Bonfire Night is still celebrated in a small Devonshire village every November 5th with the rolling of lighted tar barrels through the streets, a tradition that goes back to the middle years of the 19th century.

Twenty thousand people usually flock to Ottery St Mary, north east of Exeter, to see this fiery event that was first held in 1859 but as with so many of Britain’s old world customs, its origins could well be ancient and rooted in pagan celebrations to remember the dead, to give thanks for the harvest or appease spirits walking abroad. Barrels are soaked in tar for weeks prior to the event and then lit in order that they spew flames as they are rolled through the winding streets from one team to another and many suffer burns and bruises.

It is a curious tradition but one that is not unknown in Bourne because a similar observance was practiced here in years past to mark occasions of public celebration and of course, Guy Fawkes’ Night, because everyone then thought that the gunpowder plot was hatched at the Red Hall, a belief that has since been disproved by recent research.

The event at Ottery St Mary is strictly controlled to reduce the risk of endangering life and property but such safeguards were unknown in Bourne 150 years ago when the rolling of lighted tar barrels may have been fun but it was also foolhardy and there were demands each year that the practice should be stopped. The Stamford Mercury reported on Friday 10th November 1854:

Gunpowder Plot.- On Monday evening, a considerable number of persons congregated in the Market Place and West Street, some to witness and others to engage in letting off fireworks and rolling about burning tar barrels. Though there was a fire in the Market Place and also in the Waterloo Square, we are glad to be able to observe that all passed off quietly and that there was none of the outrageous conduct and wanton destruction of private property which unfortunately characterised the celebration of this event on former occasions. To do the “young sparks” justice, it may be mentioned that no desire was evinced to commit serious mischief, but surely there might be found a more appropriate place for a large fire than either the Market Place or Waterloo Square.

The following year, the celebrations appear to have been more subdued, as the Stamford Mercury reported on Friday 9th November 1855:

The anniversary of the Gunpowder Plot and the battle of Inkerman [on 5th November 1854 during the Crimean War] was observed in this town on Monday evening last in the customary way. A fire was made in the Market Place and the boys and young men amused themselves with discharging fireworks and pistols and burning an effigy &c. No serious damage was done.

Similar disturbances in 1862 led to several court appearances at the petty sessions held at the Town Hall, Bourne, on November 30th. The Stamford Mercury reported:

Mr John Bray, innkeeper of this town [the Golden Lion, West Street], and several others, were convicted of lighting a fire upon the highway on the anniversary of Guy Fawkes and fined £1 each and 9s. expenses. Mr Bray and two others paid the fine and costs and five were sent to prison for 21 days each.

More alarming incidents occurred twenty years later when the authorities became seriously concerned that matters were getting out of hand. In 1873, there was an uproar in the streets on the night of Wednesday 5th November accompanied by the discharge of fireworks and even pistol shots. Several fires were also lighted in various parts of the town and on Thursday 20th November, three summonses were heard before the magistrates at the Town Hall when each defendant was fined £1 plus costs. The accused men remained defiant and that evening, a pony and cart containing an effigy purporting to be a representation of the Superintendent of Police, Stephen Pidgeon, headed by a drum and fife band, was paraded though Bourne, along North Street, the Market Place and South Street, and afterwards burned in a field at the north end of the town. A large number of people joined in and although there was a great deal of commotion caused by the procession, the demonstration passed off without the need for police intervention.

In 1876, Guy Fawkes' Night fell on a Sunday but this did not prevent demonstrations on the Saturday before and the Monday afterwards. The Stamford Mercury reported on Friday 10th November 1876:

Gunpowder plot this year has been attended with some riotous proceedings, similar to those which a few years back gave the place a rather unfavourable notoriety in this respect. On Saturday evening there was a considerable number of persons in the Market Place and North Street: fireworks were discharged, lighted tar barrels were rolled about and three fires made - one in the Market Place and two others very near. The police force in the town was very small and no attempt was made to prevent the discharge of fireworks or to extinguish the fires, which were continued until after midnight. Some of the inhabitants felt necessitated to remain up until Sunday morning to protect their property.

On Monday it became known it was intended to repeat on Monday night the proceedings of Saturday, and 13 or 14 policemen were moving about in couples. Shortly before 10 o'clock a tremendous fire was lighted near the centre of the Market Place. Tar barrels were brought out and fireworks discharged in great abundance. In the course of the evening it was clear that many amongst the crowd armed with thick bludgeons, were bent upon mischief, and some openly expressed their intention to get into collision with the police. The superintendent has been for a short time from home, and on this occasion his place was taken by an inspector from Spalding, who at an early stage of the proceedings had to take refuge in one of the inns. Two other policemen rushed into the passage of a tradesman in the Market Place and pushed to the door after them. Most of the other members of the force were compelled to retreat to the police station [in North Street], followed by a mob, who at this time broke 10 or 11 panes of glass in the police station windows. Between 11 and 12 o'clock, after a great part of the crowd had dispersed, the police (13 in number) came from the station in a body.

After remaining about a quarter of an hour in the middle of the road, opposite the Angel, they moved in three rows to the causeway, by Mr Harrison's shop and Messrs Measures' corner, striking some of the people upon the path as they proceeded, their intention, it is said, being to clear the Market Place. They had gone on a very few yards, however, before one of their number (P C Proudley, formerly of Bourne), was knocked down, and he lay for some minutes completely helpless, the police continuing their progress, and charging other persons who came in their way. Proudley was picked up by two men who noticed him lying upon the ground and conveyed him to the police station where the injuries inflicted upon his head were found to be of a very serious nature. He scarcely spoke during the night or the following day, and on Wednesday still remained in a very critical state from concussion of the brain, occasioned by injuries upon the back of the head; one of his teeth also being knocked out.

The police, it appears, became very much irritated, and charged right and left all who obstructed their course, and in this way innocent as well as guilty persons were severely injured. Mr Charles S Featherstone [a butcher of the Market Place], who had come out of his house in his slippers to look for his son, was knocked down and badly hurt about the head. Mr Bains, tailor, Mr Bradley, maltster, Mr Thomas Holmes, veterinary surgeon, Mr William Todd [tailor and draper], Church Street, and others, were also knocked down and more or less injured. Excepting the policeman, the most severe injuries appear to have been inflicted upon Mr Frederick G Palmer [butcher and landlord of the Mason's Arms in South Street], who was very severely battered, there being six or seven wounds on his head. He was found lying upon the ground near the [Ostler Memorial] Fountain, covered with blood; on Wednesday morning he was in a very precarious state and it will be impossible for a few days to say what may be the result. It is time that fire, fireworks, tar barrels, &c, were put a stop to.

There was a second serious occurrence the following year when riotous behaviour and vandalism broke out on Guy Fawkes' Day, Monday 5th November 1877, but the police anticipated that trouble was brewing and took the precaution of swearing in 56 young men as special constables before the town's magistrates the previous week when the chairman of the bench, Lord Aveland, expressed the hope that all respectable inhabitants would co-operate with the police in preserving order and warned that offenders would be severely dealt with. The disturbances were not as bad as expected and were soon brought under control. Nevertheless, fireworks were thrown about the streets and market place, lighted tar barrels rolled around the town and a fire lit in South Street from where the sparks blew into a nearby paddock and set light to a straw stack which was burned out. There was some stone throwing from the assembled crowd and a window in the police station in North Street was broken but no injuries were reported.

The following week, Wednesday 14th November, 40 men and youths appeared before a special sitting of the magistrates in the Town Hall, 20 of them on charges related to the disturbances in Bourne and the other 20 in connection with similar mayhem in the surrounding villages, notably Corby Glen, Thurlby, Morton, Baston and Market Deeping. All of the accused pleaded guilty, the main charges relating to the rolling of lighted tar barrels down the street and of starting bonfires on the highway. Other offences included assaulting the police, firing guns, discharging fireworks in a public place and causing a general commotion to the annoyance of the public.

One of the defendants was also accused of assaulting Mr Edis Smith, landlord of the Crown Inn at Thurlby, who appeared in court to give evidence with his head still in bandages. All of the accused expressed regret for their conduct and promised not to offend again but all were punished, mainly fines of five and ten shillings with costs, although the penalties for the Bourne defendants were much heavier, with fines of up to £5 plus costs [£1 then would be worth almost £50 by today's values] and one man, a soldier on leave from his regiment and thought to be one of the ringleaders, was committed to prison for 21 days while another who had assaulted a constable was sentenced to one month's hard labour. Some of the accused could not pay their fines and were subsequently sent to the House of Correction at Folkingham for either 14 or 21 days. The accused were:

Bourne: Edward Handley, Frederick Osgothorpe, F G Palmer, Joseph Kettle, William Lunn, George Parker (aged 17), Arthur Searson, William Selby, George Parker (aged 25), George Empsall, Matthew Mitchelson, Thomas Starkie, Edward Clark, James Bywaters, Robert Robinson, Joseph Hall, George Parker (soldier), George Mason (Eastgate), William Gibson and John Hinson. 
Baston: John Cole. 
Corby Glen: Herbert Easter, William Tewson, John Parker, Frederick Stevenett, William Greenberry, Anthony Clark, John Osborn, Thomas Gilbert, John Brown, Charles Hannam (publican) and Thomas Porter. 
Market Deeping: Henry Bryan. 
Morton: John Henry Creasey, Edward Hall, Joseph Casterton and Robert Rodgers. 
Thurlby: William Green, William Bullimore and John Andrews (mason).

Among those who were deeply concerned about this turn of events was Superintendent Willerton Brown who had just been appointed head of the police force in Bourne. He was determined to put an end to this annual unruly conduct which was causing so much distress to law abiding citizens. His position was one of authority and respect in those days when police strength in the town was one superintendent, an inspector, two sergeants and 15 constables, and he also had the support of the magistrates. The riots of 1877 gave him an added determination and he directed his endeavours to stopping such practices in the future. His hard line policy paid off the following year when he drafted in reinforcements from other police stations and the Stamford Mercury reported on Friday 8th November 1878:

The town was quiet on Tuesday (Guy Fawkes' Day), when sixty policemen were on duty around the Market Place as it was thought there would be a repetition of the disturbances of previous years but their services were not required.

And again on Friday 12th November 1880:

Guy Fawkes' Day passed off very quietly in Bourne this year, there being no more people in the streets than on ordinary nights.

Superintendent Brown therefore succeeded in bringing the tar barrel tradition in Bourne to an end, much to the relief of the residents and shopkeepers, and although there were sporadic outbreaks in later years, the occasions never reached the alarming levels of earlier years.

REVISED AUGUST 2005

See also

The Red Hall and the Gunpowder Plot     The Boer War peace celebrations

Superintendent Willerton Brown