Levellers Day

Levellers Day was on Saturday - some went from the local Woodcraft Folk group and no doubt others from Stroud - sadly despite having to travel through Burford on Saturday I was unable to stop - a pity as the programme looked good with Green MEP Caroline Lucas, music and more - the Levellers were radical idealists, and have been called early socialists - although of course they had no concept of the workings of emergent capitalism.

The Levellers had beliefs in civil rights and religious tolerance - the idea was that William the Conqueror had brought the 'Norman Yoke'. This had taken the land from the Democratic, Egalitarian society they believed had existed in Anglo-Saxon times. God had created all men and women equal, and the land should be used by all people as a right. A programme was worked out by a committee, called the "Agreement of the People". A form of shop stewardmanship grew up, with 'agitators' who represented the men in the debates with the high officers in the great Army Council. The subject was the future of a new, King-less commonwealth.

During the Civil War, Levellers fought on Parliament’s side, had at first seen Cromwell as a liberator, but then saw him as a dictator. They were prepared to fight against him for their ideals and he was determined to crush them. Over 300 of them were captured by Cromwell’s troops and locked up in Burford church. On 17 May 1649 three soldiers from this movement were led out of the church and shot as ringleaders on Oliver Cromwell’s orders in Burford churchyard, Oxfordshire.

In 1975, members of the WEA Oxford Industrial Branch went to Burford to reclaim a piece of history that seemed to be missing from the school books. They held a meeting in remembrance of the Leveller soldiers. The following year, Tony Benn came and read in the church and in each succeeding year, people have come to Burford on the Saturday nearest to 17 May, debated, held a procession, listened to music and remembered the Levellers and the importance of holding on to ideals of justice and democracy.

See more here: www.levellers.org.uk