Despite the rain, Rye dressed up for the annual Mayor Making which involved the quick blessing of a bus during the downpour; throwing hot pennies, and ensuing celebrations.
As the crowd gathered outside the 18th century Town Hall, they were entertained byMorris Men performing their traditional dances.
These were swiftly followed by the Town Crier, the Mayor and other councillors all welcoming their guests. In addition the 18th Town Hall was “staffed” with modern re-enactors dressed as 18th century militiamen from the Napoleonic period when a French invasion was expected daily locally, the Military Canal was built across the marshes, and Martello Towers sprouted along the coast.
The Cinque Ports (which include Rye) were mainly focused on keeping the French at arm’s length, and they were well represented at the Mayor Making by local Mayors.
The guests included the High Sheriff and Deputy Lieutenant of East Sussex as well as the chairmen of East Sussex County Council (ESCC) and Rother District Council, and the Mayors or Deputy Mayors of New Romney, Hastings, Hythe, Winchelsea, Ramsgate, Deal, Folkestone, and Faversham, the Town Clerk of Tenterden, and local ESCC Councillor Keith Glazier and local Rother District Councillor Lord Ampthill.
There was a careful seating plan both for the Mayor Making and for the following service in the Parish Church of St Mary’s which dates from the 12th century when Rye belonged to the French Abbey of Fecamps – and has a similar Norman design to the Abbey.
Having processed to the nearby church, the Mayor, Jonathan Breeds, read Henry Vaughan’s “Peace”, and his uncle the Rev Christopher Breeds read the prayers. The seating plan showed two rows reserved for the Breeds family – and the Rector and Mayor’s Chaplain, the Rev Canon David Frost, preached the sermon for the Mayor Making Service of Thanksgiving.
The procession then moved to the damp churchyard where the Canon blessed a new community bus in memory of Councillor John Izod who died last year. John was an active supporter of, and fundraiser for, many local organisations, but particularly the local community bus service.
He was also very active on behalf of the Bonfire Boys who were represented at the service and later led a procession, with their drums, from the Town Hall to the celebrations at Tilling Green.
The damp procession then swiftly returned to the Town Hall and the council chamber upstairs, whose walls list all the Mayors whose names are known back to the 12th century, which had been swiftly emptied of chairs so there was space for the guests and a few glasses of wine while the hot pennies were heated up in a microwave.
The origin of the ceremony probably dates back to when Rye had its own mint and hot pennies were readily available – and the High Street today becomes The Mint when it turns downhill towards Strand Quay.
When the coins were the right temperature for children to pick up, the guests in the council chamber then began to throw them down (the pennies of course – not the children)
Shortly after, the children began to disperse, but many followed the Town Crier and his Deputy – as well as the Bonfire Boys – down to Tilling Green Community Centre where the entertainment continued all afternoon. But, before that, there were the toasts in the Town Hall by the Right Worshipful the Mayor of Rye to Her Majesty the Queen, the Lord Warden of the Cinque Ports and the Ancient town of Rye.
However, Rye was not the only place pulling in the crowds – and dressing up – as the “bikers” passing through were on their way to a massive May Day get together coinciding with Hastings’ Jack in the Green celebrations which many Ryers attend.
Photos: John Minter, Seana Lanigan and Kevin McCarthy
Image Credits: John Minter .
Concerned readers will be relieved to learn that the pennies thrown from the Council Chamber were NOT heated up in a microwave! (Interesting though it would have been.)