Warren James

Warren James (1792–1841) was a rebel leader in the Forest of Dean, England.

As the Industrial Revolution began to take hold in the Forest of Dean, the Crown resolved to dilute the ''Foresters''' freemining rights and introduce free-market forces to the area. Then, in 1808, Parliament directed that large areas of the Forest be enclosed, in order to satisfy an increased demand for naval timber.

Unable to compete with the outside industrialists, and denied their ancient rights to collect timber or graze animals in the enclosed areas, many Foresters descended into abject poverty. Unrest grew and Warren James emerged as a populist leader. In 1831 he led a group of up to 3000 Foresters in open revolt against the Crown, tearing down around 60 miles of fencing in an attempt to retake possession of the enclosures. Warren James was tried and sentenced to death, though this was commuted to transportation to Tasmania. He was pardoned five years later, but unable to return home, he died in Hobart in 1841. His actions have inspired many other campaigns over the years and he remains one of the most significant figures in Forest of Dean history. Provided by Wikipedia