“Rooted in solidarity”

Union members and radical history enthusiasts have been hard at work organising a new one day festival to recognise a little known piece of Kent’s rural past.

The Swing Riots & Bossenden Rising Festival takes place near Faversham, at Mount Ephraim Gardens, on May 31st, starting at 1pm and finishing at 7.30pm. The festival is to remember farm labourers brutally killed for protesting over poor wages and insecure work. 

The Battle of Bossenden Wood has been called the last battle to take place on English soil and took place on 31 May 1838 near Hernhill in Kent where a small group of agricultural labourers from the area fought a detachment of soldiers.

On 29 May, Oak Apple Day, a group of farmworkers, lead by self style preacher Sir William Courtenay, who was actually Truro maltster John Nichols Tom, marched around the local countryside in protest about the introduction of machinery and the effects of the 1834 Poor Law of 1834. 

The protest started peacefully, but this wasn’t long after the Swing Riots had swept across the countryside, and some of wealthier landowners were becoming alarmed, resulting in a local magistrate issuing a warrant for Courtenay’s arrest.

The battle took place when agricultural workers, armed only with cudgels and farm implements, were attacked by over hundred soldiers in their attempt to arrest Courtenay.

Though it only lasted minutes, the conflict resulted in 11 deaths, Courtenay, eight of his followers and two of those sent to apprehend them – one being killed by “friendly fire” from a fellow soldier. 

The event is being organised by the Battle of Bossenden Wood Memorial Group, who this year successfully raised funds for a memorial plaque honouring the agricultural workers killed in the 1838 confrontation. The plaque was unveiled on 21st March, and this achievement inspired them to take the next step.

The group’s vision is to create the first Swing Riots & Bossenden Wood Heritage Festival — a new annual event that brings local history to life through music, storytelling, and community activities. 

The event aims to honour the rural workers who struggled in Kent during the 1830s and make their stories accessible to a wider audience.

One of the organising team is Unite member Mary Sullivan, a retired social worker with a long‑standing interest in history. Mary said, “As a member of Unite Community Kent, I was inspired by the Tolpuddle Martyrs Festival in Dorset, which shows how working‑class history can be kept alive through collective celebration. 

“It made me determined to create a festival here in Kent to honour our own agricultural labourers and their struggles. The Swing Riots & Bossenden Rising Festival is the start of that journey, and we hope it will grow into an annual event rooted in solidarity and remembrance.” 

Mary explained that the festival idea has received a lot of support in the area. Local historians, Unite Community, North East Kent Trades Council, the National Education Union, KCC Councillor Rich Lehmann, and the British Agricultural History Society, have all backed the idea, however new events are always a challenge to get off the ground and, following an unsuccessful National Lottery Heritage Fund application, the group have set up a crowdfunder to get them over the line and honour Kent’s rural workers.

You can find out more about how members and branches can support the festival crowdfunder campaign here. 

The festival will features talks, artefacts, live music, food and drink, and historical displays suitable for all ages, along with exhibitions on the Swing Riots of 1830 and the Battle of Bossenden Wood of 1838, a chance to see the newly created memorial boards, and enjoy performances inspired by Kent’s rural past.

Click the link to get tickets for the Swing Riots & Bossenden Rising Festival, and make sure to follow Unite Live for a full report after the event.

By Keith Hatch