▁the ▁mainly ▁rural ▁county , ▁forcing ▁far mers ▁to ▁seek ▁work ▁in ▁other ▁parts ▁of ▁the ▁country . ▁Att empt s ▁to ▁standard ise ▁English ▁began ▁as ▁early ▁as ▁the ▁ 1 6 th ▁century ▁and ▁by ▁the ▁mid - n in ete enth ▁century ▁had ▁also ▁had ▁a ▁prof ound ▁effect ▁on ▁local ▁dialect s , ▁particularly ▁in ▁the ▁south - west . ▁Dia lect ▁was ▁act ively ▁disc ou rag ed ▁in ▁schools ▁at ▁this ▁time ▁and ▁the ▁introduction ▁of ▁comp uls ory ▁education ▁for ▁young ▁children ▁hast ened ▁its ▁decl ine . ▁Thomas ▁Hard y ▁noted ▁in ▁ 1 8 8 3 ▁that , ▁" H aving ▁ ▁attended ▁ ▁the ▁ ▁National ▁ ▁School ▁ ▁they ▁ ▁[ the ▁ ▁children ] ▁ ▁would ▁ ▁mix ▁ ▁the ▁printed ▁tongue ▁as ▁taught ▁there in ▁with ▁the ▁un written , ▁dying , ▁W esse x ▁English ▁they ▁had ▁lear nt ▁of ▁their ▁parents , ▁the ▁result ▁of ▁this ▁trans itional ▁state ▁of ▁affairs ▁ ▁being ▁a ▁composite ▁language ▁without ▁rule ▁or ▁harm ony ". ▁ ▁It ▁has ▁also ▁been ▁suggested ▁by ▁Jason ▁Sul lock ▁in ▁his ▁ 2 0 1 2 ▁book , ▁" O o ▁do ▁e e ▁think ▁e e ▁are ? ", ▁that ▁West ▁Country ▁dialect s ▁are ▁a ▁source ▁of ▁some ▁der ision , ▁leading ▁many ▁local ▁speak ers ▁to ▁water ▁them ▁down ▁or ▁abandon ▁them ▁all ▁together . ▁The ▁same ▁point ▁is ▁made ▁in ▁Alan ▁Ch ed zo y ' s , ▁" The ▁People