Stamford bull run

[1] A 1996 Journal of Popular Culture paper refers to the bull run as a festival, in "the broader context of the medieval if not aboriginal festival calendar",[2] though works written during and shortly after the activity's later years variously describe it as a "riotous custom", a "hunt", an "old-fashioned, manly, English sport", an "ancient amusement", and – towards its end – an "illegal and disgraceful ...

The story, recorded by Richard Butcher in his The Survey and Antiquitie of Stamford Towne (1646), and described by Walsh as "patently fictional", relates how Warenne:...was looking out of his castle window one 13 November and spied out on the meadow two bulls fighting over a cow.

Earl Warenne joined the wild mêlée on horseback and so enjoyed himself that he gave to the butchers of Stamford that piece of mating ground, thereafter called "Bull-meadow", on condition that they replicate the event yearly thereafter.

"[6] The ringing of St Mary's Church bells at 10.45 am opened the event, announcing the closing and boarding of shops and the barricading of the street with carts and wagons.

"Monday last being our annual bull-running, the same was observed here with the usual celebrity-—Several men heated with liquor got tossed by the bull, and were most terribly hurt, while some others those sober had little better usage.—What a pity it is, so barbarous a custom is permitted to be continued, that has no one good purpose to recommend it ; but is kept as a day of drunkenness and idleness, to the manifest injury of many poor families, even tho’ the men escape bodily hurt.

Some Stamford residents defended their ancient custom as a "traditional, manly, English sport; inspiring courage, agility and presence of mind under danger."

Its defenders argued that it was less cruel and dangerous than fox hunting, and a local newspaper asked "Who or what is this London Society that, usurping the place of constituted authorities, presumes to interfere with our ancient amusement?

"[1] A riot trial in July 1837 tried only five men and convicted three; William Haycock, John Pearson and Richard for participating in the Bull running in November 1836.

[1] The mayor of Stamford – at the direction of and with the support of the Home Secretary – used 200 newly sworn-in special constables, some military troops, and police brought in from outside, to stop the bull run of 1837, but it happened anyway.

[1] The Cambridge Advertiser reported, "A striking instance of the way in which the Grand Jury laws operate to prevent public investigation, lately occurred at Stamford.

Indictment against some the parties who took the most prominent part in the proceeding was preferred at the late borough sessions, when, although the evidence was, we understand, of the most clear and decisive character, a majority of the Grand Jury voted for throwing out the bill, which was accordingly done; and thus, for the present at any rate, further investigation is prevented.

[1] The last known witness of the bull running was James Fuller Scholes who spoke of it in a newspaper interview in 1928 before his 94th birthday:[18] I am the only Stamford man living who can remember the bull-running in the streets of the town.

The end of St Peter's Street (where it was joined by Rutland Terrace) was blocked by two farm wagons, and I saw the bull come to the end of the street and return again.As late as 1895 at J. S. Loweths, the mayor of Stamford's, civic banquet, a string band played a piece of music entitled Stamford Bull Running arranged by A Rippon.