William Cobbett

William Cobbett (March 9, 1763 – June 18, 1835) was a radical agriculturist and prolific journalist. He was born at Farnham, Surrey. He thought that the reform of Parliament and the abolition of the rotten boroughs would help cure the poverty of the farm labourers. Cobbett constantly attacked the borough-mongers, sinecurists and tax-eaters. He opposed the Corn Laws, a tax on imported grain. Through the many apparent inconsistencies in Cobbett's life, one strand continued to run: an ingrained opposition to authority and a suspicion of novelty. Early in his career, he was a "loyalist" supporter of King and Country; later, he joined (and arguably helped inspire) the burgeoning radical movement. One particularly "seditious" rhyme attributed to Cobbett was:

Early life (1783-1791)

On May 6 1783, on an impulse he took the stagecoach to London and spent eight or nine months as a clerk in the employ of a Mr Holland at Gray's Inn. He enlisted in the army in 1784 where he taught himself to read and write. His regiment was posted to New Brunswick and he sailed from Gravesend to Halifax, Nova Scotia. Cobbett was in St John, Frederickton and elsewhere in the province until September 1791. He rose through the ranks to become Sergeant Major.

Related Topics:
May 6 - 1783 - Gray's Inn - 1784 - New Brunswick - Halifax - Nova Scotia - St John - Frederickton - 1791 - Sergeant Major

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He returned to England with his regiment landing at Portsmouth 3 November 1791 and obtained his discharge from the army on 19 December 1791. On 5 February 1792 he married Anne Reid in Woolwich: he had met her whilst in Canada.

Related Topics:
Portsmouth - 3 November - 1791 - 19 December - 5 February - 1792

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