Author’s Note
201 Words
Author’s NoteThe terrible conditions that I have described in this country in 1817 after the War against Napoleon had ended are exactly what occurred at the time.
Sir Arthur Bryant, in his brilliant book The Age of Elegance, tells us of the suffering of the farmers when cheap food from the Continent was allowed into the country.
He writes of the unspeakable frustration of men who came back from the War without pensions and without jobs waiting for them.
A great number of people died of starvation and undoubtedly a number took ‘to the road’ merely to steal enough money to keep themselves alive. It is true that the Duke of Buccleuch and Lord Bridgewater did what they could to help on their estates.
But there were indeed plenty of harsh landlords who rack-rented their land to finance their extravagances and many more who, absorbed in their pleasures, refused to be troubled.
But eventually, as always happens in our history, the English were roused to attempt to improve the situation and, as always, eventually came back to normality.
All wars leave misery and destruction behind them – and the Napoleonic Wars had lasted far too long.
As Dryden wrote,
“’Tis well an old age is out
And time to begin anew.”
- Writer
