![]() For fear of adverse publicity, Miss Booth was not punished. In May, Eva and 18 other Salvationists appeared in court. But William Booth sent his daughter, Eva, to march with Salvationists in defiance of the law. In 1888 there were similar prohibitions on processions in Torquay. In response to similar disturbances, MPs in Eastbourne and Hastings put forward localised legislation to prohibit processions with music on Sundays. After a 90-minute stand-off, for the only time in Worthing’s history, the Riot Act was read and the mob dispersed. The Royal Irish Dragoon Guards lined up in front of the town hall. ![]() That evening, the Skeletons paraded the streets, smashing the town hall and police station windows. The next day, the magistrates called in the troops. With no police protection, Head fired his revolver into the crowd, injuring three rioters. Three days later, a mob attacked the home of shopkeeper George Head, landlord of the Salvationists’ hall. A fight between the police and Skeletons followed and a number of Skeletons were arrested. On Sunday 17 August, Skeletons attacked Worthing Salvationists as they marched to their hall. In 1884, the Skeleton Army launched a full-frontal attack on south coast resorts. The case (Beatty v Gillbanks) established a legal precedent that is still in force today – that a lawful act cannot be made unlawful by the actions of others. Salvationists were free to march the streets. At his trial, Beatty was found guilty of ‘unlawfully and tumultuously assembling with others to the disturbance of the peace’ and was sentenced to three-month’s imprisonment.īeatty appealed and won. Captain William Beatty refused and was arrested. The town’s mayor banned Salvationists from assembling on the streets. Salvationists were injured, their instruments battered and their flag stolen. In Weston-super-Mare, the Skeleton Army announced itself with a riot. Skeletons tried to storm the hall during worship services. Stones were thrown and windows of churches smashed. Described by the press as ‘roughs’, they were lads who let their fists do the talking.įor more than a year, the Skeletons attacked the Salvationists of Exeter on the streets and at their hall. His case was not helped by the fact that a number of magistrates, in Basingstoke and elsewhere, were connected to the drinks industry. ![]() William Booth wrote to the Home Secretary, asking for police protection and for the magistrates to deal with perpetrators. The Salvationists received a severe beating – blood, black eyes and broken bones. On Sunday 20 March 1881, a 1,000-strong brewery-financed gang called the Massagainians clashed with Salvationists in the Battle of Church Square. Publicans and brewers were hit where it hurts – the pocket.Īfter the Salvationists achieved great success in Basingstoke and won heavy drinkers to Christ, publicans began to complain. Hundreds responded to the gospel and saw their lives transformed. The Army targeted those who sought solace in drink, offering them a better lifestyle through faith in Christ. Some gatherings were broken up by flying bricks others by the officer being arrested (and later imprisoned) for obstructing the highway. The street meetings Salvationists held in the roughest parts of town attracted large crowds. One of Booth’s strategies was that if people wouldn’t – or through lack of smart suit or a good wash – couldn’t get to church then the church must go to them. Salvationists were assaulted on the streets and inside their places of worship. The troubles began in 1879 after William Booth changed the name of his Christian Mission to The Salvation Army and his followers started wearing a quasi-military uniform. 25 years on from the Good Friday Agreement, the Church still has a vital role to play.Matt Redman: ‘Reverence in worship has become my lifelong pursuit’.Rev Les Isaac: ‘I get bored if I’m in church too much.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |