THE SWIXG RIOTS. 259 



agricultural labourers. Bodies of lawless men marched 

 from village to village, breaking up every machine 

 invented for the saving of labour. The farmers and 

 trading classes were powerless to control them ; the 

 yeomanry were called out, and special constables were 

 sworn in to suppress the " Swing riots," as they were 

 styled, from the threatening letters which farmers received 

 warning them that their farms would be destroyed, and 

 signed " Swing," in allusion, probably, to the penalty of 

 hanging for arson. Along the valley of the Colne, and 

 especially in the Wycombe valley, many of the paper- 

 mills were gutted, the machinery smashed, and the town 

 of Wycombe and district got into the hands of a lawless 

 mob. At that time a pack of staghounds was kept in 

 the neighbourhood of Uxbridge, and was hunted by a 

 right good master, Mr. Sullivan. One day, the deer 

 having been taken at West Wycombe, the well-mounted 

 field of horsemen were returning through the town, and 

 found the place practically in the hands of a ruffianly 

 mob, which the local authorities were powerless to 

 combat. The high-spirited master of the hounds called 

 on his companions to follow him, and with the butt- 

 ends of their hunting-whips they slashed in amongst the 

 mob, drove them helter-skelter out of the town, took 

 several prisoners, and delivered the borough from their 

 depredations. 



These unfortunate outbreaks lasted for several weeks, 

 and then, in nearly every part of the county, a special 

 Commission of Assize was held, and at Aylesbury scores 

 of misguided men were arraigned for riot and arson, were 

 mostly found guilty and sentenced to various terms of 



