Royal commemorations in Cusop

In 1935, King George V and Queen Mary were the first British monarchs to celebrate a Silver Jubilee. Like many of the previous Jubilees, the central event was a carriage procession through London to St Paul's Cathedral where a Service of Thanksgiving was held.

In Cusop this event was recorded in the Parish Magazine of June 1935 when the Rector writes…

“My dear Friends and Parishioners,

It is with a certain amount of pleasure and pride that I record the fact that our church was filled on Monday May 6th at 11.15am for the Silver Jubilee Thanksgiving Service of our beloved King and Queen. The service was the same as that used in St Paul’s Cathedral and was rendered with a real spirit of thanksgiving for all the benefits of our King’s beneficent reign. The collection amounted to £6 14s. 5d. and has been forwarded to the Prince of Wales’ Silver Jubilee Trust Fund.

After the Church Service the congregation stood in the sunshine and watched the planting of the Commemoration Oak tree – the gift of Major Cockcroft - by Mrs T. Williams, one of our oldest parishioners, in memory of the twenty-five years reign of their Majesties, the King and Queen.

We owe a great debt of gratitude to the many workers who gave of their best to make things go and to bring it to the success it was. Thank you, and again, Thank you.

God Save our King”. “

Another article in June 1935 comments on the same event…

“Cusop children are likely to remember the Silver Jubilee. They had helped decorate their houses and made gay paper chains for the Parish Room.

In the afternoon nearly one hundred school children and babies were given mugs by Mrs Parker and immediately used them for tea.

Races caused keen competition and money prizes were received by the first three competitors in each event. After having sweets and oranges, the children went to watch fireworks and bonfires. On May 17th Mr Madigan invited all the school children to a cinema entertainment which was much enjoyed. The varied programme included a reel of Windsor Castle and a Mickey Mouse film. To show their thanks the children took a box of pansies for Mrs Madigan.”

This extract is taken from ‘A History of Clifford School – 1836-1986’ by J.A.Millardship and J.F. Morris.

“In 1934 the senior children from Cusop were transferred to Clifford and came daily by car.

Every year Empire Day was celebrated, with salutes to the flag and the singing of the National Anthem. The teaching of patriotism was regarded as very important. All adults were tainted by the memory of war, and yet were being drawn inexorably into another one, and the majority regarded ‘King and Country’ as an inviolate ideal. Anthologies of poetry, whilst including many natural themes, all had a good dose of Kipling and Sir Henry Newbolt, packed into them.

Royal occasions were celebrated with fervour, the Coronation of George VI in 1937 particularly so. The school closed for three days, immediately followed by the Whitsun closure. The children were given tea, sports, coronation mugs and a penny each on Coronation Day – the 12th-, followed on re-opening, by Empire Day, when they had an address by the Headteacher, Mr Brook, march past, saluting the flag and singing of the National Anthem.”