Social Disorder in Britain 1750-1850: The Power of the Gentry, Radicalism and Religion in Wales

(Hardback)

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In the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries revolutionary dissent, political upheaval and social protest spread throughout Europe - and Wales was no exception. In this unique examination of British social history, J.E. Thomas focuses upon the power of the local gentry in Wales, and their relationship with the poor and potentially revolutionary population. Early explosions of protest were seen all over Wales, coinciding with the aftermath of the American Revolution, and the equally seismic events of the French Revolution, while later revolts went on to provide serious challenges to the British state. 'Social Disorder in Britain' is an important contribution to the study of the history of religion, social protest and the rise of revolutionary movements, and will be essential reading for students and researchers of British history as well as those interested in revolution more generally.

Reviews

'This substantial volume deals with an important aspect of British and Welsh social history which is of considerable interest. It is well-written and easy to follow, demonstrates good attention to detail, and is an enjoyable and informative read.' - Professor W. J. Morgan, UNESCO Chair of the Political Economy of Education, University of Nottingham; 'Written by an author with an established reputation for reinvestigating history, Social Disorder in Britain provides a fresh look at a well-known historical phenomenon. Thomas engages in an impressively painstaking examination of cases which serve to redress the generally accepted notion of an idyllic existence at this time. In particular, it gives a well-documented account of the peasantry in Wales. It can confidently be said that the book's attention to the significance and quantity of industries, in what is now regarded as a perennially rural Wales, is not matched by any other study of Welsh society in this period. Thomas's work documents the explosion of protest between 1750 and 1850 with sensitive judgement and charts the decline of small farmers, with the near famine, lawlessness and sedition this caused. It also offers a convincing argument that the protest in Wales had an ideological basis - garnering a wealth of detail from literary sources of the time as well as from recent scholarship.' - The Reverend Professor J. Heywood Thomas

Author Bio

J. E. Thomas is Professor Emeritus of Adult Education at the University of Nottingham, having previously held the positions of Dean and Pro-Vice Chancellor. He is the author of numerous articles, as well as several books, including 'The House of Care: Prisons and Prisoners in England 1500-1800' (1988) and 'Britain's Last Invasion: Fishguard 1797' (2007).