The Nottingham Captain: a novel of The Pentrich Revolution

England in 1817 was a place where many suffered great hardships under a notoriously oppressive government. Life was often brief and brutal. The economy was depressed, unemployment high and the harvest the poorest in living memory. Unscrupulous manufacturers and merchants were destroying a heritage of craftsmanship and replacing it with factories and mills that mass-produced poor quality goods. Women and children worked endless hours for starvation wages while skilled men were unemployed. Petitions from all over the country begged the government to provide relief for the thousands who were unable to earn enough to feed themselves, but these were rejected out of hand. In contrast, the decadence and excess of the court of The Prince Regent provoked widespread disgust. Everywhere there was talk of reform and a mood of rebellion swept across Britain. In the midst of this turmoil, a small dark-haired man was brought to a Derbyshire Inn and introduced to the villagers assembled there as "The Nottingham Captain." He had come to lead them as part of a national rising against the British government. His name was Jeremiah Brandreth and he spoke with charismatic passion and a deep sincerity that awed his listeners, convincing them to embark on a great and dangerous adventure that would change the destiny of all of them forever. His gospel was drawn from the works of Tom Paine and he promised a revolution like that which had founded the United States and overthrown the French monarchy. A few days later several hundred poorly-armed men followed him in attempt to capture Nottingham Castle, an event known today as 'The Pentrich Revolution'. Opposing the rebels was the government of Lord Liverpool, determined to fight to retain the supremacy of the aristocracy. The devious and ruthless Home Secretary, Lord Sidmouth ran a network of secret agents and paid informers and was prepared to use all necessary force to deal with disaffection. Based closely upon the actual events this non-fiction novel tells the almost unknown story of the 1817 Derbyshire Rising from the point of view of the people involved. It is a tale of comradeship and betrayal, principles and politics, demagogues and spies, heroes and villains. In the middle of it all is a man of mystery who refused to talk about his origins or why he embarked upon his wild adventure. Only recently has the identity of "The Nottingham Captain" been established and there is much about his story that remains a matter for speculation. From the cover of the book, sketched by a contemporary journalist, 'The Nottingham Captain' gazes serenely through the fading pages of history. He is the epitome of the enigmatic revolutionary whose courage and fortitude won admiration and respect, even from many of those who opposed him. In 2017 we celebrate the 200th anniversary of The Pentrich revolution, when Derbyshire villagers rose up under the leadership of Jeremiah Brandreth, "The Nottingham Captain." It is time to tell their story.