An annual lecture will explore whether official records, newspaper reports, and letters truthfully represented rural rioters.
The English Project lecture, titled Finding Captain Swing: voice, protest, and people in the 1830 riots, will delve into the sources that allow us to hear directly from the people involved in the widespread disturbances in the countryside.
The riots, almost two centuries ago, saw rural rioters across southern England destroy farm machinery and burn hayricks in protest against poor pay and conditions, and the rise of mechanisation.
The lecture will be given at the University of Winchester by Professor Jane Hodson, a professor of English language and literature, and head of school at the University of Sheffield.
Her research focuses on how language relates to issues of representation and power.
Named after the fictional Captain Swing, the rioters were responsible for one of the largest movements of social unrest in 19th-century England, but are less well remembered than other agitators like the Luddites and Tolpuddle Martyrs.
In the run-up to the 200th anniversary of the riots, the English Project chair, Bill Lucas, who is also a professor of learning and director of the Centre for Real-World Learning at the University of Winchester, is seeking to rekindle interest in Captain Swing.
This year, it launched The Captain Swing Riots and the Grand Assize in Winchester in 1830.
During November 1830, more than 60 Hampshire villages saw rick-burning, the destruction of threshing machines, the pulling down of factories and Poor Houses, intimidation of farmers and clergy, as well as theft and general disorder.
As a result, more than 300 Swing Rioters were rounded up and charged with a variety of crimes, including attempted murder, at an extraordinary Grand Assize held over the Christmas period in the Great Hall in Winchester.
English Project chair, Professor Bill Lucas, said: "Surprisingly few people have heard of Captain Swing, yet these riots were at least as significant as what happened with the Luddites or the Tolpuddle Martyrs.
"We hope to put this right. And we are thrilled that Professor Hodson will be shining a light on the language and literature of this extraordinary period of English history."
The lecture will be held at the West Downs Centre Auditorium on Friday October 11 from 5.30pm.
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