The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1878-11-09 00:00:00

GUY FAWKES DAY AT LEWES.

Lewes, the county town of Sussex, has long been renowned
for its celebration of the anniversary of the Gunpowder Plot,
and the proceedings on Tuesday last fully maintained the
position it has hitherto held in this respect —The following
particulars of the affair are from the Daily Pews of Wed-
nesday :
There are four principal societies, each of which has
a commander-in-chief and an impromptu bishop.
Those officials really have charge of the processions,
and when it is stated that the principal processions
comprised within their ranks from seven hundred
to a thousand persons in various costumes, and
that all passed off well, the arrangements may be
considered to have been fairly complete. During
the morning there was a marked absence of
" guys " in the streets, and until evening nothing
unusual occurred to mark the coming saturnalia. Ap-
proirehing darkness was the signal for nailing up door-
ways and barricading windows and gratings. At six
o'clock squibs and crackers began to fly about freely,
and small boys in numerous groups, dressed in fantastic
costumes, were Been to emerge from dark corners. They
were soon followed by stalwart cavaliers, buccaneers,
men in armour, Indians, &c. ; in fact, every grotesque
costume seemed to have its votaries, and not a few of
the weaker sex donned fancy garbs and took an active
part in the proceedings. The strains of music were
soon after heard, and the carnival commenced in
earnest by a run to the county hall, and the ignition of
a hugebonfire, which was kept well trimmed throughout
the night, the flames licking the portico of the Hall of
Justice, which the fire seemed to defy and ready to
consume. A similar process was gone through at the
head-quarters of the other societies, and the whole of
the main thoroughfares of the town became a blaze of
light. Processions started at frequent intervals,
composed of the grotesque characters already men-
tioned, industriously dragging huge flaming tar
barrels. A pretty effect was produced by the nu-
merous flames being lit up with the coloured fires
and torches carried by the Bonfire Boys. Of course
each procession was headed by a band. Popular
rather than classical tunes were the order of the day,
nanny of them being sung by the assembled throng with
infinite gusto. As the evening progressed the streets
became more crowded, the squibs flew faster, the pro-
cessions were longer, and the smoke from the number-
less tar barrels considerable: At half-past eight the
Cliffe grand procession started, the chief features of
which were eTgies of Pope Leo XIII. and Guy
Fawkes. These were carried aloft as the procession
passed through the lower parts of the town, being
afterwards consigned to the flames. A huge fire was
made by this detachment at a point called Cliff e
corner, previous to destroying the figures, The
"Bishop" delivered an oration, which was loudly
cheered.
The principal event of the evening was the grand
procession of the Borough Society. This started from
the top of the town shortly before ten, and, in addition
to the stock effiges of the Pope and Guy Fawkes, they
had a grand tableau of the Czar and the Ameer. The
programme stated this procession to be over a mile
in length, and to include a thousand persons in
costume. Twelve large hogsheads and ten barrels
added materially to the lurid glare which wap
shed on the strange spectacle. Arrived at the
fire the "Lord Bishop " stationed himself on an emi-
nence opposite the county hall and delivered a length-
aned harrangue to a very large and apparently ad-
miring throng, the fantastic figures at times forming
into curious groups. The "Lord Bishop of Lewes"
denounced Romanism and Ritualism as unworthy of
Englishmen, and consequently the effigies of the Pope
and Guy Fawkes were consumed amid loud execra-
tions, after being
.nearly blown to pieces by the
fireworks with which they were stuffed. The Ameer
Was referred to by the mock bishop in very uncompli-
mentary terms. The Czar of Russia next came in for
a good share of abuse, and the mention of Russia's
unwarrantable interference brought forth loud
groans from the multitude. These effigies having
been to a great extent destroyed by fireworks,
the remnants were added to the already mon-
ster Lonfire. After a complete shower of fireworks, a
start was made to meet the Commercial-square grand
procession. This was in the main a repetition of the
previous ones, as was also that of the Waterloo Society,
which started earlier in the evening. In connection with
each of these the usual addresses were delivered, and
effigies consigned to flames. The town was given over to
this kind of thing till midnight, when the police ap-
peared on the scene. The fires were put out by
members of the borough and Cliffe Fire Brigades, and
Lewes again resumed its usually quiet aspect. So
far as we can learn, all passed off without any acci-
dent worth recording.