Jarrow Crusade Memorial
This bronze sculpture commemorates a political protest march that lives long in the memory of British working people.
On the 5th October 1936, 200 unemployed men from Jarrow in Northumberland, England began to march to Parliament as part of what has become known as the Jarrow Crusade to call for economic assistance to the northeast of England during the depression of the time. The area had been known as a centre of shipbuilding and steel manufacturing for many years but in 1936 the unemployment situation was very bad (80% at its peak).
The Crusade, led by David Riley (head of Jarrow council) and Ellen Wilkinson the local Member of Parliament, covered 282 miles and took 26 days to complete. It is often described as a “Hunger March” and the event is embedded in the folklores of British organized labour and radical politicsThe aim of the marchers was to arrive in Westminster at the opening of Parliament, where they presented a petition signed by 12,000 residents of the town of Jarrow. The “crusaders” were hosted by supporters in towns and villages along the way, and Ellen Wilkinson made a speach at a public meeting at the end of each day’s marching. The government’s response was to cut off the unemployment benefits of the marchers because they were said to be unavailable for work.
To commemorate the 65th aniversary of the Jarrow Crusade a bronze sculpture was created by Graham Ibbotson in 2001 and installed in the parking lot the Viking Shopping Centre near the town centre.
The bronze sculpture, on a brick plinth, depicts two of marchers carrying a banner proceeded by a woman, two children and a mongrel dog which became the mascot of the march. In fact the Jarrow marchers were selected from the “fit-men” of the town and certainly no children took part. Apart from Ellen Wilkinson it seems that women did not take part in the march other than in a supporting role but the sculpture represents the wider political “crusade” rather than just the march itself. The people are depicted walking through the ribs of a steel vessel as if it were under construction (but not particularly to scale). There are also various depictions of the tools used by local skilled workers.
It is a commonly reported fact that an opera, two musicals, three pop songs, five plays, and several works of art, including the bronze sculpture reported here have all been creates in honour of the march.
Although the Jarrow Crusade is a widely remembered, and oft celebrated, event it must be said that it had little effect on the government in the short term and, in the long term, shipbuilding and steel manufacturing in Jarrow and nearby South Shields has all but died ( despite a temporary boost in activity, during WW2, in numerous industries in the area).
Know Before You Go
This is not the only public art in Jarrow that commemorates the event. In particular the low relief steel sculpture by Vince Rea at the Metro station is also worth the visit.
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