Yeovil's Virtual Museum

The Yeovil Local Patriotic Fund

Help for families of soldiers killed in the Crimean War

 

The Crimean War was fought between the Russian Empire and an alliance of the Ottoman Empire, the Second French Empire, the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, and the Kingdom of Sardinia-Piedmont from October 1853 to February 1856. The war was sparked by disputes over the status of Christian holy sites in the Ottoman Empire and Russia's expansionist ambitions in the Middle East - sound familiar?

Funded by public donations, the Patriotic Fund was proposed at the beginning of May 1854 and finally set up ‘By Her Majesty’s Command’ in October 1854, with Prince Albert as its President. Its purpose was to co-ordinate the collection and distribution of money donated by the public for the widows and orphans of men killed during the war. Commissioners were appointed across the country and aid was distributed according to the needs of each family.

In October 1854, according to several newspaper reports (see Gallery), the nascent Yeovil Local Patriotic Fund was begun in an (un-named) glove factory. It was suggested that glove factory workers, in all the glove factories in Yeovil, subscribe a day's wages to the fund, while outworkers subscribe a penny each.

For a breakdown of wages by trade in the leather and gloving industries at this time click here.

A meeting of glove workers was held at the Town Hall in High Street during early November 1854 (again, see Gallery). In its edition of 4 January 1855, the Morning Chronicle reported "the operatives have contributed £69 (over £8,000 at today's value).

In fact, officially, Yeovil appears to have been somewhat tardy in its response to the Patriotic Fund. Scanning newspapers of the time, many towns had organised themselves a fortnight or more earlier than Yeovil - although this was probably caused by a delay in appointing Yeovil's newly-elected first Mayor (he was elected on 9 November 1854), John Ryall Mayo, to be the town's "Commissioner in Aid" for raising contributions towards the Patriotic Fund.

In any event, on 21 November 1854, Mayor Mayo issued a poster (see Gallery) to convene a public meeting to discuss the Patriotic Fund in Yeovil. The meeting was held at the Town Hall at noon on 28 November 1854 (again, see Gallery). The response was immediate and Yeovilians quickly contributed. As shown in the report below -  the list of subscribers was published in the Western Flying Post's edition of 12 December 1854. The total amount listed here is some £427 - in excess of £50,000 at today's value - and all raised in the first week of the appeal.

I am unable to establish the final total raised in Yeovil for the Patriotic Fund, but by February 1855, the national Patriotic Fund had received around £700,000 (in excess of £82,000,000 at today's value). The Fund finally amounted to £1.5 million (around £177,800,000 at today's value).

Specific amounts paid to widows from the Patriotic Fund are not readily available, however in March 1855 the Commissioners of the Patriotic Fund issued new regulations regarding the amount of relief to be granted to widows and orphans of soldiers, seamen and marines. Widows were to receive weekly sums varying from 3s 6d to 6s (between about £20 and £35 at today's value). The relief to widows having children varied from 4s 6d to 9s 6d (between about £27 and £56 at today's value), according to the rank or the deceased and the number of orphans.

 

 

These general instructions for the operational management of the Patriotic Fund were published in the 13 October 1845 edition of the Sun (London) newspaper.

 

A letter published in the 31 October 1854 edition of the Western Flying Post advocating the subscription to a Yeovil Patriotic Fund by glove workers of the town. As a result, the "considerable sum" raised was £69 (over £8,000 at today's value).

 

It was not just money that was needed to relive families of soldiers killed in the conflict, but this report from the 7 November 1854 edition of the Western Flying Post.

 

The 11 November 1854 edition of the Hampshire Chronicle confirmed that the Yeovil Patriotic Fund began in one of the town's glove factory.

 

This report, from the 17 November 1854 edition of the Evening Mail, gives detail to the glove workers' meeting at the Town Hall. 

 

Courtesy of South Somerset Heritage Collection, Yeovil Town Council

A poster distributed throughout the town inviting people to a public meeting to discuss the Patriotic Fund. The meeting, organised by Mayor John Ryall Mayo, was held at the Town Hall at noon on 28 November 1854.

 

The Western Flying Post's report, in its edition of 5 December 1854, of the 28 November 1854 meeting at the Town Hall to consider Yeovil's support for the national Patriotic Fund. Reported subscriptions at the meeting amounted to £135 (in excess of £16,000 at today's value).

 

Subscriptions to the Yeovil Local Patriotic Fund was instantaneous. This list of subscribers was published in the Western Flying Post's edition of 12 December 1854. On first glance it may seem that people were being less than generous until it is realised the £5 in 1854 would be worth around £600 at today's value. The total amount listed here is some £427 - in excess of £50,000 at today's value - and all raised in the first week of the appeal.