England in 1817 was a place where many suffered great hardships under a notoriously oppressive government. Life was often brief and brutal. The economy was depressed, unemployment high and the harvest the poorest in living memory. Unscrupulous manufacturers and merchants were destroying a heritage of craftsmanship and replacing it with factories and mills that mass-produced poor quality goods. Women and children worked endless hours for starvation wages while skilled men were unemployed. Petitions from all over the country begged the government to provide relief for the thousands who were unable to earn enough to feed themselves, but these were rejected out of hand. In contrast, the decadence and excess of the court of The Prince Regent provoked widespread disgust. Everywhere there was talk of reform and a mood of rebellion swept across Britain. In the midst of this turmoil, a small dark-haired man was brought to a Derbyshire Inn and introduced to the villagers assembled there as "The Nottingham Captain". He had come to lead them as part of a national rising against the British government. His name was Jeremiah Brandreth and he spoke with charismatic passion and a deep sincerity that awed his listeners, convincing them to embark on a great and dangerous adventure that would change the destiny of all of them forever. His gospel was drawn from the works of Tom Paine and he promised a revolution like that which had founded the United States and overthrown the French monarchy. A few days later several hundred poorly-armed men followed him in attempt to capture Nottingham Castle, an event known today as 'The Pentrich Revolution'. Opposing the rebels was the government of Lord Liverpool, determined to fight to retain the supremacy of the aristocracy. The devious and ruthless Home Secretary, Lord Sidmouth ran a network of secret agents and paid informers and was prepared to use all necessary force to deal with disaffection. Based closely upon the actual events this non-fiction novel tells the almost unknown story of the 1817 Derbyshire Rising from the point of view of the people involved. It is a tale of comradeship and betrayal, principles and politics, demagogues and spies, heroes and villains. In the middle of it all is a man of mystery who refused to talk about his origins or why he embarked upon his wild adventure. Only recently has the identity of "The Nottingham Captain" been established and there is much about his story that remains a matter for speculation. From the cover of the book, sketched by a contemporary journalist, 'The Nottingham Captain' gazes serenely through the fading pages of history. He is the epitome of the enigmatic revolutionary whose courage and fortitude won admiration and respect, even from many of those who opposed him. In 2017 we celebrate the 200th anniversary of The Pentrich revolution, when Derbyshire villagers rose up under the leadership of Jeremiah Brandreth, "The Nottingham Captain". It is time to tell their story.
About the Author: John Young FRSA studied at Oxford and Sheffield Universities and has had a life-long passionate interest in British social history. Born in Yorkshire, he has lived in Derbyshire for over forty years and first wrote about the Derbyshire Rising in 1981. His recently published book 'The Pentrich Revolution, a short history' gives the factual background to the events in his latest non-fiction novel, 'The Nottingham Captain'. John has been fascinated by the Pentrich Revolution for the past 35 years. Together with author and song-writer, Keith Jones, he co-wrote a set of original songs and toured a slideshow telling the story around social clubs in the early 1980s. Whilst at Spondon School, Derby, he wrote a play on the subject for students. This was televised in a Central TV programme directed by Norman Hull. 'The Pentrich Revolution' and its companion book 'The Nottingham Captain' have been written to celebrate the 200th anniversary of the Derbyshire Rising of 1817.'The Nottingham Captain' is a non-fiction novel that imagines the characters behind the events in The Pentrich Revolution history. A teacher for 30 years, John worked extensively in the Derbyshire Coalfield, was the Head of Shirebrook Community School, and Director of the Coalfields Education Action Zone. He also worked extensively in Derby supporting local schools. His office was across from the old Derby courthouse where the revolutionaries of 1817 were put on trial. Politically active from an early age he has written and performed songs about social justice for fifty years. He lives in Bolsover, Derbyshire from where he operates eebygum books and is planning to publish a number of titles in the next year.