THE FARMER SWINGS HIS SCYTHE. 51 



the 'forties and shared probably the same meals together 

 in the farm kitchen, had now become widely separated. 

 During the golden era of the 'fifties and 'sixties, whilst the 

 farmer waxed fat and his son was sent to a good school, 

 rode to hounds, and became more or less of a country gen- 

 tleman, the labourer's son grew up ill-nourished, unedu- 

 cated, and unenfranchised. His dependence upon the 

 large farmer for his daily bread, the roof over his head, for 

 fuel and for cast-off garments, became almost as marked 

 since his divorce from the soil in the eighteenth century, 

 as his forefather's dependence upon the lords of the manor 

 in the age of feudalism. 



The gathering storm which led directly to the great 

 lock-out of 1874 centred around the little village of Exning, 

 in Suffolk. It was a letter signed by seventeen labourers, 

 dated September 26, 1872, served upon the farmers in 

 Exning, which determined the farmers in the eastern coun- 

 ties to form an association for self-protection. This letter 

 was couched in the following terms : 



" SIR,- 



" We, the undersigned, do hereby jointly and severally 

 agree to call your attention to the following requirements for 

 our labour namely, 145. for a week's work, and no longer to 

 conform with the system of breakfasting before going to work 

 during the winter quarter. 



" Hoping you will give this your consideration and meet our 

 moderate requirements amicably, 



" Your humble servants " 



This courteous notice, which did not even ask for the 

 demand put forward by the executive of the National Union 

 for a minimum of i6s. for g| hours a day, roused the farmers 

 to action. They formed an association at Newmarket on 

 October 15, of which one of the rules enacted " that no 

 member shall make any general alteration in the rate of 

 wages he is at any time paying to his labourers nor any 

 other general alteration in the terms upon which he engages 

 his labourers, without previously giving the committee 

 due notice thereof, and acting in concert with them." 



The humble request for 143. for a week's work came from 



