In 1897, the sixtieth anniversary of Queen Victoria’s accession to the throne was celebrated throughout the British Empire.
On 20 June 1897 a service of thanksgiving was held at St George’s chapel, Windsor, and two days later on 22 June 1897 a magnificent procession of 50,000 imperial troops took place in London. The procession was watched by two masters from Sherborne School who had seats on the north-east side of St Paul’s churchyard and ‘had a very fair view of the magnificent procession of crack troops, colonial forces etc.’ (Diary of H.R. King, 22 June 1897)
Diamond Jubilee celebrations also took place at Sherborne. On Sunday, 20 June 1897, a service of thanksgiving was held in Sherborne Abbey and special services took place at the Wesleyan church in Cheap Street.
The 22 June 1897 was declared a bank holiday and the boys at Sherborne School were given the day off ,with many going home for the day and the remainder spending the day ‘eating, sleeping, and quarrelling, and playing “Tip and Run” down at the field.’ (The Shirburnian, June 1897). The School library was presented with a book written about Queen Victoria by Richard Rivington Holmes (the Queen’s librarian at Windsor) and on 29 June the School’s Cadet Corps took part in the review of the Public Schools by Queen Victoria at Windsor, when their march past was described as ‘though unsteady at the start was good at the saluting point.’ (The Shirburnian, July 1897).
The Dorset Chronicle (24 June 1897) reported that the Diamond Jubilee at Sherborne was celebrated in real ‘Queen’s weather’, and the Western Gazette (25 June 1897) declared that ‘Sherborne rose to the height of the occasion… and carried out a heartily loyal and elaborate celebration of the day’, with the streets, houses and shops decorated with bunting, greenery, flags and fairy lights, and ‘the loyal cottagers’ at Lower Acreman Street renaming their street Victoria Street for the day.
The day’s celebrations began early at 6 am with the pealing of the Abbey bells and the firing – for a couple of hours – of canon on the Terraces. At 8 am the choir sang the National Anthem from the top of the Abbey tower and at 8.30 am the Volunteer Band played the National Anthem and other ‘suitable music’ around the town.
At 11 am a procession of about 1,500 people left Greenhill. Headed by the Rifle Band, the procession included members of the Sherborne UDC, residents of the Almshouse in a decorated waggon, the Friendly Societies carrying banners (the Foresters, Hearts of Oak, Oddfellows, Union Friendly Society, Old Friendly Society, Slate and Loan Club, and Working Men’s Club), the Horsington Band, school children carrying flags and wearing Jubilee medals, smaller children conveyed in twelve waggons, the fire brigade mounted on their horse drawn fire engine, and local inhabitants. The procession proceeded down Cheap Street, along Half Moon Street to Westbury, then up Acreman Street to Cornhill and Greenhill, along Newland, Hound Street, Cheap Street, and then along Long Street to the grounds of the Old Castle. At the Old Castle 150 people sat down to a public luncheon supplied by Mr E. Pragnell of the Half Moon Hotel, after which eccentric races and sporting contests were held and rides were provided by Heal’s steam roundabouts.
At 4.30 pm the town’s primary school children formed a procession and, headed by the Horsington Band, marched to Sherborne Castle where Miss Venetia Digby and Master Essex Digby presented each child with a Jubilee mug. Nine hundred children then enjoyed a tea catered for by Mr Tuffin who also provided a beautifully decorated Jubilee cake. After the tea Canon Lyon gave thanks to Mr Wingfield Digby for his hospitality and said ‘this would be a day to be remembered, and they would be able to tell their grandchildren of the very enjoyable time they had in Sherborne Park when the 60th year of the Queen’s reign was celebrated.’
The elderly residents of the town (those over 60 years of age!) were also recognised with over two hundred old people each given half a crown (2s. 6d.) and every poor couple over 60 given 3s. 6d.
In the evening the town’s streets were thronged with people enjoying the decorations and illuminations, with the Fire Station in Newland, Mr Dalwood’s, Mr Gosney’s, Mr R. Foot and Son’s, Dingley’s, Sir James Glyn’s, Cole & Son’s (jewellers), Phillips & Handover, the Antelope Hotel, Trevett’s, and Lemon’s, receiving special notice. The Conduit was also elaborately decorated with greenery, mottoes and fairy lamps.
At 10 pm a Jubilee bonfire was lighted at Hack Hill near Clatcombe, from which site over a hundred other beacons could be seen. The Western Gazette described the town’s Diamond Jubilee celebrations as ‘probably the most successful fete ever witnessed in Sherborne, which had commenced in the very early hours of the day, was thus brought to a magnificent conclusion at the very latest hours of night.’
Rachel Hassall
Archivist, Sherborne School
See also:
- Film of Queen Victoria’s Diamond Jubilee Procession, London, 1897 (YouTube)
- Royal visits and celebrations
For further information please contact the School Archivist
Return to the School Archives homepage