Essex Machine Breakers

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In Essex there were three main areas of disturbance. The first was centred in the north-west corner of the county, close to Suffolk, Cambridgeshire, and Hertfordshire, beginning on the 1st December 1830, and in the main taking the form of simple wages riots. The second centre of disturbance was the area around Colchester, in particular the costal strip between Ramsey and Clacton, and beginning with a riot at the Great Coggeshall poorhouse on 22nd November 1830. The third centre was the small isolated pocket of disturbance south of Chelmsford, which began with a farm fire at Rayleigh on the 5th November. This book tells the story of the riots in Essex in the form of a diary of events. This is followed by a detailed accounts of the Winter Gaol Delivery held in December 1830 at Chelmsford and the Epiphany Quarter Sessions in January 1831. As a result of the trials 23 men were transported and number of others were imprisoned for various terms. Each person who was tried is mentioned, giving details of their offence, sentence, any petitions sent on their behalf, and in some cases family details. Additional information for those who were transported includes a physical description and their conduct record.

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In Essex there were three main areas of disturbance.