Pentrich rising

Quick Facts: Who was Pentrich rising?

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Pentrich rising

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An armed uprising in Derbyshire, England, during the economic turmoil following the Napoleonic Wars.

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Origins & Early Life

The Pentrich Rising was an armed uprising around the village of Pentrich, Derbyshire, England, on the night of 9–10 June 1817. While much of the planning took place in Pentrich, two of the three ringleaders were from South Wingfield and the other was from Sutton in Ashfield; it started from Hunt's Barn in South Wingfield, and the only person killed died in Wingfield Park. A gathering of some two or three hundred men (stockingers, quarrymen and iron workers), led by Jeremiah Brandreth (The Nottingham Captain, an unemployed stockinger), set out from South Wingfield to march to Nottingham. They were lightly armed with pikes, scythes and a few guns, which had been hidden in a quarry in Wingfield Park, and had a set of rather unfocused revolutionary demands, including the wiping out of the National Debt. One among them, William J. Oliver, was a government spy, and the uprising was quashed soon after it began.

Career & Major Achievements

Three men were hanged and beheaded at Derby Gaol for their participation in the uprising: Brandreth, Isaac Ludlam and William Turner. Co-accused conspirator and leader George Weightman was sentenced to the same fate, but later had his sentence reduced to transportation for life, as a prisoner in the Australian penal colony. Following the end of the Napoleonic Wars in 1815, a number of factors combined to drive the country into a severe depression. The increased industrialisation of the country, combined with the demobilisation of the forces, led to mass unemployment. The Corn Laws led to massive increases in the price of bread, while the repeal of income tax meant that the war debt had to be recovered by taxing commodities forcing their prices even higher.

Enduring Legacy & Impact

In addition, 1817 was unusually wet and cold, producing a very poor harvest. The loss of production of war materials had affected engineering companies like the Butterley Company, the price of iron ore had slumped, and the production of coal had fallen by a third. The hosiery trade had also been falling away for about five years. There was, in addition, a wider political picture. Since the previous century, there had been calls for parliamentary reform, particularly an end to the rotten boroughs.

Chronological Milestones & Life Events

1. 1815: 1815 Milestone — Following the end of the Napoleonic Wars in 1815, a number of factors combined to drive the country into a severe depression.
2. 1817: 1817 Milestone — The Pentrich Rising was an armed uprising around the village of Pentrich, Derbyshire, England, on the night of 9–10 June 1817.

Historical Fact-Check Quiz: Pentrich rising

True or False: “The primary goal of the Pentrich Rising was to achieve immediate parliamentary reform through armed confrontation.”

Answer (FALSE ❌): While parliamentary reform was a background theme, the initial demands were more focused on economic grievances, such as the wiping out of the National Debt.

Contemporary Figures & Related Historical Timelines

• Abraham Gottlob Werner — Historical peer (Died in 1817) (1817): Pioneering German geologist, known for establishing early theories of Earth's crust.
• Adolphe, Grand Duke of Luxembourg — Historical peer (Born in 1817) (1817): Grand Duke of Luxembourg, ruling from 1890 until his death in 1905.
• Ada Lovelace — Historical peer (Born in 1815) (1815): Pioneering mathematician recognized as the first computer programmer.
• Adolph Menzel — Historical peer (Born in 1815) (1815): Pioneering German Realist master, celebrated for his detailed etchings and genre scenes.

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