About the Diggers

Wellingborough has a long tradition of radicalism and socialism, perhaps best embodied by Gerrard Winstanley and the Wellingborough Diggers - a collection of people who, hungry and oppressed by rich landowners, "took land unto themselves in the name of sustaining life, not as a means of power or authority to deprive others."

The Wellingborough Diggers' Festival was established to commemorate The Diggers' and specifically nine men from Wellingborough.  The first festival began during March 2011 and has established into a community festival with fringe events. A Declaration dated 12th March 1649 (1650) identifies the men who followed Winstanley's beliefs and briefly occupied the field known as Bareshanks, off Hardwick Road, Wellingborough to plough and sow seeds for the community. This declaration emphasised the commonness of poverty in the local area at the time. Unfortunately, Bareshanks was used for only a short period of time before the Justice of the Peace for Northampton, Thomas Pentlow put into force laws that were opposed to individuals intruding on other men's properties.

"Four of the Diggers [being] arrested; the remainder were dispersed with force" (Northampton County Magazine 1932).

The nine men from Wellingborough were:   

Richard Smith, John Avery, Thomas Fardin, Richard Pendred, James Pitman, Roger Tuis, Joseph Hichcock, John Pye and Edward Turner.