Levellers Day 2012

THE STORY BEHIND LEVELLERS DAY

Check out "The Levellers were a political movement during the period of the English Civil War. They were ahead of their time, with beliefs in democracy, religious tolerance, and social justice. It was the Levellers' highest ranking supporter in the Army, Colonel Thomas Rainsborough MP, who coined the movement's most enduring phrase, when he declared, at the Putney Debates in 1647: "For really I think that the poorest he that is in England hath a life to live, as the greatest he”.
Levellers Day commemorates a stand against dictatorship by Leveller soldiers in 1649 and its suppression by Cromwell. Over three hundred soldiers were locked up in Burford church; three were executed as ring leaders and buried in unmarked graves in the churchyard. A plaque commemorating them was placed on the church wall in 1979.

The words ANTHONY SEDLEY 1649 PRISNER scratched on the font of Burford church by one of the soldiers, can still be seen.  Levellers Day was initiated by the Oxford Industrial Branch of the WEA in 1975 to remember the Levellers and their ideals and to update and relate these to our own time through debate, entertainment and any other way that makes the subject matter  inspiring, educational and enjoyable. It’s held on the Saturday nearest to 17th May, the date the three men were executed. See  www.levellers.org.uk for more details and also facebook and twitter".

Levellers Day: Saturday 14 May 20111

"La révolution dévore ses enfants".  History? Look today at Libya.  This whole subject is as topical now as 350 years ago.

"On 17 May 1649, three soldiers were executed on Oliver Cromwell’s orders in Burford churchyard, Oxfordshire. They belonged to a movement popularly known as the Levellers, with beliefs in civil rights and religious tolerance.

During the Civil War, they fought on Parliament’s side, had at first seen Cromwell as a liberator, but now 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. Three were led out into the churchyard to be shot as ringleaders, these three soldiers were executed 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

Levellers Day is one of a family of events that celebrate and commemorate important dates in the history of the development of democracy in the United Kingdom. Together they create a focus for working people, socialists and the trade union and labour movement to come together and gain inspiration to carry forward their struggles into the future.

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