Christmas past  in Bourne

There is little doubt that preparations for Christmas now begin far too early and the first signs can be spotted in the shops by late October when greetings cards, wrapping paper and ribbons first go on sale. The commercial pressure to buy continues until December by which time tape recorded carols are playing in many shops and during Christmas week, shop assistants can be seen wearing reindeer horns and Santa Claus caps and other seasonal adornments.

But what of Christmas past in Bourne? The enjoyment that people had from the festival during the 19th century is evident but the anticipation did not start quite so early and lasted no more than a few days and as this was the age of temperance and the tendency to sign the pledge promising to abstain from alcohol, there was always someone ready to warn against the perils of drink.

In 1857, when Christmas fell over the weekend, the following news report appeared in the Stamford Mercury on Friday 18th December to prepare townspeople for the festive season ahead and, in a rare act of benevolence by shopkeepers and other traders, to enable their staffs have some time off:

As Christmas falls on Friday, the principal tradesmen of Bourne have consented to close their establishments on the following Saturday and by this means give an opportunity to their assistants to visit their friends and relatives. Business will thus be suspended for three days, giving all an opportunity to spend a merry Christmas. It will be seen by an advertisement in another column that Bourne market will be held ion Thursday the 24th inst., instead of Saturday the 26th and in furtherance of the above arrangement, the public are asked to make their purchases on the former day.

Here is a another sample of the way it was from the pages of the Stamford Mercury thirty years later when it was reported on Friday 23rd December 1887: 

There is abundant energy being manifested in the seasonable decorations of the various business establishments at Bourne. The grocers' windows are tastefully adorned with appetising wares; and the milliners' and drapers' establishments also present an artistic appearance. At the National Schoolroom in North Street, the vicar and churchwardens and members of various local charities made their annual distribution among the deserving poor, the gifts including 700 yards of flannel, 50 blankets, 700 yards of calico and 170 tons of coal.

Postal: On Monday (Bank Holiday) [Boxing Day having fallen on a Sunday], the money order and savings bank business will close at noon. There will be no morning despatch of letters and no delivery after the first at 7 a m. The letter box will be closed on Christmas Eve and New Year's Eve for all parts at 10.40 a m; special mail letters and parcels for all parts at 6 p m; general despatch at 7.10 p m; for Sleaford and Folkingham at 8 p m.

On Monday and Tuesday, Mr Thomas Rosbottom, the celebrated Lancashire lecturer, addressed crowded meetings in the Victoria Hall, Bourne, in advocacy of temperance. The lectures were a great success, the audience being apparently entirely in sympathy with the lecturer, who interspersed anecdotes, humorous and pathetic, with his moving exhortations, in a manner quite irresistible. He claims that during his career as a lecturer he has induced thousands to sign the pledge.

The Christmas celebrations continued in the town for the next few days and the newspaper reported on December 30th:

Bourne Abbey was throughout adorned with seasonable decorations for Christmas. Though not so elaborately ornamental as in some previous years, the general effect was exceedingly pleasing. Over the communion table in white letters on a scarlet ground was the text "Emmanuel, God with us". The centre was occupied with a beautiful white cross. The miniature arches were filled with a pretty arrangement of evergreens interspersed with flowers. The reading desk was decorated with ivy and holly, the panels in front being ornamented with chrysanthemum crosses, the centre one of the St Cuthbert type. The pedestal of the lectern was gay with a choice selection of flowers and evergreens, a fine bunch of pampas grass being especially noticeable. 

Holly berries and ivy embellished the handsome pulpit. The sills of the windows in the north and south aisles were beatified with texts worked in white on a scarlet ground, and encircled with wreaths and evergreens. The font was decorated with exquisite taste; the cover was surmounted with a fine cross and chrysanthemums; the pedestal was encircled with ivy and a variety of evergreens prettily frosted. Great praise is due to the ladies who so admirably executed the decorations. The services were well attended. The sermons, morning and evening, were preached by the Rev H M Mansfield, Vicar, his texts being Isaiah ix.6, and the words "Thy holy child Jesus". The musical portion of the service was executed with precision and taste, reflecting great credit on both organist and choir. 

The services were as follows:- At 8.30 a m, full choral communion service, Agutter in G. During the administration of the Holy Communion the hymn "The heavenly word proceeding forth" was sung very softly by the choir. This formed a new and beautiful feature of the service. The morning service was fully choral, the hymn, "Christians awake" being sung as a processional. The anthem "Let us now go even unto Bethlehem", concluding with a chorale, "This is he whom seers in old time", which was finely rendered. The evening service was also fully choral. The processional hymn was "Hark, the herald angels sing", the anthem was "Behold I bring you glad tidings" and the carols were "The manger throne" and "All my heart once more rejoices". "The Hallelujah chorus" from The Messiah formed an appropriate conclusion to the day's services.

Christmas was ushered in at Bourne with merry peals of the bells of the old abbey church and the musical strains of the Bourne brass band who played carols and other appropriate pieces in an exceedingly creditable manner.

The Guardians of Bourne Union gave their annual treat to the inmates of the union-house [the workhouse] on Boxing Day. The seasonable additions to the usual plain fare were apparently highly appreciated. A thoroughly enjoyable day was suitably concluded with a merry evening entertainment.

A grand fancy fair [similar to our modern pantomimes] was held in the Corn Exchange on December 27th and 28th in aid of the funds of the Congregational Church. The room was fitted up as a street of nations or grand international bazaar. The scene was laid in Canton. The peculiar conglomeration of Oriental and European architecture was depicted with realistic effect. Proceeding down the left side of the street, the enterprising traveller passed in succession a Persian residence, an Indian cottage, a Chinese house, a delightful Japanese village, a Tyrolese chalet, a snug mountain home covered with snow and having icicles pendent from the roof, a magnificent Buddhist temple having its elaborate exterior embellished with representatives of the Oriental deity and dragons; the Japanese villa, "the Golden Lily"; a pretty view on the Yang-tse-Kiang. The last abode in the curious street was an Australian log hut. 

The entire series of buildings presented a charming appearance, and attested the well-known skill of Mr A Stubley [Alfred Stubley, painter, paperhanger, sign-writer and art decorator of 28 West Street]. The articles exhibited on the various stalls were both useful and ornamental. Various entertainments were given in the evenings. Vocal and instrumental music was performed at intervals. Amongst the amusements were The House that Jack Built and Æsop's fables personified, which were very popular. The promoters of the enterprise are to be congratulated on the success which has deservedly crowned their efforts.

Poverty was still evident in 1908 when there was an annual handout to the poor shortly before Christmas on December 21st.

The distribution of the Christmas gifts from Harrington's and other charities belonging to the parish of Bourne took place on Monday, all the Trustees being present. With the amount which the scheme for regulating Harrington's Charity permits to be given away at Christmas and the income arising from other charities, there was distributed about 100 tons of coal in quantities from 4 cwt. to 10 cwt., the latter only being given in a few instances according to circumstances. In addition to the above distribution there are 80 pensioners receiving not less than 5s. a week (25p) and up to £20 a year for married couples from the income of Harrington's Charity. Several of the couples receiving £20 a year have also had the State pension awarded to them, giving married couples an income of 18s. a week (£53 at today's values). [NOTE; Old age pensions were just being introduced in Britain at this time.]

The demon drink however has been responsible for a great deal of rowdyism in Bourne, especially at Christmas time, and during the 20th century it became a particular problem at the Abbey Church where midnight mass on Christmas Eve had become a popular feature of the religious season. In 1968, the vicar, Canon H P Laurence, said that excessive drinking before going to the service was not be be encouraged and that year, several people were asked to leave early as a result. "There was no disturbance", he said, "but there was an incident on one side of the aisle and it was dealt with very capably by a sidesman. You cannot select which people can and cannot come into the church and even if you could, you should not. This was just an occupational hazard."

The problem was far more serious in later years, especially in 1975, when the service was disrupted by young hooligans creating a commotion outside the church while the service was in progress, and the Rev Gordon Lanham, who was then vicar, decided that enough was enough and the following year he issued this warning in the December issue of his parish magazine:

With the object of preventing a repetition of such barbarous behaviour, the Christmas Eve service will start at 11 p m. It is still, I believe, one of the laws of the land that churchwardens have the power of arrest and prosecution against persons causing disturbances at the time of divine worship. Those of you who were present at the Christmas service last year will know what I am talking about. This is why, this year, the time for the first Communion of the festival is moved forward to 11 p m on December 24th. 

Nobody begrudges anybody extra drinking time on Christmas Eve, if that is their way of celebrating. There are, however, young hooligans who cannot accept it without making fools of themselves. This causes police officers unnecessary and distasteful trouble and interferes with other people's freedom to worship God in peace. The churchwardens and sidesmen have tried in the past to deal with this problem kindly and firmly. But I do not see why they should come to Communion and have to act as "bouncers". This intolerable nuisance may be mitigated by the earlier hour. Last year the church door had to be locked and this should never happen. No one should be debarred from worship.

REVISED AUGUST 2013

See also

Christmas Day in the workhouse     Christmas at the big house

The Christmas Fatstock Show

The Christmas lights

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