Gerrard Winstanley’s Followers (11)

Gerrard Winstanley

Born

in Wigan, Lancashire, England

October 19, 1609

Died

September 10, 1676

Genre

Land Reform

Influences

John Lilburne ...more

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Gerrard Winstanley, the son of a mercer, was born in Wigan, Lancashire, in 1609. He moved to London in 1690 and became an apprentice in the cloth trade and became a freeman of the Merchant Taylors' Company in 1637.

In September 1640 Windstanley married Susan King and the couple moved to Walton-on-Thames. The Civil War destroyed his business and Winstanley later wrote: "the burdens of and for the soldiery in the beginning of the war, I was beaten out of both estate and trade, and forced to accept the good-will of friends, crediting of me, to live a country life."

Influenced by the ideas of the John Lilburne and the Levellers, Winstanley published four pamphlets in 1648. He argued that all land belonged to the community rather than to separate Gerrard Winstanley, the son of a mercer, was born in Wigan, Lancashire, in 1609. He moved to London in 1690 and became an apprentice in the cloth trade and became a freeman of the Merchant Taylors' Company in 1637.

In September 1640 Windstanley married Susan King and the couple moved to Walton-on-Thames. The Civil War destroyed his business and Winstanley later wrote: "the burdens of and for the soldiery in the beginning of the war, I was beaten out of both estate and trade, and forced to accept the good-will of friends, crediting of me, to live a country life."

Influenced by the ideas of the John Lilburne and the Levellers, Winstanley published four pamphlets in 1648. He argued that all land belonged to the community rather than to separate individuals. In January, 1649, he published the The New Law of Righteousness. Soon after publishing The New Law of Righteousness he established a group called the Diggers.

In April 1649 Winstanley, William Everard, a former soldier in the New Model Army, and about thirty followers took over some common land on St George's Hill in Surrey and "sowed the ground with parsnips, carrots and beans." Digger groups also took over land in Kent (Cox Hill), Surrey (Cobham), Buckinghamshire (Iver) and Northamptonshire (Wellingborough).

Local landowners were very disturbed by these developments, and in July 1649 the government gave instructions for Winstanley to be arrested and for General Thomas Fairfax to disperse the people by force.

Instructions were given for the Diggers to be beaten up and for their houses, crops and tools to be destroyed. These tactics were successful and within a year all the Digger communities in England had been wiped out.

Winstanley continued to argue for the redistribution of land and in 1652 published The Law of Freedom, a pamphlet in which he criticised the government of Oliver Cromwell, holding to the Anabaptist view that all institutions were by their nature corrupt. He also argued for a society without money or wages.

The Law of Freedom sold well and for a while Winstanley's ideas appeared popular with the English people. However, the Restoration brought an end to the discussion about the way society should be organized.

In 1660 Winstanley moved to Cobham and later became a Quaker and worked as a merchant in London. He died on 10th September, 1676. ...more

Combine Editions
Gerrard Winstanley’s books

Average rating: 3.89 · 140 ratings · 18 reviews · 45 distinct works • Similar authors

	A Common Treasury (Revolutions) by Gerrard Winstanley, Tony Benn (Introduction) 4.19 avg rating — 31 ratings — published 2010 — 5 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	The True Levellers Standard Advanced 3.79 avg rating — 24 ratings — published 1649	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	The law of freedom in a platform: or, True magistracy restored Humbly presented to Oliver Cromwel, General of the Common-wealths army in England. And ... brethren whether in church-fellowship (1652) 3.41 avg rating — 17 ratings — published 2005 — 8 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	'The True Levellers' Standard Advanced', 'The Law of Freedom' and Other Writings by Gerrard Winstanley, Will Jonson (Editor) 4.50 avg rating — 8 ratings — published 2014	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Gerrard Winstanley: Selected Writings by Gerrard Winstanley, Andrew Hopton (Editor) 3.78 avg rating — 9 ratings — published 1989 — 3 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	The new law of righteousnes budding forth, in restoring the whole creation from the bondage of the curse. Or A glimpse of the new heaven, and new ... all that preach or speak from hear-say (1649) 3.60 avg rating — 5 ratings — published 2010	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	The Complete Works of Gerrard Winstanley: Two-Volume Set by Gerrard Winstanley, Thomas N. Corns (Editor), David Loewenstein (Editor) 4.33 avg rating — 3 ratings — published 2010	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Fire in the Bush 4.33 avg rating — 3 ratings — published 1650 — 2 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	The Law of Freedom in a Platform (1652) really liked it 4.00 avg rating — 1 rating — 2 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Selections from the Works of Gerrard Winstanley by Gerrard Winstanley, Leonard Hamilton (Editor), Christopher Hill (Introduction) 0.00 avg rating — 0 ratings — published 1944	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars

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Quotes by Gerrard Winstanley (?)

“Was the earth made to preserve a few covetous, proud men to live at ease, and for them to bag and barn up the treasures of the earth from others, that these may beg or starve in a fruitful land; or was it made to preserve all her children?”
― Gerrard Winstanley, The new law of righteousnes budding forth, in restoring the whole creation from the bondage of the curse. Or A glimpse of the new heaven, and new ... all that preach or speak from hear-say

tags: communism, levellers, socialism

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