Warren James day on 8 June 2025 will be a truly interesting event and the organisers are calling on local (ish) writers, musicians, performers to submit pieces to perform at the event to make it even more so!
Parkend Working Men’s Club, Lion Row, Parkend, GL154JZ. FREE event. 2-5pm
Warren James is a Forest folk hero who led a rebellion against the authorities in 1831 to pull down enclosures stopping people getting access to the forest – a key part of their livelihood.
The 1831 Dean Forest Uprising
(also known as ‘The Dean Forest Riots’)
The disturbances of 1831 had several causes but ultimately centred on a dispute over the fencing off of woodlands near Parkend that stopped people grazing their animals there. Foresters argued that the enclosures had been kept up far longer than the law allowed. After numerous attempts to argue their case peacefully, including letters written to Parliament, Warren James announced that local miners would gather on the 8th June to throw open the enclosures.
On the Sunday before the appointed day, as both men were leaving St Paul’s Church, Parkend, Head of the Office of Woods Edward Machen urged Warren to not go ahead with the gathering. The gathering did go ahead, and Warren was joined by other men, women and children who over several days systematically tore down many miles of enclosure fences all over the Forest. The Riot Act was read, and eventually troops were called in to crush the uprising. Warren James was identified as the leader and captured. At trial he was sentenced to death, but this was commuted to transportation for life to Van Diemen’s land – modern day Tasmania – where despite a later pardon he died in ill health thousands of miles from his native Forest of Dean.
Here are all the details on how his stance will be celebrated this year and how to have your work shared!
Warren James Day 8 June 2025
Remembering the 1831 Forest of Dean Uprising
CALL FOR SUBMISSIONS!
This year we are marking WARREN JAMES DAY, with poems, songs, short stories, and performances that explore the people and events – real and imagined – of the 1831 ‘Dean Forest Riots’ (uprising!), its aftermath and ongoing legacy.
We are asking YOU to write something that can be read / sung / performed / shown on the day, (by yourself or if you prefer, performed by somebody else).
We are also asking for your short, engaging talks, artworks, films…
There is already the brilliant poem by Keith Morgan, ‘Warren James: Freedom Fighter’ in Albert’s Dree Wi’ker (1985) that outlines the Warren James story, and there are some great songs already written too (we’re hoping to include these on the day).
We are looking this year for work that explores some other aspects of the ‘Warren James Story’.
These are some of the themes we are suggesting as starting points, but no need to feel limited only to these:
What about some of the other people – named, unnamed, real or imagined – involved in those dramatic events:
- The many unnamed women, children and others who also tore down the enclosures
- The other 26 men who ended up in court, including John Harris who was also sentenced to transportation for life (but eventually returned to the Forest)
- Warren’s parents, sister, family
- Edward Machen, in charge of the Office of Woods, Forest of Dean
- P J Ducarel, magistrate
- Colliery owners’ agent Aaron Goold whose garden fence in Cinderford was torn down
- Foresters that didn’t take part in the uprising
- Family and friends living away who read the newspaper reports or received letters
- Newspaper journalists covering the story
- The soldiers sent to crush the uprising
- What perspective might the trees, plants, animals, ghosts and ancestors of the Forest have had on those events if they could talk?
How have the events of 1831 already inspired and continue to inspire us, and what are the stories to be told about these more-recent events?
- Hands Off Our Forest (HOOF) – see here for how this campaign inspired my middle grade fantasy books
- Frack Off Our Forest (FOOF)Other recent and present-day Forest of Dean campaigns and issues
- Forest heritage, dialect, stories, artwork…
What older events and history might have inspired Warren and his friends in 1831 to stand up for their rights?
- Skimington riots
- Forester raids on Severn barges
- Wyntour’s despoilation of the Forest
- The ‘Bread Riots’ of 1795 & 1801
What about Warren himself, the man?
What was he thinking – before, during, after…what conversations might he have had on his way to Van Diemen’s Land? What was his life like in Van Diemen’s Land? What might he think and say about of the Forest of Dean today?
And…what about future attempts to privatise our commons? Is Artficial Intelligence, ChatGPT about to dispossess us of our human heritage?
SUBMISSIONS
- We are looking for submissions of all sorts of original work (it could be something you’ve already written but it must please be your work) that can be shared on the day: poetry, prose, short stories; drama, sketches, multi-media, music, song; fact, fiction, comedy, satire, polemic…even art installations
- Written pieces should be no longer than 750 words maximum (500 preferred).
- Performance pieces up to 10mins maximum duration
- Talks should ideally be not more than 10mins maximum duration (projector, sound & screen available)
- Sing-along songs encouraged!
We welcome work from people of all ages – there are no age restrictions or categories*
Remember to include your name, contact details and whether or not it would be you yourself performing it on the day.
Please send your submissions to: [email protected]
Or if you can only send in hard-copy, please post to: Warren James Day, c/o Dean Heritage Centre, Camp Mill, Soudley, GL142UB.
Copyright in any works submitted, and performed, will remain with the author, however we will expect agreement to share online any recordings of them being performed on the day.
We will do our best to include all submissions on the day, however if we receive a very high number of submissions, we will as a group make a selection of work that will work best together to make for an engaging programme. We reserve the right to not include submissions.
CLOSING DATE FOR SUDMISSIONS: Thursday 1st May (midnight)
The Warren James Day 8 June 2025 will take place at Parkend Working Men’s Club, Lion Row, Parkend, GL154JZ. It is a FREE event. 2-5pm
*UNDER 18’s
Work by anyone under 18yrs of age at time of submission, must be submitted by teacher / parent / guardian or other adult representative (e.g. youth group leader) on behalf of that young person. Anyone under 18yrs of age on 8th June 2025 who will be performing their work at the event must be accompanied by one of the above adults.
We are looking forward to receiving your submissions – so get thinking, writing, making…!!
RESOURCES
Warren James: Tearing Down the Enclosures – short-film, with Nigel Costly
Watch online: https://convictionpolitics.web.app/stories?sa=Warren_James_Tearing_Down_the_Enclosures_Doc_137
Ralph Anstis (1986) Warren James and the Dean Forest Riots
Library link: https://gloucestershire.spydus.co.uk/cgi-bin/spydus.exe/FULL/WPAC/BIBENQ/140144/889772,9
Ian Wright (2010) The Life and Times of Warren James: Free miners from the Forest of Dean
Library link: https://gloucestershire.spydus.co.uk/cgi-bin/spydus.exe/FULL/WPAC/BIBENQ/140144/762589,1
To buy (£3): https://www.brh.org.uk/site/pamphleteer/the-life-and-times-of-warren-james-free-miner-of-the-forest-of-dean/
Chris Fisher (2020) The Forest of Dean Miners’ Riot of 1831
To buy (£7) https://www.brh.org.uk/site/pamphleteer/the-forest-of-dean-miners-riot-of-1831/
‘The Story of Freemining’ exhibition at Hopewell Colliery (in green portacabin, free entry when open)