The Common Riding
Congratulations to Cornet Greig Middlemas, Cornet’s Lass Emma Gibson and Acting Father and Acting Mother Alan and Tracey Brown.
The Hawick Common-Riding is the first of the Border festivals. Taking place on the Friday after the first Monday in June, and celebrates both the capture of an English Flag in 1514 by the youth of Hawick at a place called Hornshole and the ancient custom of riding the marches or boundaries of the common land.
The Cornet for the year is elected on the first Wednesday after the first Tuesday in May, well in advance of the festival proper, when the Provost's Council, on the recommendation of the two previous Cornets (called the Right and Left-Hand Men) invites a young man to act as Cornet. The Halberdier, accompanied by the Drum and Fife Band, carries an official letter of invitation to the nominated Cornet. Invitation accepted, the Officer is rewarded with a new "shilling" (or 5 pence) and asked to carry the Cornet's letter of acceptance back to the waiting Council. Afterwards the Cornet with his two predecessors and the Acting Father walk round the older parts of the town before attending a congratulatory Smoker. From then until the festival is over the Cornet is an honoured figure in Hawick. The first recorded Cornet was in 1703 and other than the World Wars and the Foot and Mouth outbreak in 2001 there has been an unbroken line to the present day.
In the weeks preceding the actual Common-Riding, on each Saturday and Tuesday, the Cornet and his supporters are out on their ridesout in the course of which they visit surrounding villages and farms. The main rideout, however, two weeks before the Common-Riding weekend, is the twenty-four mile ride to Mosspaul and back.
While returning from the Denholm rideout on the Saturday before the Common-Riding the principals visit the Hornshole Lest We Forget Memorial to salute the memory of the youth of 1514.
On the Thursday evening of the week preceding the Common-Riding, the first of the Cornet's Chases takes place up a hill called the Nipknowes on the way to St. Leonards Hut where a local caterer is asked to prepare the customary dish of "curds and cream" in readiness as a refreshment during the actual riding of the marches. This marks the end of the preliminary procedure.
The Common-Riding proper takes place in June on a Friday and Saturday. It had been the invariable practice to hold the riding of the marches on the last Friday in May, but the adoption by this country of the Gregorian Calendar, which removed eleven days from the year, forced the festival into June.
SUNDAY
The Common Riding week begins with the Kirkin' o' the Cornet during a service in a local church. The Cornet's Church Parade in which the four principals, together with the followers, walk from the Council Chambers to the church, precedes this. In the afternoon the Principals and their Lasses travel to the Hornshole Memorial where the Lass lays a wreath.
WEDNESDAY
During Common Riding week large numbers of "exiled Teries" return to their home town from all over the world to join in the festivities and renew old friendships. To mark the occasion the Council holds a reception where they are officially welcomed by the Provost and the Cornet, and are entertained.
THURSDAY
Following Chases on the Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday mornings of Common-Riding week the second major Chase takes place on the Thursday morning when the Cornet carries the unbussed Flag for the first time. On the return to the town from the Hut, before the Cornet returns the flag to the Town Hall, he along with his followers ride round Hawick via the High Street, North Bridge Street, Princes Street, Wilton Path, Sandbed and back along the High Street to the Town Hall. After breakfast the Principals visit the local schools where, after a rapturous welcome, the Cornet requests the Head Teacher to proclaim a holiday for the rest of the day and the next. This is of course granted and the children and assembled parents join with the riders in singing the festival songs.
One of the most impressive and colourful of all the festival ceremonies, the Colour Bussing, takes place on the Thursday evening in the Town Hall. The Provost and Magistrates are played into a packed Hall by the Drum and Fife Band. Then come the Lasses with the Maids of Honour. The Cornet's Lass carries the Flag to the front of the Hall. She mounts the platform with her attendants and "busses" the Flag by tying ribbons of blue and gold to the head of the staff. This is symbolic of the days when women, as a sign of affection, bedecked their loved ones before going off to battle. The Lass then hands the Flag to the Provost.
The Cornet with the Right and Left-Hand Men, who have been guarded by halberdiers in 18th century dress, now come forward. The Provost, after congratulating the Lass, passes the Flag into the Cornet's keeping, reminding him that it is "the embodiment of all the traditions that are our glorious heritage". The Cornet is charged to ride the marches of the commonty of Hawick according to ancient custom and return the Flag "unsullied and unstained" at the conclusion of the ceremonies. There follows an oration by a distinguished guest and song-singing.
Immediately following the Colour Bussing the Halberdier appears on the balcony of the Town Hall and reads to the crowds below the Proclamation calling on the burgesses to "ride the meiths and marches of the commonty".
After the Proclamation the Cornet's walk begins, moving along the High Street to the Horse Monument where they stop for the Cornet to tie ribbons to the flag of the monument commemorating Hornshole, and as a tribute to predecessors. From the Horse the walk continues along Bridge Street and round Wilton to visit all the ancient Ports before returning to the Town Hall.
FRIDAY
At 6.00 a.m, the following morning, Common Riding day proper, the Drum and Fife Band set off to rouse the town. Presently a large crowd assembles at Towerdykeside for a curious ceremony called the Snuffin', when snuff is dispensed from an old horned mull amid much jostling and pushing. After the melee, packets of snuff are thrown from a window; the crowd soon dispersing to the surrounding hostelries for the traditional refreshment of rum and milk before breakfast.
The Cornet and his supporters, married and unmarried, breakfast together in a local restaurant, while the Provost entertains colleagues and guests to breakfast in the Town Hall. Afterwards oak leaves are distributed and this is followed by the singing of the "Old Song" at the door of the Drumlanrig Tower Hotel, each of the Principals taking it in turn to sing verses.
Afterwards the Principals, followed by a huge number of followers - sometimes as many as 300, mount their horses and set off in a procession round the town. When passing the 1514 Horse memorial the Cornet lowers the flag as a mark of respect for his forebear, then along the High Street and on to the Nipknowes where the main chase of the festival takes place. Firstly the Acting Father followed by the married supporters gallops up the hill. The Cornet, with the Flag held high, gallops up the hill followed by the unmarried supporters. At its conclusion the Cornet's Acting Father in his capacity as Acting Senior Magistrate takes the Flag and carries it to St. Leonards to the song and toast session in the Hut - the Curds and Cream Repast.
The Chase could represent the youths of Hawick returning in triumph from the battle of Hornshole proudly following the captured Flag to the cheers of the local people. Alternatively it could symbolise the townspeople chasing off unauthorised users of the Town's Common.
After leaving the Hut and singing "Teribus" in front of the farmhouse the riders set off via Williestruther Loch and Acreknowe Reservoir for the serious business of riding the marches making their way to the extremity of the Common where the Cornet dismounts and ceremoniously "Cuts the Sod" to mark the boundary as ancient custom demanded.
They then make their way to the race-course where the Cornet rides the course and then places the Flag on the roof of the committee room before being presented with a riding-crop as a memento of his term of office. After a programme of horse-racing the company remounts and proceeds by way of Crumhaughhill to Myreslawgreen to complete their riding of the boundaries. At Myreslawgreen the riders receive refreshments and wait while the Principals proceed to the Coble Pool in the River Teviot. On entering the water the Cornet lowers the staff of the Flag three times into the water to mark the ancient boundary of the Burgh.
On their return to the main party the procession moves to Millpath where a proclamation is made to the effect that the marches have been duly ridden, without interruption or molestation of any kind. This is followed by an enthusiastic rendering of "Teribus" which gives this ceremony its name - the Song Singing. The Drum and Fife Band play the party on foot back to the Town Hall where the Flag is returned temporarily to the Council Chambers, where it is displayed from the balcony.
Later in the evening the Cornet attends the Common-Riding Dinner and is presented with his official Cornet's Medal, commemorative of his year in office, and the spirit of the Riding is renewed in toast, song and story. An honoured place is given to a toast "The Memory of Drumlanrig", the generous donor of the "Common" which every Hawick Callant along with his "rights" will surely "aye defend". The climax of the festival has been reached.
Then on to the Common-Riding Ball. Reels and country dances are prominent and at midnight the Cornet's Reel, which is confined to the Cornet, ex-Cornets and their partners, is danced with considerable enthusiasm. The dancing continues through the night. As dawn approaches the revellers, headed by the Cornet, climb to the summit of the Mote where the four Principals climb to the summit to greet the rising sun with another rendering of "Teribus". On returning to Tower Knowe the Principals dance a final reel before getting some well earned rest.
SATURDAY
The Saturday proceedings bring the festival to a close. The town is again roused by the Drum and Fife Band and by 9.30 a.m. the riders are once more saddled and bridled for another procession. They ride first to Wilton Lodge Park where after standing in their stirrups and singing "Teribus" at the end of the Avenue, the principals lay wreaths of remembrance on the town's War Memorial. The procession then heads for the Moor where horse races are again held.
On the Cornet's return, his official duties end when he ceremoniously returns the Flag to the Provost in the Council Chambers. The Provost accepts the return of the Flag, congratulates the Cornet on his conduct and thanks him for the satisfactory carrying out of his duties. The Cornet finally displays the Flag on the balcony overlooking the High Street and the Saxhorn Band play a hymn-like tune called the "invocation". The mounted supporters stand in their stirrups as if to attention to mark the successful conclusion of another Common-Riding.
"It's no' in steeds, it's no' in speeds,
It's something in the heart abiding;
The kindly customs, words and deeds,
It's these that make the Common-Riding.