Bumble Foot's Wedding.
The
following account is taken from an article, authored by Robert Hamnett,
in the Glossop Chronicle of 12 February 1909.
The
most disgraceful wedding we ever had in Glossop was one that old
inhabitants remember to this day. I allude to “Bumble Foot's
Wedding”.
When this wedding took place, March 1st, 1858,
there were few up-grown people amongst the working classes but had a
nick name. A cobbler named Kelsall had one foot deformed, and was
well known as "Bumble Foot."
It
became generally known that he was going to get married, so some of
the wags in Glossop determined to have a celebration, a collection
was made, potato pies were made in big mugs, and baked by Mr. George
Wilson, a waggon was provided, in front of the waggon was a board,
stating that "This is Bumble Foot's Wedding."
The
bride and bridegroom were on the waggon, and starting from the Lamb
Inn, a procession was formed, at the head was Richard Brown, a
beer-house keeper, of Chapel Street, who was known as " Lord
Raglan." He had a brass helmet on his head, a sword in hand, and
rode a donkey. Ebenezer Bradley and John Addison, two well known
players, played concertinas, William Broadbent played a cornet, and
there were others, all riding donkeys. The procession after reaching
Whitfield Church halted, and the wedding party entered the church.
When
the strange couple were united, the procession was reformed, and
proceeded by Charlestown Road, Primrose Lane, and High Street West,
to the Market Hotel, where the pies were partaken of.
Unfortunately,
stoppages had been made at various public-houses, and the
newly-married couple were made intoxicated. There are other
details which I prefer not to mention. Both of them died in
Glossop Workhouse some years after.
The
Ashton Weekly Reporter of 6 March 1858 carried the following account:
Extraordinary
Wedding.
On
Monday last, the inhabitants of Glossop and the neighbourhood were on
the qui vive from an early hour in the morning, it having been
made known that a wedding of a most extraordinary character would be
solemnised on that day at Whitfield Parish Church.
The
bridegroom, Thomas Kelso, alias Bumble, is a native of Hulme,
Manchester, and a jolly son of St. Crispin ; 49 summers have
passed since he made his appearance in this world of cares ; whilst
the buxom bride, Hannah Dyson, can only boast of 29 birthdays.
As
a matter of course, the fraternity of which the bridegroom is a
worthy member could not let such an opportunity pass without
extracting some merriment from it, and they therefore mustered
strongly on the occasion; and, as a wedding without a feast is
universally considered a meagre affair indeed, preparations had been
made by them to give envious critics no room for
grumbling.
Accordingly on Monday morning the manufacture began of
three potato pies (unique bridecakes certainly) of monster
proportions ; at least such may be imagined from the fact that the
capacious maws of the pie dishes swallowed some six score of potatoes
and 25 lbs. of flesh-meat, which were buried under a most
substantial crust. When put together, they (that is, the pies) were
paraded through the streets of Glossop, and then taken to the large
oven of Mr. Wilson to be baked; after which necessary process they
were again conveyed to their destination, the savoury odour which
they gave forth, as it was wafted along by the cutting east winds,
causing the mouths of the multitude which had collected round to
water most extraordinarily. The bearers of the appetising morsels
were preceded by a person carrying a banner on which was inscribed "Oh! what a pie for Bumble's wedding."
In due time, the happy
couple were escorted to church by an immense concourse of neighbours
and friends, and the ceremony was gone through with the greatest
decorum. On its completion, the procession returned by the road
leading to the Junction Inn, where they stayed until the pies were
baked. When it had been ascertained that those important accessories
to the pleasures of the day were "done to a tee," the
procession reformed in the following order :-
Three potato pies,
with banner suspended over them, with "Oh ! what a pie for
Bumble's wedding."
Chief of all led the van, the gallant
Raglan,
With his asinine cavalry after;
He flashed his bright
sword, and all at his word
Brayed forth a loud chorus of
laughter;
And loudly they shouted, and hoarsely they cried,
Long
life to old Bumble and his bonny young bride.
Then came Richard
Brown, alias Lord Raglan, in full regimental dress, with drawn sword,
and mounted on a white donkey; then three musicians mounted on asses,
and playing various instruments; followed by a number of civilians on
foot; eight other donkeys, bearing Jacob and his sons; Bumble and
his better half in a spring cart, with the bridesmen; civilians;
spring car, with friends and guests; civilians, &c., on foot.
It
is estimated that not less than 10,000 persons took part in the
proceedings, and the greatest good humour prevailed throughout,
everybody in fact appearing determined to render the occasion of
Bumble's wedding one not to be forgotten during the next half century
at all events. The procession ultimately dissolved at the Lamb Inn,
where the numerous assemblage of invited guests quickly commenced
the work of demolition of the trio of miniature mountains, and in a
brief interval they had "left not a rack behind," the mugs,
of course, excepted. The rest of the day and evening was passed in
true St. Crispin style, and the greatest joviality reigned from first
to last. The whole cost of the proceedings, we understand, was
defrayed by a few of the bridegroom's friends.
Footnote
In
the 1861 census Thomas and Hannah are recorded as living at Jackson's
Houses, Whitfield.
Thomas
is a 50 year old cordwainer born in Manchester.
Hannah
(recorded as Ann) is a 33 year old cotton cardroom hand born in
Huddersfield. In the 1851 census she is recorded living with her
parents and siblings in Howardtown, birthplace given as “Lanfit”
(probably Linthwaite).
Thomas
Kelsall was buried in Glossop Cemetery on 30 September 1865
Hannah
Kelsall was buried in Glossop Cemetery on 9 March 1895. She was
recorded as an inmate of the workhouse in 1871 and 1891 (no record
found in 1881).
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Last updated: 24 January 2024