El::JA
El::JA 11/1
11/1
E.
E. P.
P. Thompson.
Thompson. WHIGS
WHIGS &~D
&~D HUNTERS:
HUNTERS: THE
THE
ORIGIN
ORIGIN OF
OF THE
THE BLACK
BLACK ACT
ACT (Pantheon
(Pantheon Books)
Books)
1975,
1975, 313
313 pp.,
pp •• $5.95
$5.95 (paper).
(paper).
Class struggles in 18th-Century England
led to enac:tmlent
enactmlent of "The Black Act" in
1723 which made poaching of deer, fish,
rabbits, and other animals, as well as
wood-cutting, in royal parks a capital
crime. Villagers and farmers could not
even kill deer which wandered out of the
reserves to rclvage their gardens without
risk of the gallows. ~1any people were
tried,
tried. many hanged. The Black Act, so
called from the practice of blacking
faces for night raids, was resisted in
rural England, but not repealed until
Victoria's time. This book discusses
the rise of poaching, maiming of deer,
breaking of fish impoundments, and
wasting of forest reserves as an act
of protest against harsh Whig policies.
especiallY, were regarded
The deer, especially,
as symbols of the king and his agents, and
as such became victims in the class struggle.
Suffering caused mutilated animals is not
discussed in
in this
this work,
work, as
as it
it doubtless
doubtless
discussed
was not
not at
at ~he
the time.
time. Methods
Methods of
of game
game
was
management, the
the size
size of
of royal
royal herds
herds of
of
management,
red fallow
fallow deer,
deer, and
and the
the politics
politics of
of
red
hunting priVileges
privileges are
are documented.
documented. The
The
hunting
has no
no discussion
discussion of
of ethical
ethical consid­
considbook has
book
erations of
of the
the legal
legal and
and illegal
illegal hunt,
hunt,
erat~ons
but ~s
is of
of interest
interest to
to those
those tracing
tracing the
the
but
history of
of hunting
hunting and
and of
of humane
humane sentiments
sentiments
history
toward wild
wild animals.
animals.
toward
Phoebe Wray
Wray
Phoebe
The Center
Center for
for Action
Action
The
on Endangered
Endangered Species
Species
on