Queen Victoria’s Diamond Jubilee celebrations in Whiteparish

Local platinum jubilee events in 2022 have been months in the planning; back in 1897 planning for Queen Victoria’s diamond jubilee could be a more leisured affair. In south-east Wiltshire, Whiteparish parish council did not begin to think seriously about the celebrations until a public meeting on 10 May, less than two months before the anniversary itself.

In true British fashion a committee was formed to oversee the event. The jubilee committee divided the parish up into eight sections, with one or two committee members responsible for collecting subscriptions towards the festivities. A total of £31 15s. 2d. was collected. Some contributions came as offers in kind, including tea, sugar, butter, bread and 41 gallons of beer. Mr Sidney Elkins offered to roast a whole sheep on Whiteparish Common the day before the event to provide mutton for the tea. Despite this generosity there were still expenses to be met. Whiteparish brass band expected to receive a fee of £5, and some food and drink still had to be purchased.

On Friday 18 June, four days before the parish celebrations, the Earl and Countess Nelson visited the village school, where the Countess presented each child with a commemorative mug.

The parish chose to celebrate on Tuesday 22 June, the day chosen nationally for the jubilee bonfires (the actual anniversary of Victoria’s accession to the throne was 20 June). A whole day of celebrations took place. In the morning, a procession of village societies, schoolchildren and other inhabitants made its way to the church for a special service, following which the coronation dinner (a midday meal) was served. A tent with seating and tables for 600 people had been erected on Parsonage Meadow for the diners, although the parish council records give no indication as to who was responsible for the work of serving such a large number of people. The dinner consisted of fresh beef, mutton, ham, cheese and bread, with mineral waters to drink (it is not clear when the 41 gallons of beer was drunk). For the afternoon tea, plum cake, seed cake and bread were provided, with tea to drink. There were speeches, toasts were drunk, and sports and games took place, while the brass band played at intervals during the day. In the evening the villagers walked up Whiteparish Hill for a bonfire, the fuel provided by Earl Nelson, and danced to music by the brass band. A second bonfire was lit on Dean Hill by Mr Lawrence, owner of Cowesfield House in Whiteparish. The local press reported that 2,300 bonfires were lit throughout the country on the evening of 22 June; other local bonfires included those at Downton, Harnham Hill, Grovely Hill in Wilton, and Breamore.

The uncertain British weather was kind on the day, and the whole event a great success. The amount collected through subscriptions and other donations, including money collected at the event itself, more than covered the £37 3s. 1d. costs. It was decided to spend the remaining balance on a free tea for the whole parish on the following August Bank Holiday. Even after the August tea, there was still £2 19s. left, which was donated to Salisbury Infirmary.

~ Rosalind Johnson