Levellers Day 2018 May 19

"Join us in Burford, Oxfordshire, to remember the achievements, sacrifice and legacy of the radical thinkers and political activists known as ‘The Levellers’

2pm Saturday 19 May

In the Churchyard, St John the Baptist Church, Church Green, Burford OX18 4RY

There will be a short commemoration to Levellers Cornet James Thompson, Corporal Perkins, and John Church, who were executed in the churchyard, 17 May 1649. The commemoration will be led by the Reverend Giles Fraser. Flowers will be laid. The ‘Sea Green Singers’ will perform. Trade union banners are welcome.

3pm Saturday 19 May

In the ‘Old Hall’, in Warwick Hall, adjacent to the church, Church Green, Burford OX18 4RY

There will a conversation between the Reverend Giles Fraser and John Rees about ‘religion and the English revolution’, followed by and discussion with the audience. Reverend Giles Fraser was formerly the Team Rector at St Mary the Virgin, Putney, which was the location of the ‘Putney Debates’, in 1647. He is currently the priest-in-charge at St Mary's, Newington, near the Elephant and Castle, south London, and he writes a weekly Friday column for The Guardian. John Rees wrote ‘The Leveller Revolution: Radical Political Organisation in England, 1640-1650’, which was published in 2016 and received excellent reviews".

www.tuc.org.uk/london-east-and-south-east/news/levellers-day-saturday-19-may-2018

JG I have never made this event and won't this year either. Below is a plaque remembering a similar execution that I stumbled across in Oxford last year

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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The Tolpuddle Martyrs’ Festival 15-17 July, 201115-17 July, 2011

Burston Strike School Rally 4 September, 20114 September, 2011

Women Chainmakers’ Festival –Black Country Living Museum 14-16 September, 201114-16 September, 2011"

Levellers' Day - Burford 16th May

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, the Levellers fought on Parliamentary side, they 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 troops and locked up in Burford church. Three were led out into the churchyard to be shot as ringleaders.

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.

Hear and question the following speakers

DR. BRENDA BOARDMAN Environmental Change InstituteOxford University Centre for the Environment http://www.eci. ox.ac.uk/ people/boardmanb renda.php

DR. ANTHONY WEBSTERDepartment of Theory & ModellingUKAEA/Euratom Fusion Association, Culham Science Centrehttp://www.fusion. org.uk/ and

JOHN MALONEDevelopment DirectorEnergy4Allwww.energy4all. co.uk

Chaired byDENIS GREGORYInternational Labour and Trade Union Studies, Ruskin College, Oxfordwww.ruskin.ac. uk

Leading the churchyard ceremonyPROFESSOR CHRIS ROWLANDQueen's College, Oxford.http://resources. theology. ox.ac.uk/ staff.phtml? lecturer_ code=Crowland

In the afternoon TONY BENN and ROY BAILEY present THE WRITING ON THE WALL an anthology of dissent in words and music from the fourteenth to thetwenty-first century followed by entertainment fromTRACEY CURTIS www.traceycurtis.com

VALE ISLANDERS dancers and musicians who perform English country dances of the ordinary people of the seventeenth century in period costume, will appear in venues throughout Burford during the afternoon.http://www.vale- islanders. org.uk/

Hat tip Col. Roi. Check out previous post.