The Bourne Flitch Trial

The Flitch Ceremony in its modern form began at Great Dunmow in Essex in 1885, largely due to the enthusiasm of the historical novelist William Harrison Ainsworth, author of The Flitch of Bacon (1854), who presented two flitches as prizes, and the custom has continued there ever since and has become known as the Dunmow Flitch, and although it once had serious intent, it has degenerated into little more than a hilarious entertainment, usually held on Whit Monday. Other towns have followed suit by holding their own flitch ceremonies which is why it came to Bourne in 1934 as a means of raising money for the Butterfield Hospital, then funded entirely by voluntary donations.

The occasion was also noteworthy in that it attracted the attention of the BBC when radio broadcasting was in its infancy, and the proceedings from the stage of the Corn Exchange on Friday 21st September, were broadcast from their Midland regional transmitter throughout the British Empire, or at least that part of it equipped to receive their broadcasts. This was a considerable coup for Bourne because, as the Stamford Mercury later reported: "This was the first broadcast from any south Lincolnshire town. Whilst much larger neighbouring towns, such as Stamford and Grantham, have never yet been on the air, diminutive and unimportant fenland Bourne was noticed by that august body the BBC and honoured in such a signal manner."

The judge for the Flitch Trial was Stainless Stephen, a well-known Yorkshire radio comedian of the day who was paid a fee of eight guineas (almost £500 by today's values) for his appearance. There were three couples prepared to plead for their marital fidelity, Mr and Mrs Reginald Fritchley of Scunthorpe, Mr and Mrs George Thomas of North Street, Bourne, and Mr and Mrs Joe Bellamy, also of North Street, Bourne. All were legally represented by local solicitors prepared to take part in the merriment of the occasion and there was also a jury from the town consisting of seven spinsters and six bachelors: Miss V Pick, Miss Pool, Miss Freeman, Matron Osborn, Miss P Carvath, Miss J T Maclennan and Miss Rhodes; Dr Martin (foreman), Mr S Appleton, Mr P Dabble, Mr H C R Porter, Mr N R Harcourt and Mr J Burchnell.

The humour was naïve and unsophisticated by today's standards but in those days before television and the ubiquity of radio and cinema, it was an evening of good fun and there can be no one, whether in the audience or at home listening on the wireless, who did not enjoy themselves. Stainless Stephen had obviously done his homework and his remarks were laced with references to local places and people and, as the Stamford Mercury observed: "He made thousands ache with laughter."

Their report continued: "Stainless Stephen was successful beyond even the wildest dreams of the promoters. It was excruciatingly funny throughout and not once was there a dull moment. Stainless Stephen was right at the top of his form, delivering sparkling shafts of wit to all and sundry. No respecter of persons, this comedian-judge did his utmost to make everyone concerned in the trial look silly - and he was remarkably successful, even to the extent of making himself an object of ridicule. 

"The broadcast itself came over the air very clearly and whilst the humour of the situation could not be appreciated quite so well as by those who could both see and hear Stainless Stephen's sallies of wit, the mirth-provoking questions of counsel, and the equally funny answers given by the hapless applicants for the flitch gave cause for plenty of amusement."

The flitch was awarded to Mr and Mrs Fritchley of Scunthorpe and was presented by Mr A E K Wherry OBE, vice-president of the Butterfield Hospital, who congratulated the winners and presented consolation prizes to the runners-up and thanked everyone for their attendance. The judge's last quip, which came when Mr Wherry was presenting a bottle of wine to Mr and Mrs Bellamy as a consolation award, was: "As Joe would say, 'That's the spirit!'" Mr Fritchley returned thanks for being awarded the flitch and the evening concluded with three cheers for Judge Stainless Stephen.

A total of £40 (£2,222 today) was raised by the event for the Butterfield Hospital. A balance sheet presented to the hospital committee the following week showed a total income of £61. 5s. comprising admission fees, payments to stewards, jury, clerk and usher, and the sale of programmes at 2d. each was £7 9s. 2d., a total of 895 programmes, an indication of the event's popularity. The expenditure included the comedian's fee, hiring the Corn Exchange (£2 15s.), printing and advertising, bill posting, renting loud-speakers and the purchase of consolation prizes.

But as the Stamford Mercury reported: "Everyone who saw the trial, quite apart from the many thousands who heard it over the air, agreed that it was a great success." 

The programmes sold in connection with the event included a light-hearted poem about the Lincolnshire Flitch, with particular reference to Bourne and the surrounding villages.

Go to:     Main Index    Villages Index