Retired army captain Charles Cunningham Boycott (1832-97) got a job as a land agent with the Earle of Eene’s estates in County Mayo, Ireland.

His job was to squeeze the money out of poverty-stricken farmers and to kick out anybody who could not pay.

The Irish Land League had been formed to protect farmers from wealthy landlords who charged unfair rents to their tenant farmers.

But when it looked likely that the crops would fail, causing a famine, Boycott refused.

Boycott was chosen as a test case for a  new policy organised by Charles Parnell, who wanted land reform.

The Irish Land League encouraged a boycott by anybody associated with him. This included the mail. His crops had to be harvested through the help of 50 volunteers from the north of the country, who worked under the protection of 900 soldiers.

The Times published the story on November 20, 1880 and the name was soon published by newspapers throughout Europe, with versions of his name appearing in French (Boycotter), German (Boycottitren), Dutch (Boycotten) and Russian (Boykotrtirovat) newspapers.

Then it spread throughout the world.

By the time of the captain’s death in 1897, it had become a standard part of the English language.

lauriebarber.com; lbword@midcoast.com.au