Britain Unlimited covers 250 Great British people and what made them famous

Who was William Cobbett? Prose writer and political journalist. Date and Place of Birth: 9th March 1763, Farnham, Surrey, England. Family Background: Son of a farmer and Innkeeper. Education: Taught himself to read and write at an early age and studied French, Geometry and Logic whilst in the army. Chronology: 1785: Served as a Sergeant-Major in the army in New Brunswick where he studied rhetoric, logic geometry and French. 1791: Bought his way out of the army. 1792: Sailed to the United States were he taught English to French refugees in Philadelphia. He also opened a bookshop. 1797: Started the "Porcupine' s Gazette" magazine in which he attacked Tom Paine and Joseph Priestley and the native democrats. 1800: Returned to England and was welcomed by the Tories who were fighting the revolutionary spirit then abroad in Europe. 1802: Began his weekly "Cobbett's Political Register". 1804: The "Register" at first Tory began to take on radical opinion. 1806: Began the "Record of Parliamentary Debate" which was to be taken over by Luke Hansard. 1809: Published "State Trials". 1810-1812: Spent two years in Newgate Prison because of his outspokenness against flogging in the army. 1817: Financial problems and further fear of imprisonment drove him back to the United States, where he became a farmer on Long Island. 1819: He returned to England and started a seed farm at Kensington, London. 1830: His famous "Rural Rides" were reprinted from the "Register". 1831: He defended himself against a charge of sedition. 1832: After the First Reform Bill he became MP for Oldham. Written Works: (Pseudonym: "Peter Porcupine")1801: "Porcupines Works". 1802: Started the weekly "Political Register". 1817: "English Grammar". 1821: "Twelve Sermons". 1822: "Cottage Economy". 1824: "History of the Reformation" 1825: "The Woodlands" 1830: "Rural Rides". "Advice to Young Men and Incidentally to Young Women". Marriage: 1792 to Jane Elizabeth. Places of Interest: LANCASHIRE: Oldham LONDON: The British Library SURREY Farnham Date and Place of Death: 18th June 1835, London, England. Age at Death: 71. Site of Grave: St. Andrew’s Church, Farnham, Surrey, England. (NOTE: St Andrew's Church have their own website. Click on "Visitors"/"Planning a Visit" for directions and a photograph of the newly restored grave). Further Information: William Cobbett Society c/o Molly Townsend Johnsons Farm Petershiels Hants GU37 2BY