Cobbett's Legacy

My final reflections on Cobbett regard the nature of the man himself and the successes, (if any), which he may claim.

Upon reading his book, Rural Rides, my impression is of a man who was deeply fond of rural life, perhaps considering the countryside as the heart of Britain. Here is a man who, for 4 years, travelled the country in order to experience first hand, the declining standards of living for vulnerable farmers. He did not simply hide away from the public eye, when writing his radical pamphlets, but willingly engaged with those he was defending, gathering much support along his journeys.

It may be argued that his exertions were, at times, somewhat extreme, exemplified by the charges that were placed upon him, for his public advocation of the Swing Riots. These were the movements of labourers in 1830, who vented their frustration at the corruption of government by vandalising rural machinery.

But perhaps his actions were not in vain; in 1832, the Reform Act was passed through Parliament, allowing for greater fairness in electoral measures. Cobbett himself was later elected to the seat of Oldham, where he continued his attacks on government, and in particular, the Poor Law of 1834, which adhered to the extremist utilitarian views of Jeremy Bentham, forcing the poorest of families into the horrendous conditions of workhouses.

And yet, as was pointed out in this week's seminar, we may only need to leave the familiarity of our towns and cities, to find fields and fields, acres upon acres of uninhabited country; a scar upon the work of Cobbett and his contemporaries. To this extent, the radicals may have failed in their attempts to repopulate the rural areas, as the importance of technology in industry has continued to escalate over the last two centuries. Agriculture has not been reinstated as the main artery of British trade and commerce, while heavy duty factories have popped up in every major urban population.

However, this is not what Cobbett's success should be measured by. Instead, his generation should be remembered for the vast amounts of support that was harnessed in altering governmental policies towards the public voice and the changes that can be made by strong willed determination. This, in my view, is the legacy that Cobbett has left us.