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EAST GARSTON : RIOT and REQUIEM.

In April 2009 I had the privilege of taking over the tending of East Garston's War Memorial, the previous incumbent having left the village. The names on the Memorial became very familiar to me, (At my age long periods of quiet reflection are essential in between short bursts of activity!) so much so that I felt the need to find out more about the men behind the names, fifteen in WW1 and four in WW2.

Whilst investigating the genealogy of two of the casualties, to  confirm the relationship between them, I became aware of another aspect of this village's past; the involvement of its agricultural labourers in the Swing Riots of 1830.