COB'BETT, WrwAm (1762-1835). An Eng lish political writer. He was horn Slareh 9, 1762, at Farnham, Surrey, where his father, a peasant farmer, trained him in habits of industry and self-dependence. He took a dislike to rural occu pations, and at sixteen years of age went to Lon don, where he was employed as a copying clerk; but, this becoming distasteful, he enlisted in the Fifty-fourth Reghnent of infantry, which shortly afterwards went to Nova Scotia. He remained in the regiment eight years, and by good eon duet, activity, and intelligence became sergeant major. During this period he devoted his leisure to self-education. On his return to England in 1791 he obtained his disekarge through the kind offices of Lord Edward Fitzgerald, married, and later went to France, where he learned the lan guage. In the following year he went to Amer ica, and, failing in an attempt to obtain a Govern ment position, supported himself for a time at Wilmington, Del., teaching English to French emigrants, Talleyrand being one of his pupils. He settled in Philadelphia and became a political writer. Under the signature of 'Peter Porcupine' he was as keen a Tory as in later life he was a Radical, and, being stung by disparaging criti cism of his mother country, he lashed American democracy and French republicanism with coarse, bitter, and personal scorn. Twice prosecuted for libel, he left America in June. 1800, and returned to England, where, in January, 1802. he started his famous Weekly Political Register, which continued uninterruptedly until his death. At first Tory, the Register gradually changed its polities and became the determined opponent of the Government and the uncompromising cham pion of Radicalism. Having previously been found guilty twice of libel on certain members of the Government. he was in 1810 fined f1000 and sentenced to two years' imprisonment in Newgate for his severe comments in the Register upon the flogging of five militiamen by Hessian mercenaries. In sore financial straits, and again in danger of imprisonment for free speech. Cobbett returned to America in 1817, and for two years farmed on Long island, transmitting his articles for the Register with unfailing regu larity. On his return to England in 1820, his
strange whim of transporting the hones and relies of Thomas Paine, whom he had formerly reviled and now fulsomely eulogized, met with contempt and ridicule. He established a seed farm at Kensington. and for some years engaged in agri culture. In 1829-30 he traversed England and Scotland on horseback, delivering political lec tures in the principal towns, and he was received everywhere with enthusiasm as the most power ful advocate of the people's rights. In 1832 he was returned to the first Reform Parliament as member for Oldham. his first speeches did not add to his reputation, but caused amusement, Peel blandly informing him that they would re ceive the attention due to any 'respectable mem ber,' but he eventually gained a respectful hear ing. Ile engaged in a debate on the malt tax just before his death at Normandy Farm, near Guildford, June 18, 1835. Cobbett was the compiler of the Parlia M entary History (London, 1806), which aftbr 1812 was published as Han sard's Debates, and originated Howell's State Trials (London, 1809-28). Among his best-known works are his Grammar of the English Lan guage (1819); Rural Rides (1830); Cottage Economy (1822) ; and Advice to Yoang Men and Women (1829). His History of the Protest ant Reformation (2 parts. 1824-27) attacks the Reformers, defends Roman Catholicism, and, often translated, has been extensively circulated in France and Italy. His sons published an an notated abridgment of his political works (9 vols., 1843). While not a man of the first order of intellect. and excluded from the higher refine ments of thought, in matters of common sense Cobbett exhibited vigor far surpassing that of any other writer of his day. Despite crotchets, he rendered lasting service to the cause of the people. Consult: His autobiographical Life and Adventures of Peter ,Porcupine (Philadelphia, 1798) ; E. Smith, Life of Cobbctt (2 vols., Lon don. 1878) ; Huish, Life of Cobbett (London, 1336 ) ; Waters, Cobbett and His Grammar (New York, 1883) ; Watson, Biographies of Wilkes and Cobbett (London, 1870).