William Booth’s funeral procession brought London to a standstill
- deansimpson7
- 13 hours ago
- 2 min read
Updated: 10 hours ago
The international Salvation Army is celebrating its 160th anniversary this year. On 2 July 1865, evangelist William Booth preached to a crowd of people in a large tent in the East End of London, England. This moment is considered the birth of The Salvation Army, which today is a global movement that shares the love of God in 134 countries around the world!
The funeral of General William Booth was held 113 years ago this week. His funeral procession on 27 August 1912 brought London to a standstill as hundreds of thousands of people lined the city’s streets to honour the co-founder of The Salvation Army.
General Booth was promoted to glory on 20 August 1912, aged 83. His body lay in state for three days at Clapton Congress Hall, where 150,000 people filed past his casket.
Booth’s funeral procession on a Tuesday morning began at The Salvation Army's International Headquarters as 10,000 uniformed Salvationists fell in behind. Forty Salvation Army brass bands played the ‘Dead March’ from Handel’s Saul along the way.
Some reports indicate more than a million people watched as the procession made its way to Olympia London Exhibition Centre for the service.
More than 40,000 people crammed into Olympia’s great hall, including Queen Mary, who sat almost unrecognisable at the rear.
In a letter to William’s eldest son, Bramwell Booth, King George V wrote: “The nation has lost a great organiser and the poor a whole-hearted and sincere friend.”
William Booth was buried with his wife, Catherine, who had died in 1890, in Abney Park Cemetery.
Perhaps the most telling legacy William Booth left was in a conversation he had with Bramwell on his deathbed. Bramwell recorded that his father left him with this plea:
“Bramwell, I want you to promise me that when my voice is silent and I am gone from you, you will use such influence as you may possess with the Army to do more for the homeless of the world, the homeless men. The homeless women! Ah, my boy, we don’t know what it is to be without a home. The homeless children, oh, the children! Bramwell, look after the homeless. Promise me ... mind, if you don’t, I shall come back and haunt you!”
There is no record of Bramwell being ‘haunted’ by his father, so he must have carried out his wishes.
And 113 years later, The Salvation Army worldwide is still at the forefront of caring for the homeless.
In Australia, The Salvation Army is one of the largest providers of homelessness services across the country, providing shelter to men and women, and families with accompanying children.
