The Fernhurst Society
Tales from the Archives - 43
The Hungry Marchers
In August 1908 a movement known as ‘The Hungry Marchers’ was occurring up and down the country. This is what Mr Charles Willcock, Lay Reader at Henley Mission, thought of the group marching through Henley.
‘..... the usual uneventful flow of life in Henley was a little varied by about 100 of the so-called unemployed calling themselves ‘The Hungry Marchers’ marching in a body from Midhurst towards Haslemere. They were accompanied by trucks containing tents, etc, and putting up where they could on the outskirts of towns seeking food, money, etc from those who chose to give. In fact they were a body of loafers, mingled with criminals of the burglar class, passing as starving people seeking work but unable to obtain it.
They were closely watched and followed by the police and were not very liberally supplied with means of living without work, on the earnings of more worthy and industrious people. Their numbers gradually decreased to vanishing point. Our police escorted them, not allowing them to stop until they reached Haslemere when the Sussex officers handed them over for escort, and to be moved on by the Surrey force into the next country. They met with no encouragement here.’
If you would like to know more about this story, or research other local topics, the Archive is open on Tuesdays, 2.30-5pm in the Village Hall. Other times by arrangement.
Christine Maynard
Fernhurst ArchiveOne of a series of short articles bringing you some of the incidents from our rich village history. Collated by Christine Maynard, based on documents preserved at the Fernhurst Archives, these originally were published in the monthly Fernhurst News.
The Fernhurst Archives
Fernhurst History
