11:42am Friday 12th June 2009
By Keith Hamilton
HE was a convicted felon who was executed for his crimes.
But now, 178 years on, a small village church – of all places – has unveiled a commemorative plaque honouring his life.
Henry Cook was killed for his part in the Swing Riots of 1830 – a widespread uprising by rural workers angry at the introduction of farming machinery.
He was one of several hundred Hampshire farm labourers who went on the rampage in the Dever Valley on November 19, smashing the new threshing machines that threatened their livelihoods.
The mob reached Northington Down Farm – it still exists today – where they destroyed machinery and demanded two sovereigns from owner Thomas Dowden.
Another landowner William Baring - whose family owned The Grange at Alresford – gathered his own men and arrived at the farm to confront the labourers.
John Silcock, spokesman for the workers, stepped forward to tell Mr Baring they were destroying machines wherever they could find them. On hearing this Mr Baring grabbed his collar, prompting the labourers to pour forward and rescue their fellow worker.
It is claimed Mr Cook, 21, then stepped up to deliver a fateful blow.
"He had a sledgehammer in his hand or some kind of pole,” said David Findley, from The Dever Valley Local History Society. “He raised it and struck the brim of Mr Baring’s hat and then his shoulder, causing him to fall to the ground.”
Accounts differ as to how much damage was done to the aristocrat.
“His pride more than anything was hurt,” Mr Findley added. “You just could not have a farm worker hit a member of the aristocracy.”
Regardless of the extent of Mr Baring’s injuries the labourer was arrested a month later. He was found guilty of intent to murder and was executed at Winchester prison in Jewry Street on January 15, 1831.
The riots were set against a backdrop of poverty for labourers, who were solely dependent on landowners in a country that was in a slump after the Napoleonic wars.
“They were protesting for incomes to support them, not for incomes that would buy luxuries,” said Mr Findley. “It was a particularly miserable time for them.
“Threshing machine’s introduction really would have thrown a lot of them out of work and there was no social security then of course.”
“Today we’d regard him as a hero,” said Tony Gould, from the Unite union. “The people of the Micheldever, the parochial church council, the parish council and the trade union movement are to be congratulated on putting up this belated tribute to Henry Cook.”
Unite had approached Micheldever about erecting a plaque in the village church three years ago, to mark the 175th anniversary of Mr Cook’s death. But raising funds for the £650 commemoration and getting permission from the Diocese of Winchester delayed the project.
It was unveiled at a special service at Micheldever’s St Mary’s Church – where Mr Cook was baptised and is buried – on May 29.
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