The historic origins of Stroud Fringe: The People’s Heritage

Homage to all those long forgotten and anonymous figures on the fringes of Stroudwater society who questioned normality and custom in the belief that “Today’s minority is tomorrow’s majority”, and that ordinary people can take charge of their own destiny.

The story up until the 1930s

All those who questioned why they had to construct tumuli and burial chambers

All those Stroud Britons who asked the fundamental question:
” What have the Romans ever done for us?”

All those Stroud Romano-Britons who asked the fundamental question:
” What have the Saxons ever done for us?”

All those Stroud Anglo-Saxons who asked the fundamental question:
” What have the Vikings ever done for us?’

All those Stroud Anglo-Saxons who said:
” To be honest, the only difference the Normans have made is now the Lord speaks French.’

All those Stroud peasants who objected to the Poll Tax, the Statute of Labourers and who supported the Peasants’ Revolt

All those Stroud women and men who read the Bible in English and thought about the camel, the needle and the rich man

All those Stroud people who supported Parliament in the Civil War

All those Stroud people who complained about both Parliamentarian and Royalist armies taking their victuals

All those Stroud people who complained about the calendar change in 1752:” I’m telling you. They’ve robbed us of 12 days and 12 days’ wages too.”

All those Stroud people who objected to the high price of food and exerted a moral economy in the Georgian food riots

All those Stroud people who offered succour to escaped slaves on the run from Bristol

All those Stroud women who helped lead the boycott against sugar

All those 19th century Stroudwater spinners and weavers who fought for a union and against wage cuts

All those Stroud men and women who helped the campaign against slavery

All those Stroud people who opposed Enclosure

All those people who gathered on Selsley Common in 1839 in support of the Chartists and votes for all

All those who supported an agricultural labourers’ trade union

All those who supported the co-operative movement

All those who questioned war and empire

All those who supported the suffragettes

All those who supported the Triple Industrial Alliance before the Great War and then the General Strike of 1926

All those who opposed support for Fascism and who supported the Republican movement in the Spanish Civil War

All those who can take the story on from here (I’ve got to get to Waitrose now)