In May 1849 the Crown (Crown Hotel / Upper Crown) in Marlow hosted a special Easter Ball. It wasn't the first but was one of the last held for that occasion. The room was decorated with a profusion of flowers, and the ladies attending also wore seasonal blooms. An appreciation of the natural beauty of the spring season is a recurring theme.
The Switzerland of England
The blooming of the wild primroses was enthusiastically welcomed. The Winchbottom Lane area was one abundant in these pretty flowers and some families made it an annual springtime tradition to picnic there to enjoy them. In town, Holy Trinity Church yard was famously carpeted with flowers.
The most popular outing was however to the sumptuous cherry orchards of Cookham Dean, which the South Bucks Standard thought was "rightly described as the Switzerland of England in all it's spring tide glory". (1906) It's hard for us to visualise the number of trees, and how resplendent the blossom would have been. But people travelled from all around the region to visit the trees, even coming from London to do so.
Easter finery
Easter saw the churches decorated, traditionally with predominantly white flowers such as arum lillies. The gardeners at the "big houses" prided themselves in producing a selection of forced flowers for the ladies of the congregation to work their wonders with. Wildflowers were also gathered. At All Saints the font, screen, alter and pulpit were smothered in greenery, and Holy Trinity and St Peters had their own floral displays. The latter was also the scene of Canon Bernard Smith's annual famous donkey ride into the church interior - you can read more about this, and Bernard in a dedicated post here
Easter was also the time of the vestry meeting to choose new churchwardens. And Saturday of Easter week was the deadline for hopeful candidates for entry into the Blue Coat School (Borlase) to have got a "ticket" of application signed by the treasurer and committee members - boys only at this time.
The Primitive Methodist Chapel (now Liston Hall) usually had a Good Friday public tea in the Sunday school room followed by an entertainment with singing and music. The chapel choir provided the former and the chapel's piano and famous harmonium the latter. In 1900 the celebrations included a parade lead by the chapel band. All the proceeds went to the chapel building fund, a very long standing debt the Primitive Methodists suffered under.
The Salvation Army had outdoor services, and marches including a "monster" (contemporary description) Easter parade in 1895. Other sounds of Easter came courtesy of the Marlow Town band who are mentioned as performing across town at Easter 1884 and the "usual" Easter morning peal of bells from All Saints.
You could buy hot cross buns from the towns bakers such as West Streets Death and Sons who thought they had the very best in town. Deaths sounds a tasty place to visit in any season with mince pies another speciality.
Football fun
The Easter Bank Holiday Monday was a traditional time for a football match, with Marlow playing at Crown Meadow, and the more minor teams fitting in where they could (such as a meadow by the station and Gossmore). In 1896, Marlow saw the final of the Berks and Bucks Cup between Maidenhead and Wolverton on Easter Monday. The roads into town were said to be bustling with supporters making their way into town by horse, bicycle and on foot. Just under 3,500 fans were in attendance, and the club were delighted to collect more than £100 in gate money.
A match of a different kind was played at Crown Meadow at Easter 1897 before a crowd of 500. A High Street v Rest of Marlow football match with all players playing in fancy dress. At least 3 of the men were dressed as ladies!* Not quite the image we sometimes have of staid Victorians! F W Burton captained the High Street and Geoffrey Hide the rest of Marlow. The High Street lost 5-3. Costumes included cowboys, butchers, crusaders, and a Turkish soldier. Funds raised were for the cottage hospital.
Outside of football supporters, Easter saw a huge influx of visitors, especially by train. In good weather the numbers were reported to be sometimes large enough to cause lengthy delays on the railway because of the extra time taken to get everyone on and off the trains. Great Western Railway offered special cheap third class excursion tickets to Marlow from Paddington over Easter, with services running on Easter Sunday as well. In May 1890, all the hotels, inns and lodging houses in Marlow were said to be full, leading to many people heading back to Bourne End to try and find a room there. The main hotels and inns decorated themselves with flags and bunting to add to the holiday atmosphere - the Fishermen's Retreat, Compleat Angler, Crown Hotel, Greyhound, Two Brewers and the George and Dragon were all mentioned as joining in in 1884.
May Day Celebrations
We immediately think of May poles when we think of May Day. But the "old tradition" of carrying flower garlands about town seems more long lasting in Marlow. This was the spring equivalent of "penny for the guy" of Guy Fawkes day. By the Victorian era, these garlands were made by children and then paraded around the streets in the hope the charmed adults would recognise the children's efforts with a treat or coin or two. In 1886, the May Garland tradition was mentioned as a lingering tradition in Marlow that had faded more rapidly elsewhere. But the traditional pagan figure of Jack In The Green had not put in an appearance for several years. Canny children knew that visiting Highfields, off Henley Rd, home to Mr Borgnis was essential. He was an enthusiastic supporters of the tradition and it was said no child ever went away empty handed from his property. He certainly had an open purse because several hundred children were said to make a stop at his home. Mr Borgnis chose May Day as the date of his annual "levee" or entertainment for friends, and no doubt the arrival of the flower carrying children provided a pleasant addition to the day.
The most startling mention of a May Pole is from 1842, when 3 May poles were erected, but not for use by dancers. Instead a figure representing an unnamed person was hung from each then set alight. (It was believed to represent a politician and/or those responsible for encouraging a prosecution against brewer and ropemaker Richard Gibbons for wilfully giving false evidence to a parlimentary committee investigating electoral fraud in the 1842 election. He was arrested by the Sergeant at Arms and sent to Newgate prison. He was later sent home with a severe reprimand from the Speaker for his "disgraceful conduct". Richard said he had become confused about being asked about both the Povey and Pusey votes and had not deliberately mislead anyone. The town as a whole seems to have believed him. A petition for his release was made by numerous inhabitants stressing his integrity and industry. His nephew Charles Gibbons vote was also contested on suspicion of bribery, but was held to be good in the end. He had voted for Clayton. The result of the Electoral Committee was Clayton's victory was over turned and his seat was given to previous runner up Renn Hampden)
The old May Fair, a partner to the longer lasting October Marlow Fair, had ceased by the Victorian era and the "rustic sports" at Bovingdon Green had lapsed by the end of the 19th century. Another lost tradition was a greasy pole climbling competition in the High Street.
Spring tonic
If the sight of blossom and flowers was not enough, High Street chemist William Baxter could offer flagging spirits his "health giving saline" spring tonic. It was aimed at children too, and cost 1/6 a bottle in 1897.
The changing of the seasons also prompted certain shops to promote their new stock or to suggest you could refresh your wardrobe with the latest Paris or London fashions, if you were lucky enough to be able to afford to do so. James Morgan advertised that Spring 1897 would see every department of his drapers stocked "replete with the latest novelties". Sounds delightful!
* The "ladies" were F Langley, F Langley junior (in a bathing costume!) and P Chapman (the last dressed as a lady of fashion with a yellow dress and hat trimmed with an abundance of flowers)
Written by Kathryn Day.
Related posts:
More about the Povey vote scandal here
Victorian Christmas in Marlow part 1 here and part 2 here
New Year traditions here
Bonfire night in Victorian Marlow here
A listing of other posts about every day life in old Marlow here
SOURCES
| Carlisle, Nicholas, Concise Description of the Endowed Grammar Schools in England and Wales, Volume 1 (Baldwin, Craddock and Joy 1818) Reading Mercury, 10 May 1849, 31 May 1890 From the British Library, access via the BNA. South Bucks Standard 19 April 1895, 16 April 1897, 20 April 1900, 20 April 1902, 20 April 1906, as above Windsor and Eton Express 7 May 1842, as above Bucks Herald 11 April 1896, 08 May 1886,19 Apr 1884. |
©Marlow Ancestors
