The original Horns, Mayor’s Day 2015

The Horns are said to date from 1700, when there was an ox roast on the Market Place followed by a street fight between the men of Ock Street and the men of the Vineyard to see who should keep the horns. The Ock Street men won. The wooden mask would have been made some time after that. The original Horns only come out on Mayor’s Day and very special occasions such as the funeral of a dancer.  A set of replica Horns were made in 1979 and these are used for all our other appearances.

Up to now, the earliest printed reference found to the Horns being won in 1700 is in the Berkshire Chronicle of 25th June 1825.

……. It appears that although Ock Street is situate within the borough, the inhabitants have always been considered a distinct people; and during the latter part of the 16th century, many and serious were the disputes between the rival parties.  These continued till the renewal of the charter of the borough in the year 1700 (according to tradition), when it was agreed that all disputes should terminate in a contest for the horns of an ox, which was to be roasted in the Bury to commemorate the above event.  The contest at length did take place, and the upper part of the Ock Street are supposed to have remained neuter, as it is excluded from the benefits which were that day acquired by the lower part of the street.  The street is divided into three parts – the lower being Piccadilly, the middle St. Edmond’s Head, from the head of St. Edmond being placed in the wall of the house where he is supposed to have been born, and the upper part being the Fens, which reaches to the pavement.  One of the privileges obtained on this memorable day was, that the victors should have the exclusive liberty to parade the town the day succeeding the Ock Street fair, with moris-dancers, accompanied by a mayor chosen by themselves, and preceded by a mace-bearer carrying the aforesaid horns erected on a pole.  This ceremony has been continued from the year 1700 to the present year. …….