What do you think?
Rate this book
A Common Treasury
At the end of the English Civil War, Gerrard Winstanley and his comrades, known as Diggers, went to St. George’s Hill, to farm the common land and to distribute the food for free amongst themselves. Winstanley’s extraordinary writings from this period have remained a huge influence for many on the Left and are cited as some of the earliest examples of communist thought. Legendary voice of the Left Tony Benn examines Winstanley’s work and argues that, as we face an ever greater enclosure of the commons, he can still inspire us to turn our world upside down.
192 pages, Paperback
First published April 1, 2010
About the author
Gerrard Winstanley
42 books10 followersGerrard 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.
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.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews
November 2, 2016
In the seventeenth century Gerrard Winstanley faced many of the same political struggles that we face in this century. The only difference is that political debate four hundred years ago was conducted at a far higher intellectual level and with the use of a far more elegant prose style than we can ever find in our newspapers today.
Wal-mart still exploits workers in much the same way that landlords exploited workers in Winstanley’s day:
There are political candidates standing for election this very November who share much in common with the worst sort of politicians of four centuries ago:
Warmongers and fearmongers did their worst in an earlier age as well:
In September 2011 ordinary people occupied Zucotti Park in downtown Manhattan to protest against the inequality that remains so obvious in our society. In April 1649 Gerrard Winstanley and other ‘Diggers’ occupied George’s Hill, common ground in south west of London, for identical reasons. As Winstanley wrote the Diggers believed:
And that:
The Diggers and many other of the common people of England had paid taxes to support a more democratic Parliament who promised them much political and economic freedom in return for helping fight the Civil War. These promises were not kept.
Just like the Occupy movement the Diggers experienced deliberate harassment including beatings and an arson attack. Winstanley was arrested but was not allowed to speak in his own defense at the trial but only through a lawyer that he would have to pay. He refused:
Wikipedia tells us that the site where the Diggers first made their stand to work the common land as a treasury for all mankind is now a “…private estate with golf and tennis clubs..serving as a leisure location to celebrities and successful entrepreneurs..with an average sale price of GBP3,000,000…”
Winstanley did not have the benefit of newspaper opinion columns, twitter, blogs, sophisticated political theory or the rest of the mass of information that confuses and confounds politics today. Instead he formed his own ideas based on a simple vision of compassion for all, a vision which was ahead of its time then and which, sadly, still seems ahead of its time today.
Wal-mart still exploits workers in much the same way that landlords exploited workers in Winstanley’s day:
"...They have by their subtle imaginary and covetous wit, got the plain hearted poor or the younger Brethren to work for them, for small wages, and by their work have got a great increase; for the poor by their labor lifts up Tyrants to rule over them...
There are political candidates standing for election this very November who share much in common with the worst sort of politicians of four centuries ago:
"..Self Love and slavish fear is thy God, Hypocrisie, Fleshly Imagination, that keeps no Promise, Covenant or Protestation, is thy God: love of Money, Honor and Ease is thy God. And all these, and like the Ruling Powers, makes thee Blind and hard hearted that thou does not nor cannot lay to heart the affliction of others though they die for want of bread…"
Warmongers and fearmongers did their worst in an earlier age as well:
"..For wherefore is it that there is such Wars and rumors of Wars in the Nations of the Earth? And wherefore are men so mad to destroy one another? But only to uphold Civil property of Honor, Dominion and Riches one over another, which is the curse the Creation groans under, waiting for deliverance..."
In September 2011 ordinary people occupied Zucotti Park in downtown Manhattan to protest against the inequality that remains so obvious in our society. In April 1649 Gerrard Winstanley and other ‘Diggers’ occupied George’s Hill, common ground in south west of London, for identical reasons. As Winstanley wrote the Diggers believed:
"...the earth was made to be a common Treasury of livelihood for all, without respect of persons, and was not made to be bought and sold: And that mankind in all his branches, is the lord over the Beasts, Birds, Fishes, and the Earth, and was not made to acknowledge any of his owne kind to be his teacher and ruler, but the spirit of righteousnesse only his Maker, and to walk in his light, and so to live in peace, and this being a truth, as it is, then none ought to be Lords or Landlords over another, but the earth is free for every son and daughter of mankind, to live free upon..."
And that:
"... The greatest sin against universal love was for man to lock up the treasures of the earth in chests and houses and suffer it to rust or molder, while others starve for want to whom it belongs..."
The Diggers and many other of the common people of England had paid taxes to support a more democratic Parliament who promised them much political and economic freedom in return for helping fight the Civil War. These promises were not kept.
Just like the Occupy movement the Diggers experienced deliberate harassment including beatings and an arson attack. Winstanley was arrested but was not allowed to speak in his own defense at the trial but only through a lawyer that he would have to pay. He refused:
“...Truly it is an easie thing to beat a man, and cry conquest over him after his hands are tied, as they tyed ours. But if their cause be so good, why will they not suffer us to speak, and let reason and equity, the foundations of righteous Lawes, judge them and us…"
Wikipedia tells us that the site where the Diggers first made their stand to work the common land as a treasury for all mankind is now a “…private estate with golf and tennis clubs..serving as a leisure location to celebrities and successful entrepreneurs..with an average sale price of GBP3,000,000…”
Winstanley did not have the benefit of newspaper opinion columns, twitter, blogs, sophisticated political theory or the rest of the mass of information that confuses and confounds politics today. Instead he formed his own ideas based on a simple vision of compassion for all, a vision which was ahead of its time then and which, sadly, still seems ahead of its time today.
November 8, 2025
At the end of the English Civil Wars that culminated in the beheading of King Charles I, Gerrard Winstanley and his fellow Diggers - The True Levellers - went to St George's Hill to farm the common land, grow corn, and distribute the bread amongst themselves.
The Diggers were the first socialists and Winstanley was their spokesman who wrote thoughtful statements about the case for the common ownership of land, linking his ideas to the Norman Conquest of 1066.
As Winstanley says in the 'An Appeale to all Englishmen, to judge between Bondage and Freedome'.
"Come, those that are free within, turn your Swords into Plough-Shares, and Speares into pruning-hookes, and take Plow and Spade and break up the Common Land, build your Houses, sow Corne, and take possession of your own Land, which you have recovered out of the hands of the Norman oppressour."
The Diggers were the first socialists and Winstanley was their spokesman who wrote thoughtful statements about the case for the common ownership of land, linking his ideas to the Norman Conquest of 1066.
As Winstanley says in the 'An Appeale to all Englishmen, to judge between Bondage and Freedome'.
"Come, those that are free within, turn your Swords into Plough-Shares, and Speares into pruning-hookes, and take Plow and Spade and break up the Common Land, build your Houses, sow Corne, and take possession of your own Land, which you have recovered out of the hands of the Norman oppressour."
March 31, 2019
Good collection of Winstanley's writings, which layout his thought. Could become a bit repetitive by the end of it. My main critique is that the introduction by Tony Benn is rather short (3 pages) for a book that titles itself 'Tony Benn presents...'.
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews