Cobbett in Petworth

Although not that well known today, in his own day William Cobbett was a power in the land. He was a radical journalist originally from Farnham who came to prominence railing against the government in the economic dislocation following the end of the Napoleonic wars. His greatest work was his collection of Rural Rides. He would set out on horse from his home in Kensington and keep a journal of his observations. In the days before the railways Petworth was a fairly major communication centre and he passed through it several times. He was most interested in the condition of the rural poor and to Cobbett's eyes Petworth probably seemed like a fairly major urban area. He didn't spend much time describing it. He was however very favourably disposed to Lord Leconfield, commenting that he was a landlord who looked after his tenants. To Cobbett the legitimate aristocracy were much to be preferred over new money - the people he referred to as speculators and stock jobbers. He was also impressed by the solidity of the town which he attributed to the skillful use of the local stone. It is a shame he didn't write more about Petworth as the William Cobbett society is now based in Tillington just 2 miles up the road from it. http://www.williamcobbett.org.uk/