William Cobbett
Rural Rides
"Rural Rides" by William Cobbett is a collection of observations written between 1822 and 1826. This radical journalist and reformer journeyed on horseback through Southeast England and the Midlands, documenting what he witnessed as both farmer and social critic. His vivid accounts capture early 19th-century rural life, agricultural distress, and the struggles of ordinary people, while freely expressing his fierce political opinions against the establishment and landlord class.