| Citation |
BNL.764.043
8 Nov 1764:31 (3167)
Monday last [the 5th of November, Guy Fawkes day] being the
anniversary of the commemoration of the preservation of the
British nation from the Popish plot, the guns at Castle
William and at the batteries in town were fired at one
o'clock.
It was formerly a custom on these anniversaries for the
lower class of the people to celebrate the evening in a
manner peculiar to themselves, by having carved images
erected on stages, representing the Pope, his attendant &c.
and these were generally carried thro' the streets by
Negroes and other servants, that the minds of the vulgar
might be impress'd with a sense of their deliverance from
Popery, and money was generally given to regale themselves
in the evening, when they burnt the images.--
--But of late those that are concerned in this pageantry
make a party-affair thereof, and instead of celebrating the
evening agreeably, the champions at both ends of the town
prepare to engage each other in battle, under the
denomination of South End & North End.--It was tho't this
would have been prevented on Monday last, by a melancholy
accident which happened just as one of the stages at the
North-End was setting off, a child of Mr. Brown's, about 5
years of age, falling down, one of the wheels went over his
head, and kill'd him instantly; but this did not prevent the
rabble from executing their design.--In the afternoon the
magistrates and other officers of the town went to the
respective places of their rendezvous, and demolished their
stages, to prevent any disorders, which they did without
opposition: Notwithstanding, as soon as it was dark, they
collected again,and mended their stages, which being done
they prepared for a battle, and about 8 o'clock the two
parties met near the Mill-Bridge where they fought with
clubs, staves, brick-bats, &c. for about half an hour, when
those of the South-End gained a compleat victory, carrying
off not only their own, but also their antagonists stages,
&c. which they burned on Boston Neck. In the fray many were
much bruis'd and wounded in their heads and arms, some
dangerously; and a few of those who were so curious as to be
spectators, did not come off so well as they could wish;
tho' many would have fared worse had it not been a
moon-light evening. It should be noted that these parties
do not subsist much at any other time.
|