Historian Arthur R. Nicholls recalls Sergeant Mondays in Kendal

SERGEANT Monday was once a highlight in the municipal life of the town.

Under the town’s charters the aldermen and burgesses were allowed to have two Sergeants-at-Arms-at-Mace as part of their retinue.

The Mayors were appointed to serve for one year and were sworn in on the first Monday at the end of September or the beginning of October. The incoming Mayor usually hosted a banquet and the day was called Old Sergeant Monday.

The retiring Mayor gave a banquet on the following Monday, which was called New Sergeant Monday. After a time Sergeant Monday was celebrated on just the one day.

On the morning of New Sergeant Monday the children of Kendal woke up excited. It was a school holiday (the children would not have gone to school anyway) and they crowded the streets, awaiting a noisy procession headed by the imposing figures of the Sergeants-at-Arms, which proceeded to the retiring Mayor’s house.

The children, principally boys, joined the end of the procession imitating the military bearing of the Sergeants, animated by the prospect of what was to take place when they reached the house.

The procession came to a halt and, after a speech (there was always a speech at these events) the official party dispersed to safety and the children looked up at the window.

Suddenly, apples and other fruit were thrown out, showering the children who indulged in a noisy and boisterous “scraffle” to collect as many as possible.

The whole event was over in a short time and the children retired jubilant or disappointed according to their success or otherwise in winning the prized fruit.

There was no return procession and little fights broke out as disgruntled boys vented their spleen on those who had prevented them from gaining what they considered their rightful share of the booty.

It is unsurprising that few girls took part in the scraffle; it was too rough, dangerous and unladylike and would spoil their clothes.

In 1821 the venue for the scraffle was changed for some reason to the Town Hall where the apples were thrown from a window. At least there was more room in the street for the scraffle.

A year later, the Mayor’s house being nearby the River Kent, some of the apples rolled or were purposely thrown into the river and some of the little urchins plunged into the water after them or just enjoyed splashing and ducking their companions. As they say, a good time was had by all.

In 1835, with the Municipal Reform Act beginning to take effect, there was no Sergeant Monday procession but the Radical Party held a scraffle in the market place.

The celebration was renewed the following year but the mood had changed. Some rough boys went to all the schools to “batter out” the boys and there were some unpleasant scenes.

That seems to have been the catalyst for the ending of the celebration, which dwindled away, finishing in the 1880s.