Among those gathered to witness the horrific execution by firing squad of a poor Witney blanket weaver turned soldier and another poor man from Chipping Norton on June 13, 1795, was Jane Austen’s brother Henry.

In 1793, he had taken a break from his theological studies as an undergraduate at St John’s College, Oxford, to join the Oxfordshire Militia; and by the time of the riots that led to these dreadful events he had become regimental paymaster.

National and European politics rarely intrude into the sedate world depicted by Jane Austen (pictured) but, of course, these were fearsome times to be alive for ordinary people, and with revolution raging in France, the ruling classes were terrified that more of the same might break out here.

Each county had to raise a number of men to serve in the militias, with officers by and large selected according to set property requirements for each rank — with a colonel expected to show he obtained at least £1,000 a year from land.

But with wars in France and the Netherlands going badly and food riots at home, these requirements were sometimes relaxed, and Henry was accepted as a “Gentleman to be Lieutenant”, meaning he performed the duties of someone of that rank without holding it.

Militias were usually posted away from their home counties — so that should riots break out as a result of perceived injustices, such as land enclosures, the soldiers would be less likely to side with the rioters (who might include members of their families).

In 1795, following a cold winter preceded by a poor harvest in the summer of 1794, the Oxfordshire Militia Regiment was billeted in appalling conditions at East Blatchington, in Sussex, whence they could see grain being exported from the port of Tidemills.

With near starvation rife in the English countryside, this sight brought about a spontaneous mutiny in the Militia. Several dozen soldiers marched to nearby Seaford in a “disorderly manner”, took over the bread and flour there, and sold it at reduced prices. Ringleaders were arrested and court martialled in Brighton with four men sentenced to be flogged and two, former blanket weaver Edward Cooke and Chipping Norton’s Sam Parish condemned to death.

Thousands of regular soldiers and militiamen were marched to Goldstone Bottom, near Hove, to witness the punishment. They were there both to see an example set and to quell any disorder that might have arisen, since Sussex people were sympathetic to the prisoners.

Messrs Cooke and Parish were first made to witness the floggings. Then they were made to kneel on their own coffins and shot by ten comrades who had been selected from among the other mutineers. Then the assembled audience were made to march around the bodies.

The day before the execution — at least according to the Rev John Dreng, who was apparently present at the event — Mr Cooke wrote to his brother: “I am going to die for what the regiment done. I am not afraid to meet death for I have done no harm to no person and that is a great comfort to me.”

Even the High Sheriff of Sussex was deeply affected by all this. He wrote to the printer of the Reading Mercury on June 12: “I am proceeding to the execution of the two poor fellows.” And again the next day: “I am just returned from the ground where two soldiers were shot this morning, about quarter past eight. One of them knelt down upon one coffin and one upon the other, and they both instantly fell dead. Though left there, lest there be any remains of life, a firelock was left close to the head of each immediately after.”

As for Henry Austen, he resigned his commission with the Oxfords in 1801. All the same, his sister must have learned much information about the militia from him. For example there is George Wickham, who appears as a lieutenant of the “ -----shire Militia” in Pride and Prejudice.