Two hundred unemployed men left Jarrow for London on 5 October 1936, beginning a march intended to bring the town’s unemployment crisis directly to Parliament.

Jarrow had been badly affected by the decline of its heavy industries. Palmer’s shipyard, once the town’s main employer, had closed, while other industrial employment had also disappeared. The marchers wanted the government to recognise the scale of the problem and support creating work in the town.

The Jarrow Crusade was carefully organised. Men volunteered to take part, and those selected were medically examined before setting out. Arrangements were made for accommodation, meals, equipment and medical assistance during the journey. Jarrow Borough Council supported the march, and the town’s Labour MP, Ellen Wilkinson, accompanied the men for parts of the route.

The marchers carried a petition calling for action to provide employment in Jarrow. Over the following weeks they travelled roughly 300 miles through England, receiving food, accommodation and public support along the route.

They reached London on 31 October. On 4 November, Wilkinson presented the petition to the House of Commons, drawing attention to the loss of Jarrow’s shipyard and the town’s lack of employment.

The Crusade produced little immediate government action. Its later reputation was much greater. The march became one of the best-known British protests against unemployment during the 1930s.