Mother of the Army

The memory of Catherine is somewhat overshadowed by that of her husbands, but although William Booth is always thought of as the founder  of  the Salvation Army Catherine, as his wife she shared more that just a bit part in its conception.

Catherine was born  in Ashbourne, Derbyshire on January 17 1829. She had four brothers but only one grew to adulthood. At five years old she could read and with a little help from her mother she would read Bible stories out loud, by twelve she would read the Bible eight times through a day, no wonder she knew it so well. At this age she became aware of the damage that alcohol could do and she wrote to newspapers with her veiws, she also set up the 'Juvenile Temperance Society' which did all she could to warn youngsters of the dangers drink could cause.

As she grew her beliefs never changed, then one day at a meeting with her mother there was a guest preacher, and he was someone that Catherine felt 'had the power to speak to peoples hearts'. A few days later she was visiting friends when she was introduced to the same preacher the Rev William Booth.

As time passed their friendship grew into something deeper and they spoke of marriage. Although Catherine agreed with his veiws of social injustice she couldn't accept his opinion that women were the 'weaker sex' and shouldn't be allowed to preach. In spite of his objection he did finally agree that Catherine could preach, but he said he ''wouldn't like it''. They married on 16th June 1855 at Stockwell New Chapel, but it wasn't until five years later that Catherine made her first public speech and it was so impressive that William changed his mind about women preachers.

In 1864 they began the Christian Mission in London's east end later the name was changed to the Salvation Army, Catherine with others began open air sermons around the docklands of Rotherhithe and Bermondsey, even though they knew they were risking being arrested for doing so.

Today we respect he Salvation army for the good work it does, but it wan't so in the beginning. One of the biggest opponents of the army was the Church of England, and Lord Shaftsbury described William Booth as the 'anti Christ, it's thought that one of the main charges against them that in the army women were treated as equals of men, a very radical idea for that age, but having witnessed the strength and commitment of his wife and the other women he couldn't help but acknowledge that his wife, when they first met, was correct in her veiw of a women place in the army when he wrote "the best men in my Army are the women."
Catherine knew that to save a persons soul you first needed to save their body, so in those areas of dire poverty that she saw during her sermons she opened  what would become known as ' Food-for-the-Million Shops ' where hot soup and a three course lunch was available for sixpence and also a farthing breakfast, Sunday schools and ragged schools were where children would receive a knowledge of the Bible and also of the three 'R's' which would help them with employment in later life.

Also creche's were opened where children would spend at least twelve hours, this would allow their mothers to work. For the babies cribs were made from orange boxes which were scrubbed and covered. By taking the children out of their overcrowded enviroments they were prevented from being vunerable to the diseases that ran rife in the slums. Each child was given something to eat and drink as soon as they arrived. In the first year over 6000 children were cared for.

For those children who had to work as children did in those days there was the 'Farthing Breakfast' which was a hot bowl of soup, Catherine also set up a system where clothes and shoes could be supplied, in other words wherever there was a need she tried to fill it.

During her work with women and children she became aware of the term 'sweated labour'. This  was where women and children were paid a few pence a day for the same work that men were paid shillings a day for doing the same type of work in a factory. Although the factory might not have been to the standards we expect today but they were far better than trying to sew of assemble a manner of goods in ill lit and cramped homes where the women worked.

During this time she became aware of the Annie Besant and her work with the matchgirls working in the local Bryant and May factory in Bow . Catherine decided firstly to shame employers into paying women workers the equal pay and to provide them with safe working conditions.

Sadly before she could see if her campaigns came to fruition Catherine died on the 4th of October 1890. she left behind her eight children and a grieving husband, but perhaps Catherines legacy was changing the Salvation Army into something it might never have been but for her love of the poor and a caring heart.
Both William and Catherine are buried in Abney Cemetery, Stoke Newington, London.

The inscription reads.William Booth Founder and 1st General of the Salvation Army. Born 1829 born again in spirit 1845. Founded the Salvation Army 1865. Went to Heaven 20th August 1921.Catherine Booth the Mother of the Salvation Army. Born 1829. Went to Heaven 4th October 1890.Location: Section - O06(Index ref: 6S02 Burial No - 120240 )