The Swing Riots of 1830

Name: The Swing Riots of 1830
Start: 2026-04-23T19:00:00+01:00
End: 2026-04-23T21:00:00+01:00
Location: St Paul's without the Walls Church, Canterbury

Schedule

Thu Apr 23 2026 at 07:00 pm to 09:00 pm

UTC+01:00

Location

St Paul's without the Walls Church, Canterbury | Canterbury, EN

Prominent local historian Dr John Bulaitis with a fascinating introduction to the time when East Kent captured the national headlines.
About this Event

EAST KENT HITS THE HEADLINES. In 1830, the desperate farm labourers of East Kent protested violently against unemployment and poverty, adopting as their leader the fictitious, death-threatening ‘Captain Swing’.

Starting in Lower Hardres, the movement spread rapidly across Kent and Essex. The authorities, initially lenient in their response, crushed the uprisings with imprisonment, transportation and executions.