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Topping the bill are festival favourites Merry Hell who will be
complemented by an excellent line up of acts including Headsticks, Joe
Solo, Ukepunk, the Corrie Shelley Band, Barnstormer 1649, Bard Company,
Brandon Lee Webb Band, Bathtub Gin Band, Rare Ould Times, Jimmy Andrex,
Hadrian’s Union, The Quaintest Show on Earth, Lesley Dawson-Heath, Simon
Williams, Jethro Platts, and Isaac Hughes-Dennis. Let’s also not forget
Wigan’s own True Levellers Community Samba Band. Come and join us – it’s
FREE to attend and always a great do!<br><br>
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The details of the various fringe events, including talks in Wigan Parish
Church are yet to be finalised and will be advertised in due course.<br>
Please share our Facebook page with your friends and let us know your
coming at:
<a href="https://www.facebook.com/events/465445411071592/">
https://www.facebook.com/events/465445411071592/</a><br><br>
<a href="https://wigandiggersfestival.org/" eudora="autourl">
https://wigandiggersfestival.org/<br>
</a>
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<h1><b>Gerrard Winstanley & The
Diggers</b></h1>
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</b></h1><br><br>
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In 1630, a 21 year old textile trader moved to London. He did well at
first, but as a result of the abuse of power by the both the King and
Parliament and then the outbreak of the English Civil War which started
twelve years later, he saw his business ruined and in 1643 he became
bankrupt.<br><br>
His father-in-law helped him move to Cobham in Surrey, where he initially
worked as a cowherd.<br><br>
However, by the time of the defeat of the Royalist side and King Charles
execution in early 1649, he and a group of others in a similar situation
had got together to represent the voice of the common people, and
especially that of the propertyless poor.<br><br>
The man’s name was <b>GERRARD WINSTANLEY</b>.<br><br>
He soon became the key spokesperson of the group which the people
living at the time referred to as ‘<b>THE DIGGERS’, </b>but who were also
known as the <b>‘True Levellers’</b> as distinct from another group led
by <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Lilburne">John
Lilburne</a>,
<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Richard_Overton">Richard
Overton</a> and
<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/William_Walwyn">William Walwyn</a>
known as <b>‘The Levellers’ </b>who while seeking equality before the
law, and an extension of the right to vote for most men, did not support
the abolition of private property and common ownership of the
land.<br><br>
The Diggers ‘nickname’ came from their belief that the land should be
available to every person to dig and sow, so that everyone, rich or poor,
could live, grow and eat by the sweat of their own brows, as according to
them “The earth was made to be a common treasury for all.”<br><br>
<b>THE DIGGERS</b> also advocated absolute human equality including
equality between men and women which in the 1600s was a very radical idea
indeed.<br><br>
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<b>WHAT DID THE DIGGERS DO?<br><br>
</b>Instead of simply voicing their opinion through the books and other
papers <b>GERRARD WINSTANLEY </b>wrote, he and <b>THE DIGGERS</b>, who
consisted of mainly poor families that had no land of their own (as land
was only owned by the rich) decided to take direct action by taking over
common land that belonged to no one, and which was not in use, and
started to farm it, so as to allow everyone who worked the land to
eat.<br><br>
At first this went well, but unsurprisingly the ideas of <b>THE
DIGGERS</b> were considered extremely dangerous by those with a vested
interest in the preservation of privilege, property and power.<br><br>
As more of these communities appeared rich land owners and the corrupt
government sent soldiers (see drawing from the time depicting this below)
to beat them, destroy their homes and crops and drive them off the land
they were occupying.<br><br>
<a href="https://wigandiggersfestival.files.wordpress.com/2012/03/diggers1.jpg">
<img src="https://wigandiggersfestival.files.wordpress.com/2012/03/diggers1.jpg?w=474" alt="[]">
</a><br><br>
<b>SO WHY HAVE A DIGGERS’ FESTIVAL IN WIGAN?<br><br>
</b>Well, the simple answer to that is that <b>GERRARD WINSTANLEY</b> was
born and raised in Wigan. It is also, from the earlier action of Wigan
Clay and Coal ‘Diggers’ who established their right to dig up local
common land for clay and coal, it is suggested by some Winstanley
scholars, that he drew his inspiration for his own actions in
1649.<br><br>
As well as being able to find out more about the life, ideas, and actions
of this great Wiganer, we want to celebrate him and <b>THE DIGGERS’</b>
movement with a festival of live music, poetry, film, great beer, and
most of all a re-born sense of community spirit amongst ordinary people
everywhere.<br><br>
<b>A FINAL NOTE<br><br>
</b>Historically <b>GERRARD WINSTANLEY</b> and <b>THE DIGGERS</b>
movement was, and is, one of the most important parts of the English
‘Revolution’ of 1649.<br><br>
This is recognized globally with <b>GERRARD WINSTANLEY</b> amongst those
listed on a monument dedicated to ‘The great Socialist thinkers’ in
Moscow, Russia.<br><br>
We think Wigan should be proud to be the home of such an important
historical figure, especially as he was the voice for so many ordinary
people at the time.<br><br>
“For freedom is the man that will turn the word upside down, no wonder he
hath enemies”<br><br>
Here’s a clip from the 1975 film <b>‘Winstanley’</b> by Kevin Brownlow
and Andrew Mollo. Pity about the anything but Wigan, and pretty ‘posh’
Southern accent, as well as mispronunciation of the man’s name (which
should be pronounced Winstan-ley not Win-stanley) by Winstanley actor
<b>Miles Halliwell</b>.<br><br>
POSTSCRIPT<br><br>
Gerrard Winstanley & The Diggers “One of the great stories of British
history!” Michael Wood BBC’s The Great British Story: A People’s History:
The Age of Revolution. Well worth a watch, starting at 41.32<br><br>
<a href="http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/b01l9nkb/The_Great_British_Story_A_Peoples_History_The_Age_of_Revolution/">
http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/b01l9nkb/</a><br><br>
<a href="http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/b01l9nkb/The_Great_British_Story_A_Peoples_History_The_Age_of_Revolution/">
The_Great_British_Story_A_Peoples_History_The_Age_of_Revolution/</a><br>
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