Frome Times Past- Frome’s Skeleton Army

At the end of the month it won’t be too much of a surprise to see little skeletons on the streets of Frome asking the perennial question: ‘trick or treat?’

What might be surprising, however, is to learn that back in the nineteenth century, Frome had its very own Skeleton Army.

When former Methodist minister William Booth decided to change the name of his fledgling East London Christian Mission to the Salvation Army, the scene was set.

From the very start he was determined to do whatever it took to save souls – mainly those of the poor, destitute or drunk – to the point of even breaking the law.

The rules within most towns, including Frome, allowed anyone to march but not to preach, so as to avoid creating an obstruction; something the Salvationists flagrantly did often.  

To combat this, groups calling themselves the Skeleton Army formed around the country; their remit being to confront and disrupt the Salvation Army’s activities.

It was only a matter of time before this opposition turned violent, and in the early 1880s there were major clashes in places such as Sheffield and London.

Although there were isolated incidents in nearby Buckland Dinham and elsewhere, Frome managed to steer clear of any large-scale confrontation until August 1883.

By then, the town had its own Skeleton Army and according to a local newspaper ‘the streets of Frome were in a state of disorder the whole evening.’

The expected trouble in the market place did not materialise, however, because the Salvationists abandoned their original plan of marching into town.

Nevertheless, this did not deter nearly 2,000 men and women from making their way to the Salvationists’ barracks in Locks Lane to intimidate them.  

Worse was to come the following year, 1884, when another disturbance culminated in a pitched battle, with the Salvation Army finding themselves on the losing side.  

This incredible episode, along with 13 other fascinating but foul tales, can be found in our latest book ‘Foul Deeds & Suspicious Deaths in and Around Frome.’

Mick Davis & David Lassman.