Chapter 9

Stewarton Bonnet Guild

When did it all begin and why is it called the Bonnet Guild?

   These are the questions invariably asked by newcomers to Stewarton around the time of the Bonnet Guild Festival, the town's annual spree each June.

    The First Festival was held in 1933 and the organising committee named itself the Bonnet Guild in reverence to the town's main industry in past times the making of woollen bonnets and after the old Bonnet Court of Corsehill in the 17th century.

   In the winter of 1932/33, Bailie Tom Barclay had an idea to run a gala day for children the following summer. He called in Bailie John Atchison and Councillor Hugh Muir to assist him and in March, 1933,  a  committee  of twenty-seven prominent, local men was formed consisting of businessmen connected with the knitwear   industry,  bankers,  school teachers,  and  ex-professional  football players, etc.

   The Committee members put forward so many proposals that it was decided to run a three day festival from Thursday to Saturday during the last week-end of June, A programme of events was arranged and it included a concert and presentation of colours on Thursday evenings in the local Recture House; a fancy dress parade followed by a visit to the War Memorial, and a sports meeting at Strandhead Park, all on the Saturday, the Gala Day.

   The name "Corsehill Queen" was chosen and John Aitchison, a native of Peebles, obtained details and procedures of the crowning of the Beltane Queen in the  Borders town, which  assisted  in formulating  a  similar  ceremony  for Stewarton.

But who was to be Corsehill Queen?

   After  consultation with the headmaster and staff of the local Higher Grade School, the obvious choice was the dux girl of the school the top girl of merit in the third year provided she was a resident of Stewarton Parish, a rule that was to apply to all other characters.

   Another proposal was made that the Queen and her court should be chosen by ballot but this was dismissed.

   Members of the Corsehill Queen's court included the First Courtier the Dux Boy and the others were the Second  Courtier;  the Herald; Sword, Sceptre and Crown Bearers; and Admiral; a Queen's Highlander; and two Pages. Six Maids of Honour were also chosen in order of merit mainly from the third year with two from Kingsford School.

   In addition a guard of honour of "sailors" from the "Qualifying" class and a dozen "archers" from the class below.

   Mr Waddell, the School Headmaster, arranged the musical programme which included "Where has Scotland found her fame?" and "Joyfull we greet thee," the latter being adapted from Wagner's opera "Tannehauser" with a slight alteration in words and music. The anthem was changed to  "God  save  our  Corsehill  Queen." All these songs are sung to this day at the crowning ceremony in Avenue Square.

   A Deacon and two Bailies were also appointed in the tradition of the old Bonnet Court and they were presented with their colours at the opening concert. They also led the parade on the Saturday.

   The Town Council was asked to make a financial contribution towards the cost of getting the project underway and this was granted; which was not surprising as six  of  the  nine  councillors  were also members of the Festival committee plus Jack Hamilton, the Town Clerk. They didn't bother too much about "declaring and interest" in the old days. When the festival  posters  appeared  in  the  shop windows they stated: "Stewarton Bonnet Guild Festival (under the patronage of Stewarton Town Council)"

   Due to the tremendous public support and the popularity of that first festival it  was  unanimously  decided  to  hold  it annually.

   The Treasurer's report of the first festival makes interesting reading. After all expenses had been paid, the revenue from the dance, the sale of bunting, the concert, and the sports, the balance was £4411s&6d.

   In 1935 a Divine Service was introduced to make it a four day festival. It was held outdoors at Strandhead Park on the Sunday evening and the service was conducted by the local ministers and a Captain from the Salvation Army.

   That same year the first contact with the Incorporation of Bonnetmakers and Dyers of Glasgow since probably the eighteenth century was made when the Deacon of the Incorporation, by then a charitable organisation, Mr Deacon Ogg, let it be known that he was interested in visiting Stewarton at festival time in an official capacity.

   The Bonnet Guild was happy to renew the old association which dates back to 1650, and Deacon Ogg subsequently was present at the concert when he addressed the audience, and was a member of the platform party at the crowning of the Corsehill Queen.

   Since then the alliance between the two bodies has become stronger and the Glasgow Deacon and his Collector have appeared at every Bonnet Guild Festival without fail ever since that first time in 1935. Three Guild former Deacons have also been Deacons of the Incorporation: Eddie Norwell, Willie  Sim, and Alan MacDougall,  and  a  delegation  from Stewarton attends the Deacon's Choosing Dinner in Trades House in Glasgow each October.

   Although it was the intention to proceed  with the  1940  festival, the worsening  European situation the evacuation at Dunkirk  brought a change of mind to the Committee and on April 30th, 1940, it was unanimously agreed to suspend all activities of the Guild for an indefinite period.

   That period lasted until May 29th, 1945, when the Guild resumed. At a meeting on May 29th, 1945, it was agreed to organise a fancy dress parade and carnival on June 23rd in conjunction with a fete being run by the Stewarton District Welfare Association.

   A year later the first Bonnet Guild Festival for six years was held on similar lines to the pre-war programme and the four day festival continued to be held for the next two decades.

   But all was not roses in the Bonnet Guild garden. As far back as 1938, one member, incensed by the apathy of some of his colleagues, proposed that steps be taken to "purge the Committee and appoint suitable members who will be willing to work for the benefit of the Guild and make it a real live Committee." In the Fifties, at a time when similar organisations in other towns were being disbanded, the question: "Are we going to hold a festival this year?" was put to the members and the answer was "yes."

   It was about this time however, that some of the older members were becoming even more apathetic and the Guild was rightly  accused  of  running  the  same festival year after year. Cut-backs were also made to save expenditure and on one occasion the brass band was dropped and substituted  by  poor  quality  recorded organ music, an experiment that was never repeated.

   The Town Council too had changed both in personnel and in its interest in the Bonnet Guild with neither financial or practical support. In  fact the Council seemed to oppose the Guild at every turn. From then on, the words "under the patronage of the Town Council" were omitted from the posters.

   Gradually, as new younger members of initiative began to exert their influence, fresh ideas were suggested and the festival programme was extended. A series of active, keen, and hard-working presidents in the Sixties and Seventies created a new stimulus and enthusiasm within the Guild and eventually a full week's programme was introduced as Stewarton's population increased.

   Since then many new features have been tried - some successful, some not. But the renewed community spirit has been a tremendous incentive with ever increasing interest and participation from the townspeople, young and old alike.

   For many years, as well as a large festival  programme  in  June,  a winter programme of events has been included in the Guild's calendar.

   In 1970 the Bonnet Guild embarked upon its biggest and most ambitious project  when  it  published  a booklet, Stewarton by Jack House.

   In  the  early  years  the  wives  of prominent men in the town were asked to present the colours one year and to crown the Corsehill Queen the next. This procedure was changed a long time ago and all former Queens are now invited back eleven years later, firstly to present the colours and then to crown the Queen the following year.

   The membership of the Guild has been built up by the democratic process of nomination  and  election  within  the organisation, Junior Bailies are now chosen by service and merit from members who have proved themselves over a period of years. Gone are the days when certain Deacons came, carried the banner, and vanished.

   Many years ago the constitution was altered to allow any pupil attending a Stewarton school to participate in the pageant. Changes at the school also meant that  the  Corsehill Queen  and  all the others had to be chosen from the second year.  And when Kilmarnock Fair was brought forward in 1976, it was decided to hold the Festival two weeks earlier each year.

   That first financial statement of 1933 differs  dramatically  from  the  cost  of running the larger and more sophisticated programme today when there is a turnover of several thousand pounds.

  Now the Bonnet Guild members number forty-five to cope with the ever increasing   work-load   and  the  huge programme of events. The average attendance at the monthly meetings is around 35, a very high and satisfactory standard.

   Festival 1988 was voted one of the best  of all time. There were capacity attendances at most indoor events, huge participation in the outdoor events, and massive crowds out and about on the Friday evening and Saturday afternoon.

   The future of the Bonnet Guild and the Festival looks bright for generations to come