William Cobbett | |
|---|---|
 William Cobbett, portrait in oils possibly by George Cooke, c. 1831 National Portrait Gallery (London) | |
| Born | 9 March 1763 Farnham, England |
| Died | 18 June 1835 (aged 72) Normandy, Surrey, England |
| Occupation | Pamphleteer, journalist, soldier |
| Education | Gray's Inn |
| Notable works | Rural Rides |
| Children | Anne Cobbett (1795–1877)
|
| Member of Parliament for Oldham | |
| In office 1832–1835 | |
| Succeeded by | John Frederick Lees |
| Personal details | |
| Political party | Radical |
William Cobbett (9 March 1763 – 18 June 1835) was an English pamphleteer, journalist, politician, and farmer born in Farnham, Surrey. He was one of an agrarian faction seeking to reform Parliament, abolish "rotten boroughs", restrain foreign activity, and raise wages, with the goal of easing poverty among farm labourers and small land holders. Cobbett backed lower taxes, saving, reversing commons enclosures and returning to the gold standard. He opposed borough-mongers, sinecurists, bureaucratic "tax-eaters" and stockbrokers. His radicalism furthered the Reform Act 1832 and gained him one of two newly created seats in Parliament for the borough of Oldham. His polemics range from political reform to religion, including Catholic emancipation. His best known book is Rural Rides (1830, in print). He argued against Malthusianism, saying economic betterment could support global population growth.