work of ten men in any given time and as this was one of the main wage-earning opportunities during the winter months the workers feared for the livelihood of themselves and their families. Grievances transformed into violence and anger against the symbols of their misery. Barns, ricks and poorhouses were bumt. Machinery, in particular the hated threshing machines, were singled out and smashed. Initially there was a degree of sympathy from some magistrates and farmers, who recognised the need for a living wage and consequently there were few arrests and higher wages were sometimes granted.