From Land to the Military

[dovecote]

Has anyone any ideas  as to why an agricultural labourer would join the army in 1873?

Dovecote

[stanmapstone]

I as understand it the great agricultural depression had set in in the early 1870’s as a result of a series of very wet summers and autumns, with a consequence of very bad harvests. Labour left the land, and the villages and went into the mines of South Wales, and the industrial areas of the north, and in this case the army.
See http://www.soilandhealth.org/01aglibrary/010136ernle/010136ch18.htm
Stan

[Redroger]

To add to Stan's reply and many thousands more migrated to British Dominions specially Australia and Canada.

[dovecote]

Thankyou both ,

Found the link very interesting Stan.

Sadly, from information recently received the Gt Uncle in question was sent out to the Far East only to die
there in 1876.  I am waiting for more info from a cousin so I can research him further.

Dovecote