Is this what the man who led a uprising to restore local rights in the Forest nearly 200 years ago looked like?

Nobody knows exactly what Warren James, who led an 1831 uprising against the enclosure of the Forest

But a combination of official records from the time and the latest technology has enabled the organisers of a day dedicated to the local hero to come up with this likeness.

Historian and author Ian Wright fed the description of James listed in the records of convicts transported to Australia into the Chat GPT artificial intelligence program to produced the image of the Freeminer who was born in a squat shack near Whitemead Park, Parkend in 1792.

On boarding the ship for the dangerous voyage to Tasmania, James was described as being a short five feet three inches, with a dark complexion, round head, black to grey hair, a long sloping forehead, hazel eyes, sharp nose, large mouth and medium chin.

Ian Wright said: “There are thousands of people related to the James family and it will be interesting to learn what they think of this incredible image.

“It helps bring the story to life."

Years of resentment at the enclosure of large parts of the Forest boiled over into the uprising led by James when he was 28 years old.

The enclosures had been ordered by the government in 1808 to supply the Royal Navy with timber with an undertaking they would removed after 20 years.

But ending the ancient right to collect wood, mine and graze animals in the thousands of acres of woodland that were fenced off forced many people further into poverty.

Local people argued that the enclosures had done their job of protecting growing saplings and were no longer necessary or lawful.

They petitioned Parliament, unsuccessfully, in 1828 and 1829 to have the fences removed and the following year James was chosen to again present the Foresters’ plea to Parliament.

When that failed, he called on the Freeminers to take action.

The rebellion began on June 8 1831 when a crowd of Foresters ignored the reading of the Riot Act and began demolishing enclosures between Bream and Parkend.

Thousands of local people joined in to restore their rights to common land. James was eventually arrested and taken to Gloucester gaol.

Found guilty for ignoring the Riot Act, his initial death sentence was reduced to transportation to Van Diemen’s Land, now called Tasmania.

One other person was also sentenced to death but that was also commented to transportation.

Nine people were jailed for up to two years, and several others received smaller sentences or fines. Around 100 others voluntarily rebuilt the enclosures, rather than be charged with rioting.

Despite receiving a free pardon, Warren James never returned to the Forest and he died, aged 49, “for want of medical attention”.

To remember these events an afternoon of music, drama, talks and poems is planned for the anniversary on Sunday (June 8) between 2pm and 5pm in Parkend Working Men’s Club.