The earliest Mayor of Ock Street recorded in print is Thomas Leonard, reported in the Berkshire Chronicle of 27th June 1835:
ABINGDON
Our Midsummer Fair on Saturday last was but the ghost of its former self. Some twenty or thirty years ago it was highly distinguished by the fair-going people; and in the Ock Street, the site of the festive mirth, the rites of hospitality were extended to “country cousins”, and other relatives and acquaintances in and about town residing, till the bough of bacon and gooseberry pies were all joyfully consumed. The number of Horses and Cattle was by no means so large as this fair is wont to produce: the supply, however, was greater than the demand, which caused a great depression, and many of both kinds returned unsold.
The Mayor of Ock Street was chaired as usual the evening before the fair; the election this year having fallen on Mr. Thomas Leonard, an individual every way qualified to fill the important situation “at this crisis”. The probability of their privileges, which are held by prescription only, being affected by the Bill now before Parliament was the theme of considerable anxiety and speculation with the gentlemen connected with this ceremony; but as their elections are conducted in strict accordance with the most liberal principles, it was the general opinion that this corporation will escape the general revolution contemplated, and that therefore it would be unnecessary to petition the Legislature on the subject. The Mayor’s Jester observed, “The big’uns, my lord, at t’other eend of the townd little thought, about ten years agone, when they cut our combs by refusing to be present at our chairing, according to ancient usage, that their own gills would be so soon robbed of their fair proportions by other innovators and reformers – but it sarv’s ‘um right.” This stroke of wit served to whet their mirth the whole of the evening.
[The “crisis” referred to was the 1835 Municipal Corporation Act in which the local government of towns and boroughs was completely overhauled. Abingdon was one of 178 boroughs that were totally reformed, creating a new town council elected by ratepayers together with a town clerk and a treasurer. These replaced the old municipal corporation made up of the mayor, bailiffs, and burgesses of the Borough of Abingdon. The Mayor of Ock Street election thus predates the town council elections!]
We have local press reports of the election of the Mayor of Ock Street in 1849, 1864, 1870, 1872, 1873 and 1876. It did not occur every year, and the absence of an election and the non-appearance of the morris dancers is reported in 1868 and 1869. The Berkshire Chronicle of 3rd July 1880 reports that:
Thomas Hemmings, of Ock Street, labourer, …who is well known in Abingdon by the appellation of “Mayor of Ock Street,” and who for some years past has been annually elected by a number of Morris Dancers to fill this post, was again, on the 21st of June last, re-elected. This event was followed by several days Morris dancing in the streets, and the imbibing of a considerable quantity of beer and other liquor …
Jackson’s Oxford Journal of Saturday 20th June 1885 reports
…. a written announcement in Ock-street with this heading, “Thomas Hemming, the Mayor of Ock-street, who was appointed in 1840, has resigned, after serving office for 25 years and dancing 20; and that during this present month his son William had been appointed in his stead,” ….
We presume that this Thomas Hemmings (or Hemming) was the Mayor of Ock Street from 1860 to 1885, and the 1870 press report mentions that:
The ancient custom of electing a Mayor of Ock Street, which fell into disuse for two years past, has been revived this season. Mr Emmens, who has before filled the same position, was duly installed amid the chinking of quart jugs, with honours befitting the event. The following day, Tuesday, his worship, accompanied by certain Morris dancers, and preceded by the ancient horns, dated 1700, perambulated the town …..
‘Emmens’ is probably a mis-spelling of Hemmings. Thomas Hemmings died on 12th August 1885, aged 71.
The local press refers to morris dancing at the June fair in 1887 and 1888, with no report of any election of the mayor, and in 1892 the dancing is reported to have made a reappearance. The Oxford Chronicle and Bucks and Berks Gazette of 24th June 1893 reports that:
The old custom of the Ock Street Morris Dancers has been revived this week, and caused some amount of amusement. On Monday residents were invited by bills to vote for Hughes, whilst others were asked to vote for Cox. Whether the voting took place or not is not clear but Cox appears to have been elected to the honourable position of “Mayor”, for he and his dancers were out in the evening when a number of places was visited. Wednesday was the “grand” day when the harvest was to be reaped, and the “Mayor” with his deputy and followers, including the “Horns”, all gaily decorated, were early astir and perambulated the town, and drew a large number of people. The revival of this custom is, however, far from what it used to be.
The Mayor of Ock Street in 1893 was Charles Cox, a carpenter, the great-great-uncle of Roger Cox, who was Mayor 2007-2013.
A local press report of 1899 refers to the dancing being “in part revived” and a report of 1900 mentions the dancers and horns being seen, but it seems there was no election of the Mayor of Ock Street. A report of the 1902 fair states that there was no dancing that year.
The Abingdon Herald of 25th June 1910 reports:
REVIVAL OF MORRIS DANCING -The widespread attention given to the revival of Morris dancing lead to the observance of an old Ock-street custom on the day following June Fair. There was no choosing the Mayor of Ock-street as in olden times, but W. Hemmings, son of a former “Mayor”, was recognised as still holding office ….