March to London

[Guest Bohdan]

What was the name of the group of people who walked from Northampton to London at the beginging of WWI. What was their objectives. We learned about there people about 6 years ago at school but I have forgot.

Please can you help me.

Thanks

[Tom Morgan]

Bohdan - are you thinking of the Jarrow Crusade, in which about 200 men marched from Jarrow, in the north-East, to London, to draw attention to the high unemployment in Jarrow. This was in 1936.

Tom

[burlington]

Weren't they Sufragettes marhing in support of the war?

[Guest timgdawson]

Weren't they Sufragettes marhing in support of the war?

Bohdan,

Suffragettes are defined as being "a female advocate of the extension of the franchise to women, esp. a militant one, as in Britain at the beginning of the 20th Century." (Collins English Millennium Dictionary).

They commonly marched to get votes and other human rights for women. They were not really linked to the war.

I think Tom is right, as a Lieut-Colonel with 815 posts: Listen to him!

Tim

[burlington]

They commonly marched to get votes and other human rights for women. They were not really linked to the war.

Sorry but I think you are only partly right and I am only partly wrong.

Many sufragettes were formidable ladies. During the war they organised everything from social sewing to voluntary nursing to promotional stunts

Many were described as 'organisation women' (a bit like today!) and wanted to show what they could do without competing with Mrs Pankhurst. At one stage they marched 50,000 woment through the streets to reinforce this point.

At times they were too much for the War office and one lady was told to 'go home and sit still' Reminds me of someone.

Source: 'Good Old Blighty'- E S Turner. ISBN 0718118790

[Guest timgdawson]

Thanks for that,

Sorry about calling you Bohdan! I wasn't in the best of health when writing that, so I mis-read!

[Guest Pete Wood]

Bohdan, there were lots of protest meetings during the war. Many of these protests were in London.

Northampton isn't that far from London (compared to the North East of England), so let's see if we can jog your memory by giving you a few noteworthy protests:

The suffragettes held a memorable 'White feather' day. This was in support of Charles Fitzgerald's campaign to 'shame' young men into joining up. This took place in late 1914.

In March 1916, huge numbers of married men met up, led by W Dyson, at Tower Hill to protest that all single men should be called up BEFORE married men.

In 1916 The Temperance Movement, Social Purity Movement, and White Ribbon Band met in London (and other major cities) to protest at the amount of alcohol being consumed - and to complain about how many women war workers were drunk 'on duty.' This led to the strict licencing laws being introduced (which still apply to most of the UK today!).

In 1917 onwards there were also many strike/protest meetings over pay, working conditions, inflation, aliens, etc etc

Is this on the right track - or were you thinking of the post war depression marches, as Tom suggested....??

[Guest Bohdan]

Thanks for all the replies.

Someone mensioned Jarrow Marches. This is who I was thinking about. I got the wars mixed up, I thought this was pre-WWI and about people objecting to the war. But like I said I have a bad memory and its just prooved itself.

Sorry, but thanks anyway

[Kate Wills]

Bohdan

Following the Boer War, there was a slump in demand for Army boots. Although military boots were manufactured throughout Northamptonshire’s Shoe Belt, the small town of Raunds had built a particular specialism for this branch of the market. The wages were cut, and cut again, a strike ensued, and eventually the bootmakers, now on or below the breadline, decided to march on London to air their grievences. 115 men from Raunds and Ringstead, including several members of the Roberts family, began their journey to the capital on Monday 8th May 1905 (wearing boots they had crafted themselves), and gathered in Hyde Park, where an estimated 10,000 crowd had gathered to meet them. The leaders went on to Parliament, where "General" James Gribble interrupted a debate on women’s suffrage shouting “Mr Speaker, I’ve come here with 115 men from Northampton to try to see Mr Arnold Foster” (Minister of War) but was quickly ejected. However, their efforts were not in vain, as a inquiry was ordered into the nature of the dispute, and Kier Hardy, the Labour party leader, spoke on the marchers' behalf at a rally in Trafalgar Square.

Back home in Raunds, George Roberts, the main strikebreaker, continued collecting his outwork from the deserted factories. The strike had not been an easy time for him, as he was villified in the small, close-knit town, and the ill-feeling continued for years. But thigs gradually improved, and of course, within a decade business boomed in Raunds, and for all the Army bootmakers of Northamptonshire.

…and George Roberts? A long and active life, not unlike that of his niece – Margaret Thatcher (no comments PLEASE).

Assuming this is the march you are thinking of (and I can't think of another that fits the time and place) and you would like to find out more, why not send away for this modestly priced book:

THE RAUNDS STRIKE AND MARCH TO LONDON, 1905

Shoe industry development in Northamptonshire and the Raunds Strike

Author: J.R.Betts Price: £1.00

Available from: Mr J.R.Betts, 89 London Road, Raunds, Wellingborough, NN9 6EH

Or click here http://www.bbc.co.uk/legacies/myths_legend...article_4.shtml

[Kate Wills]

What was the name of the group of people who walked from Northampton to London..?

Commuters!!

[Guest Simon Bull]

For anyone who is interested there is an article re the Raunds March on page 26 of today's Guardian.

[Guest Jimmy Knacky]

Bohdan - are you thinking of the Jarrow Crusade, in which about 200 men marched from Jarrow, in the north-East, to London, to draw attention to the high unemployment in Jarrow.  This was in 1936.

Tom

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Yes the Jarrow Crusade Jarrow Crusade

Their Names Names