Hi David, Take a look at this website: _http://members.aol.com/Jillchmbrs/homepages.html_ (http://members.aol.com/Jillchmbrs/homepages.html) Click on 'Swing Rioters in Esssex'. Apparently the book by Jill Chambers is good to get as she gives a full account of the riots and names a lot of the rioters in there and details their 'crimes' and sentences. Regards Diana Re: I am reading an account of the struggles of Essex Farm workers during the period 1750 to 1914. In the early chapters it talks of a fire in 1822 at Great Clacton causing £1,200 damage and at Dovercourt. Incendiarism was used as a protest in an effort to avoid identification. In reference of the Swing Riots, some eight years later, it mentions a fire at Ramsey, with the arrest of several prisoners, and then continues "Besides Ramsey eleven other villages were affected, particularly Great and Little Clacton, Great Holland, Kirby, Tendring Thorpe-le-Soken, and Walton. An eye witness reported "Kirby and Clacton are in a complete state of insurrection, some of the labourers declaring that they could help themselves and they would do so.' This exaggeration was probably occasioned by the sight of the whole labouring population parading without hindrance through their villages: at least a hundred marched at Great Holland, 140 at Little Clacton, 150 at Tendring, 200 at Ramsey and 300 at Walton" This is the area in which my wife's ancestors were living and working and maybe rioting. I can find no record of any of them being arrested, charged, tried or sentenced for any riotous behaviour, but bearing in mind the living and working conditions, the passions and the numbers involved I would be surprised if they had not been included at least in the marching. Can anyone suggest where I can search to learn if any were more active. Thank you David.