Last updated at 13:36, Thursday, 17 April 2008

In her book Popular Leisure in the Lake Counties Lyn Murfin said: “Mock mayor-makings in Britain are generally held to be reversal rights,” and she gave a number of Lake District examples.

You cannot be serious: The chain of office of the Mayor of Upperby consisting of joined watch chains, a brass heart roughly stamped with the date, 1897 and, at the bottom, a bottle top

“At Troutbeck the mock mayor presided over the sing-song, attended to the paying and ordering of drinks from the collected funds and made arrangements for the hunt and dinner,” she wrote.

This happened at Christmas, New Year or Shrove Tuesday, with the duties of the mayor being purely social.

As there was no real responsibility to the office, Lyn Murfin said: “Any daft-like sort of a fellow would do for mayor.”

All over Carlisle mayor-making ceremonies were held throughout the 19th century, but died out in the early part of the last century.

The best remembered was Johnny Ribchester who was elected Mayor of Upperby in the early 1900s.

In 1974 William Bell wrote to Mary Burgess, local history columnist at The Cumberland News with his memories of Mr Ribchester, who he said was odd-job man in the village and lived in a thatched clay cottage in what is now St Ninian’s Road, and was elected mayor of New Year’s Day.

On that day, said Mr Bell, “a pony was borrowed for the mayor to make a tour of the village and make speeches”.

The mayor spoke “at the River Petteril, the cross roads, Lamb Street and Roseland Terrace and people came quite a distance to hear him”.

As mayor, Mr Ribchester promised to build houses and a railway station, although, said Mr Bell, he had no money.

The day concluded with everyone going back to the Black Bull, on the corner of St Ninian’s and Brisco roads, where the ceremony of mayor-making had been held.

Such ceremonies were reported in newspapers and the Carlisle Journal in April 1832 said: “On Monday last, according to custom, the worthy lieges of Botchergate proceeded to elect for themselves a mayor for the present year.”

For this position, said the Journal, “there were two candidates – a worthy son of Vulcan and a Knight of the Plane”. It was the blacksmith who was declared the victor and greeted as the conquering hero, being carried aloft by eight women.

Another Cumberland News correspondent, Mrs Bennett of Eden Place, wrote in 1952 her memories of her father, William Linton, being made mayor of Stanwix.

The ceremony, she said, “was carried out with great mock dignity in an armchair at the rear of the Crown and Thistle, but if I remember rightly, the mayoral chain was a large one of metal with an equally large padlock”.

In the evening, said Mrs Bennett, “a hilarious do was held, with songs, tales and plenty of something to drink”.

For the mayorship of Denton Hill in 1876 there was a poster war between the two candidates, James Groggins and H Gallagher.

Groggins promised to “settle the whole Eastern question” with a conference at Constantinople, while Gallagher asserted the right, if he was elected, “to meddle in matters of foreign policy”.

Still trying to gain the advantage, Groggins promised “a course of lectures on chemistry and hydraulics among other things”, while Gallagher replied “that neither Groggins nor his agent knew as much about these sciences as a pig knows about geometry”.

But the best description of such occasions was in the Journal in 1881 when it reported on “the greatest and most lively feature of all, the election of Mayor of Shaddongate, a very old custom held on New Year’s Day”.

Two men stood, Johnston and Groggins (probably the same as Denton Hill), both issuing addresses to the electors, “setting forth their intentions if entrusted with the confidence of the ratepayers”.

This was all very business-like said the newspaper, “none voting but those on the register for Shaddongate district.”

A similar poster war ensued. Placards were stuck up – ‘Vote for Groggins and Free Rod Fishing’ and ‘Vote for Johnston the Ratepayers’ Friend’.

The election took place at noon at the Anglers Arms on Shaddongate and Johnston, the former mayor was the victor with a majority of 134.

“A white horse, saddled, was then brought up to the back door of the pub,” said the Journal, “and on it was placed the victorious re-elected mayor.”

The newspaper went on to describe his costume “white linen trousers, a soldier’s coat, with an artillery shoulder belt and pouch and on his head was placed a large crown.”

His young attendant, on foot in front, was also in a soldier’s garb, carrying a sword and about half-a-dozen instrumentalists were in attendance.

This odd entourage, followed by hundreds of people, “marched up Shaddongate, down Junction Street and into Milbourne Street where a call was made at the Spinners Arms for a refresher and a rest”.

After another halt at the Queen’s Head in Caldewgate, where the band played Auld Lang Syne, the route was by Silloth and Kendal streets back to the Anglers.

There, said the Journal, “a speech was expected from his worship, but as order could not be maintained the proceedings terminated without the oration”.

First published at 13:35, Thursday, 10 April 2008
Published by http://www.cumberlandnews.co.uk