HISTORY
Tavistock celebrates Queen Victoria’s Golden Jubilee The information below is based on several articles from The Tavistock Gazette in May and June 1887. All quotes are from The Tavistock Gazette’s extensive report of the day printed 24 June 1887, unless otherwise stated. Tuesday 21 June 1887 was a gloriously sunny day, a day befitting Tavistock’s celebrations for Queen Victoria’s Golden Jubilee. Bedford Square was decorated with streamers and several large fir trees, with flags and more streamers suspended from businesses and homes throughout the rest of the town. The day started with a procession from the Guildhall accompanied by the volunteer band and the borough mace-bearers, to the church, where there was a service thanking God for the long reign of Queen Victoria. As well as prayers, it included a hymn composed by the Bishop of Exeter. Afterwards, accompanied by a “merry peal of the church bells”, the dignitaries proceeded up West Street, down Russell Street to Plymouth Road and back to the Guildhall. At 11 o’clock, the sports events started with races along Plymouth Road. There were so many onlookers it was hard, on occasions, to keep the course clear. There were six running events for the children, which were followed after lunch by adult sports, including a 3-mile cycle race, a half-mile wheelbarrow race and two donkey races which “created much amusement”. A greasy pole erected in the Guildhall square with a leg of mutton at the top provided further amusement for many people, until two brothers assisted each other to claim the prize later in the day.
where they received their jubilee medal. The hall was “very gaily decorated” with drapes and each corner had a picture of her Majesty. Evergreens and flags were arranged over the doorway while baskets of greenery hung from the ceiling. There was a profusion of bunting and tri-coloured rosettes everywhere. In a testimony to forward planning and military precision, tea started promptly at 4 o’clock when about 1,400 children sat down. Grace was followed by a serving of hot tea and fresh buns – buttered, jammed and creamed “toughs” (also called ‘tuffs’, a yeast based, semisweet bun*1.), with enough provided for children to take away and eat on the streets later in the day whilst they enjoyed the band music and the general Queen Victoria by Alexander Bessano 1887
Queen Victoria by Alexander Bessano 1887
entertainment everywhere they went in the town.
people, requiring around 60 carvers and 120 waiters, with 1,600 attending on the day. Each visitor was asked to bring their own cutlery and was shown to the next available seat, with some tables having three sets of visitors. Rich and poor, young and old sat next to each other, with some tables having navvies and gypsies sitting next to aldermen and shop owners, all showing grace and politeness. The day finished with a firework display on the moor with traps ferrying people up there to see the bonfires. At 9.50pm, a royal salute of 21 shells was fired from the summit of Whitchurch Down, close to the main bonfire – a 50-foot-high construction. This was followed by a flight of rockets which acted as a signal for people to light their bonfires – about 60 in the area, including on Mount Edgecumbe, Brent Tor and Kit Hill, all visible to the onlookers. After this a multitude of different coloured fireworks were set off on the down and the bonfires kept the sky alight until well after midnight.
At 3 o’clock children assembled at their various Sunday Schools or the Board School on Plymouth Road and marched to Market Hall accompanied by bands
In less than a quarter of an hour after the children left, Market Hall was cleared by a multitude of willing helpers and re-laid for the adults’ tea. It was open to all adult residents who lived within the parish, with the organising committee planning for up to 2,000
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