| History
Dedicated to:
John Flatman
Member of WMWB for 49 years and Musical Director for 10 years until his untimely death on 1st April, 2003. A former RAF Bandsman at Yatesbury and
Leconfield, John joined the band in 1954.
and W.F.(Bill) Hawkins
Founder member of Welbeck Estates Brass Band and a lifelong enthusiast, who carried out a great deal of research into Worksop Band in the late 1970's. Bill passed away peacefully on November 1st 1993.
Acknowledgements
Various sources of reference have been used in order to compile this brief history, and many of the photographs used are the property of the Worksop Guardian. Some orignal photographs are taken from postcards and prints in the possession of the author. In particular, documetary detail has been extracted from the following:
Brass Bands in the 20th Century – Violet and Geoffrey Brand - Egon Publishers Ltd 1979 ISBN 0 905858 12 3
Brass Triumphant – Cyrel Bainbridge – Muller – 1980 ISBN 0 10372 7
Music on Record - Brass Bands – Gammond & Horricks – Stephens – 1980 ISBN 0 85059 366 2
Brass Bands – Arthur C.Taylor – Granada – 1979
A History of Music - Sir John Hawkins - 1776
History of Worksop – Edwin Eddison – S.Sissons - 1854
Victorian Worksop – Michael J.Jackson – WA & LHS - 1992
Worksop Guardian
Worksop Trader
Worksop Journal
Introduction
A review of local history connects the band with many notable events in the life of Worksop. The ending of Wars, Royal visits to the area, Coronations and Royal Birthdays, together with Whitsuntide marches, Hospital 'Sunday' marches, and the lighting of the town by gas, were fortunately all well recorded and Bands inevitably get a mention in the history books and newspapers.
Unfortunately, the Worksop Guardian did not begin publication until the late 1880's, and so the amateur historian has to begin looking at events as recorded by the Worksop Journal other organisations like the Gas Company, and the Minutes of many other local organisations.
Amongst the most prominent of these are a number of Friendly Societies, who regularly held what they called ‘demonstrations’, not the type of march borne out of conflict as we might imagine today, but usually a Whit Monday ‘demonstration’ or a Hospital Sunday ‘demonstration’. Many of these were well recorded both in the Worksop Journal and in diaries of local people.
Friendly Societies were voluntary organisations of working men, first formed during the Industrial Revolution in Great Britain, to insure their members against the hazards of industrial life. Weekly payments secured sick benefit when ill, small pensions on retirement and a lump sum for burial. Loans for house purchase were also made. The work of the Friendly Societies has now been largely taken over by the state.
Local Friendly Societies included:
The Old Abbey Club
The Wheat Sheaf Club
The Golden Ball Friendly Society
The Hearts of Oak Friendly Society
The Nottingham Sherwood Order of Oddfellows
The Provincial Provident Society
Cyril Bainbridge in his book ‘Brass Triumphant’ (Frederick Muller Ltd 1980) describes the origins of brass bands. ‘The waits from which brass bands are descended have a history of at least 500 years. They were originally watchmen in palaces, castles and walled towns who, at intervals piped watch on a musical instrument to change guard, to raise the alarm, or to act as a human alarm clock to awaken dignatories by performing soft music outside their chamber doors.’
‘Local records show that they were paid a fee or granted tenure of land for their services. It was a period in which there were large numbers of wandering minstrels and the waits jealously guarded their superior positions as employees of royalty, the nobility or municipalities.’
‘An Act of Elizabeth I classed all wandering minstrels as ‘rogues, vagabonds and sturdy beggars’ and required itinerant musicians to wear cloaks and badges of their patrons to denote whom they served - the Ruritanian gold-braided uniforms of modern bandsmen are a legacy of those times.’
‘Persecution caused many of the nomadic minstrels to settle down. They banded together in guilds to protect their interests and thus many waits were formed. Their duties were extended to assisting in the performance of medieval plays, by seranading notable visitors and playing along the routes of royal visitors -another ancient duty which is still performed by twentieth century bandsmen.’
Sir John Hawkins in his book ‘A History of Music’ 1776 gave further description of the waits. ‘The musical performances with which the people in general were entertained at places of public resort distinguishing such as were calculated for the recreation of the vulgar. The performers hired to play in taverns were called waits. Their other duties were to parade the city at night, play on market days and any feast days.’
The waits were disbanded as a result of the Municipal Reform Act of 1835.
Visitors to Worksop have traditionally been entertained with style. According to Edwin Eddison in his book ‘History of Worksop’ published by S.Sissons in 1854, James 1st visited Worksop in 1603. He was on his way to London to ascend the English throne, and was entertained by the Earl of Shrewsbury at his Worksop seat [Worksop Manor]. At Worksop he ‘hunted with huntsmen all in greene’, was ‘received with
superfluitie, where every entertainment seemed to excell the other’, and listened to ‘soul-ravishing musique’.
The Celebration of Peace in 1814 after the Napoleonic War is mentioned in the Worksop Journal. (further detail required)
The Worksop Journal of June 4th 1856 records a previous celebration. On July 18th 1821 a procession took place to commemorate the coronation of George IV, and there is a quote from the diary of a Mr John Froggatt of Shireoaks Hall:-
‘This day attended the procession from the Park Gates round the Common and Abbey to the Market Place, in commemoration of the coronation of George IV, when tables were set in the streets of Worksop, and 1,000 men and women dined on roast beef and plum pudding, and the men were allowed three quarts of ale and the women two quarts. A party of gentlemen dined at the Red Lion. The procession was formed as follows: Advance Guard of Yeomanry Cavalry, Clergy, Gentlemen of Worksop, Abbey School Boys 150, Charity Girls School 100, Band of Music, 600 men and women who had tickets for the dinner, Detachment of Cavalry, 600 men and women.’
We do not know whether this ‘Band of Music’ mentioned by Mr Froggatt was the Worksop Band or not, although it seems probable.
Other Local Bands
Bands and the Mining Industry
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