Following the announcement in 1838 that Queen Victoria’s marriage would not include any of the traditional medieval events and rituals associated with a royal marriage, Archibald William Montgomerie, 13th Earl of Eglinton decided to hold a three-day medieval tournament at Eglinton Castle. Of the 150 men who expressed initial interest in the tournament, only 13 Knights took part. Their armour and weapons were supplied by Mr Samuel Luke Pratt of 47 Bond Street, London.
The Earl advertised the tournament in the newspapers, and instead of the 4,000 people he expected, around 100,000 people, from all around the world, applied for the free tickets. The official guest of honour, Prince Louis Napoleon Bonaparte (later Emperor Napoleon III) was found lodgings in the Parterre, High Street, Irvine.
On the first day of the tournament, Wednesday 28 August 1839, 100,000 people crowded the roads leading to Eglinton Castle. Amongst them were a number of Irvine special constables and Glasgow policemen, along with two Bow Street police detectives, Goddard and Ballard. While many travelled by train to the recently opened Irvine railway station, those arriving by cart, waggon or carriage, had to park where they could and make their way to the castle on foot. At Eglinton Castle, an area was set up in front of the Grand Pavilion specifically for the many artists and newspaper reporters recording the event.
Delayed by four hours, the procession began at 4pm, and just as they entered the Lists, the rain began to fall. By the time the jousting began, the rain was torrential, and all the spectators were soaked through. The most successful joust of the day was between the Earl of Eglinton and the Earl of Waterford, both of whom were exceptionally good horsemen who had trained hard for the event.
The next event was a display of sword fighting using two-handed swords, after which the Earl called an end to the day’s entertainment as the saturated ground was now too slippery to continue. It had been intended that the first day’s events would end with a ball in the large gas-lit Banquet Pavilion erected on the archery grounds which could hold up to 500 people. Sadly, this had to be cancelled when the torrential rain destroyed the Pavilion tent. The 100,000 spectators, weary and soaked through, had to make their way back to their lodgings along the muddy roads, made more difficult as the local rivers had overflowed. Some had to travel as far as Kilmarnock and Ayr, with very few coaches available due to the condition of the roads. Only one train left Irvine station that evening overcrowded with passengers.
On Thursday 29th August, on what should have been the second day, the tournament was cancelled due to the ongoing dreadful weather, although a small ball was held in the evening inside Eglinton Castle with the invited guests dressed in 15th and 16th century costumes.
On Friday 30th August, the ground was finally deemed dry enough to hold the tournament. When the Knights and Ladies left Eglinton Castle at 2pm to march to the Tournament Grounds, they were met by enthusiastically cheering crowds.
At 3pm the ‘Tilting’ began, with nine pairs of Knights taking part in the individual jousts. Although several knights were unhorsed during the jousting only the Knight of the Swan, Edward Jerningham, received a slight injury which was quickly sewn up. This was followed by a grand melee in which eight Knights on horseback formed two sides and battled against each other with broadswords. On one side were the Earl of Eglinton, Marquis of Waterford, Lord Glenlyon and Mr Gilmore who battled against the Hon. Stafford Jerningham, Viscount Alford, Mr Lamb and Mr Lechmere. The day’s events culminated with a sumptuous dinner for 300 invited guests.
When the Knights departed three days later, they presented their banners and shields to the Earl of Eglinton who hung them up in the great octagonal hall, where they remained until the contents of Eglinton Castle were sold in 1925.
Although the torrential rain meant that the tournament hadn’t turned out quite how he planned, on Monday 9th September 1839 the Earl of Eglinton issued a letter which was printed in all the newspapers thanking the thousands who attended the tournament for their good conduct and the goodwill that was expressed to him.
Amongst the collection of newspaper clippings regarding the tournament, there was a poem entitled “Irvine Festival, in honour of the Earl of Eglinton” whose source is unknown.
“Let the stars shine bright, thro’ the pale moon,
O’er cottage, bower, and hall,
On that eventide, when is held in pride,
The Eglinton Festival.
Let the armour dight, of the Norman Knight,
And escutcheons of the bold,
Bedeck the bright scene, as times oft have been,
In the chivalric days of old.
Let the ruby wine in the goblet shine,
And hearts on joy be bent,
For the wassail held, is by young and old,
To the Lord of the Tournament.”