DARLINGTON had a disconcerting habit of celebrating royal occasions by slowly roasting an ox on a giant spit in the Market Place.
Mark Cooper has kindly sent in a photo of a souvenir plate (below) from which a Darlingtonian, after a 20-hour roast, would have eaten a beef sandwich on June 22, 1911, to commemorate the coronation of George V.
The first recorded public ox roast in the town is on August 16, 1809. It commemorated the coming of age of the eldest son of Lord Barnard, the Earl of Darlington.
In 1832, three large oxen were roasted, carved and fed to several thousand people in the Market Place to celebrate the passing of the Great Reform Act.
In 1897, for Queen Victoria’s Diamond Jubilee, a 60-stone ox from Cleasby was paraded through the streets of Darlington before being slaughtered and displayed in a Parkgate butcher’s window.
Members of the 1897 Diamond Jubilee Darlington Ox Roast Committee view the prize-winning ox in Cleasby before roasting the poor thing for 24 hours in the Market Place. What is the long-handled implement held by the chap third from the left? Picture courtesy of Darlington Centre for Local Studies
"It is believed that Darlington is the only town in which the old-fashioned bullock roasting will form part of the celebrations, " said the Darlington and Stockton Times. "Residents near the Market Place look forward with considerable misgiving to this ceremony owing to the smell of burnt flesh and coke smoke."
A crane from Cleveland Bridge then hoisted the giant beast onto a huge steel spit made by Darlington Forge. Salt from Messrs Mawson, Swan and Morgan of Newcastle, was rubbed into it and then six braziers lent by the North-Eastern Railway were lit beneath it.
The scene in 1902 for the coronation ox roast in Darlington Market Place
A similar event took place on August 12, 1902, to mark Edward VII’s coronation, only the traction engine turning the spit proved troublesome, and at midnight the carcass slipped and had to be chained back on.
An eyewitness wrote: "The beast, roasted dry, so to speak, yellow and shiny in appearance to start with until he became brown and more or less shrivelled up, presented a grim, weird aspect, which those who saw in the final stages will never forget to the end of their days."
King George V and Queen Mary after the coronation of 1911
The Darlingtonians learned and on June 22, 1911, roast an ox to perfection for George V’s coronation. They employed electricity rather than the unreliable steampowered traction engine, and the beast was donated by the Snaiths, farmers and butchers of High Coniscliffe.
They ordered 2,724 “platters” at 5s 9d-a-dozen from potteries in Stoke, and many local homes, like the Coopers, still have these unusual pieces of memorabilia. Proceeds from the sale of the plates and the sandwiches funded a daytrip for 1,000 children to Redcar.
The ox being roast in Darlington Market Place in 1911. Behind is the Dolphin Hotel. Now the entrance to the Dolphin leisure centre is on this spot
In 1935, it was suggested that George V’s Silver Jubilee should be celebrated in the time-honoured fashion, but the idea was dismissed as “barbarous”. However, in 2013, an ox was roast – and souvenir plates were produced – to mark the 150th anniversary of Darlington Covered Market.
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules here