Infighting. Social cracks. Independence. Introduction Victorian Bournemouth (67) studies infighting amongst the Volunteer Rifle Corps, when middling independence opposed traditional privilege. Lord Malmesbury, commandant of the new Christchurch and Bournemouth volunteers, tried to impose a seigneurial approach. This brought confrontation with Bournemouth’s powerful people. He surrendered. Bournemouth established its own battalion, marking a key stage […]
Tag: civic pride
Victorian Bournemouth (66): Volunteer Rifle Corps (1)
Hierarchical structure. Social mixing. Shared camaraderie. Introduction Victorian Bournemouth (66) opens a sequence about the town’s Volunteer Rifle Corps, an exercise in social mixing. This appeared to play an important part in shaping and maintaining the identity of the unit. Although its command structure reflected the country’s social hierarchy, the unit’s activities created a commonality […]