When 30,000 arrived at Wem by train

One hundred and fifty one years ago today a shooting contest and feast took place at Hawkstone Park which was talked about for many years afterwards.

More than 30,000 travelled on special trains to Wem on June 28, 1861, some of whom were persuaded to attend after Lord Hill, the Lord Lieutenant of the county, offered to pay out of his own pocket for the food and drink for the 1,200 Volunteers.

They were members of the Volunteer force which had been raised in 1859 when it was feared the French might invade England.

During the next two years, 18 volunteer rifle corps was formed in Shropshire. Two of them, the 1^st Corps and the 17^th, had headquarters in Shrewsbury and later became the 1^st and 2^nd Shropshire Volunteer Battalions of the King’s Shropshire Light Infantry.

The list for the 1^st Shropshire Volunteer Corps had 130 names, including 29 railway company clerks, workers from the Post Office, banks and the Inland Revenue, 14 solicitors, a barrister, five engineers, four gentlemen, two bankers, two school teachers, a dentist, a farm and the railway superintendent – but not one shop worker.

Numbers had increased rapidly in 1860 throughout Britain with 70,000 Volunteers by February that year, and 200,000 by November.

Patriotism and the chance to wear a uniform were two of the attractions to encourage the volunteers to join up, but the main one was the social side of joining the Corps with bazaars, dinners, fetes, an annual camp in July, a ball in February and a county rifle competition at Hawkstone Park, pictured below.

It certainly was a memorable spread put on by Lord Hill’s team. Newspaper reports said the tables groaned under the weight of the huge joints of meat and the Volunteers were able to help themselves to as much Hawkstone ale as they wanted, while picnics of  pigeon pies and pasties, lobster salad, sherry and champagne were held all over the park.

 It was probably fortunate the shooting contest began at 12 noon before the ale was served.

As one journalist at the event reported: “Never has such a sight been seen in Shropshire before, and we fear it will be many a long day before such a one will be seen again.”

There’s more about this story in Four Centuries at The Lion Hotel, Shrewsbury, signed copies of which may be bought for £5 plus postage by emailing John@jbutterworth.plus.com