Sussex Bonfire Societies
Encyclopedia
Bonfire
A bonfire is a controlled outdoor fire used for informal disposal of burnable waste material or as part of a celebration. Celebratory bonfires are typically designed to burn quickly and may be very large...
festivals around Central/Eastern Sussex
Sussex
Sussex , from the Old English Sūþsēaxe , is an historic county in South East England corresponding roughly in area to the ancient Kingdom of Sussex. It is bounded on the north by Surrey, east by Kent, south by the English Channel, and west by Hampshire, and is divided for local government into West...
along with parts of Surrey
Surrey
Surrey is a county in the South East of England and is one of the Home Counties. The county borders Greater London, Kent, East Sussex, West Sussex, Hampshire and Berkshire. The historic county town is Guildford. Surrey County Council sits at Kingston upon Thames, although this has been part of...
and Kent
Kent
Kent is a county in southeast England, and is one of the home counties. It borders East Sussex, Surrey and Greater London and has a defined boundary with Essex in the middle of the Thames Estuary. The ceremonial county boundaries of Kent include the shire county of Kent and the unitary borough of...
from September - November.
The celebrations mark both Guy Fawkes Night
Guy Fawkes Night
Guy Fawkes Night, also known as Guy Fawkes Day, Bonfire Night and Firework Night, is an annual commemoration observed on 5 November, primarily in England. Its history begins with the events of 5 November 1605, when Guy Fawkes, a member of the Gunpowder Plot, was arrested while guarding...
and the burning of 17 Protestant martyrs in Lewes' High Street from 1555 to 1557, during the reign of Mary Tudor
Mary I of England
Mary I was queen regnant of England and Ireland from July 1553 until her death.She was the only surviving child born of the ill-fated marriage of Henry VIII and his first wife Catherine of Aragon. Her younger half-brother, Edward VI, succeeded Henry in 1547...
.
Development
19th century antiquary Mark Antony LowerMark Antony Lower
Mark Antony Lower F.S.A. M.A. was a Sussex historian who founded the Sussex Archaeological Society and is credited with starting the "cult of the Sussex Martyrs", however he was against the excesses of the "Bonfire Boys".-Life:...
is credited with starting the "cult of the Sussex Martyrs" aided by an etching by James Henry Hurdis
James Henry Hurdis
James Henry Hurdis was an amateur artist and the elder son of James Hurdis, a renowned professor of poetry. He is known for his many portraits of notable Sussex people...
of Richard Woodman
Richard Woodman (martyr)
Richard Woodman was a Protestant martyr, who was born in Buxted and lived in nearby Warbleton in East Sussex. He was burnt during the Marian Persecutions in 1557 in Lewes...
and nine others being burnt. This led to the creation of local Bonfire Societies who commemorated these events. For example, seven separate societies organise events in the town of Lewes
Lewes
Lewes is the county town of East Sussex, England and historically of all of Sussex. It is a civil parish and is the centre of the Lewes local government district. The settlement has a history as a bridging point and as a market town, and today as a communications hub and tourist-oriented town...
. On Fifth of November, the town hosts six separate bonfires.
Whereas Guy Fawkes' night in most parts of Great Britain is traditionally commemorated at large public fireworks
Fireworks
Fireworks are a class of explosive pyrotechnic devices used for aesthetic and entertainment purposes. The most common use of a firework is as part of a fireworks display. A fireworks event is a display of the effects produced by firework devices...
displays or small family bonfires, towns in Sussex and Kent hold huge gala events with fires, parades and festivals. The tradition has remained strong for more than a century becoming the highlight of the year for many towns and villages in the area. The Bonfire Societies use the events to collect money for local charities.
Organisation
The logistical requirements required for the events often starts as early as February. This has led the Societies to pool resources and work together on each other's bonfires. This creates associated processions, with large festivals like Lewes and HastingsHastings
Hastings is a town and borough in the county of East Sussex on the south coast of England. The town is located east of the county town of Lewes and south east of London, and has an estimated population of 86,900....
going on late into the night. Due to the size and number of events and mutual collaboration, it became impractical to hold all the bonfires on the traditional Fifth of November. This resulted in the "bonfire season" to be extended over ten weeks through September, October and November.
The first Sussex Bonfire Societies' event starts with the Uckfield
Uckfield
-Development:The local Tesco has proposed the redevelopment of the central town area as has the town council. The Hub has recently been completed, having been acquired for an unknown figure, presumed to be about half a million pounds...
Carnival on the first Saturday of September and concludes with Robertsbridge
Robertsbridge
Robertsbridge is a village in East Sussex, England within the civil parish of Salehurst and Robertsbridge. It is approximately 10 miles north of Hastings and 13 miles south-east of Tunbridge Wells...
and Barcombe
Barcombe
Barcombe is an East Sussex village lying some 4–5 miles north of Lewes. It is also the name of one of the civil parishes in the Lewes District of East Sussex...
festivals on the third Saturday of November.
The Mayfield bonfire celebrations commemorate two of the Lewes Martyrs who were from the village and four more martyrs that were executed in the village, on a site opposite the current Colkins Mill Church in Station Road, on 24 September 1556. A stone monument to the Martyrs stands in the church's grounds. Mayfield's torchlit procession and carnival takes place on the Saturday nearest to 24 September.
List of Bonfire Societies
- LewesLewesLewes is the county town of East Sussex, England and historically of all of Sussex. It is a civil parish and is the centre of the Lewes local government district. The settlement has a history as a bridging point and as a market town, and today as a communications hub and tourist-oriented town...
– for more on these societies see Lewes BonfireLewes BonfireLewes Bonfire, is a series of celebrations in the town of Lewes, East Sussex which form the UK's largest and most famous Guy Fawkes Night festivities, with Lewes being called the Bonfire capital of the world....
.- Cliffe Bonfire Society
- Commercial Square Bonfire Society
- Lewes Borough Bonfire Society
- South Street Bonfire Society
- Waterloo Bonfire Society
- Nevill Juvenile Bonfire Society
- Southover Bonfire Society
- BarcombeBarcombeBarcombe is an East Sussex village lying some 4–5 miles north of Lewes. It is also the name of one of the civil parishes in the Lewes District of East Sussex...
Bonfire Society - BattleBattle, East SussexBattle is a small town and civil parish in the local government district of Rother in East Sussex, England. It lies south southeast of London, east of Brighton and east of the county town of Lewes...
(Battel Bonfire Boyes) - BexhillBexhill-on-SeaBexhill-on-Sea is a town and seaside resort in the county of East Sussex, in the south of England, within the District of Rother. It has a population of approximately 40,000...
Bonfire Society (not actually active. They do not have an event of their own.) - Burgess HillBurgess HillBurgess Hill is a civil parish and a town primarily located in the Mid Sussex district of West Sussex, England, close to the border with East Sussex, on the edge of the South Downs National Park...
Bonfire Society - ChaileyChaileyChailey is a village and civil parish in the Lewes District of East Sussex, England. It is located ten miles north of Lewes, on the A272 road from Winchester to Canterbury...
Bonfire Society - CrowboroughCrowboroughThe highest point in the town is 242 metres above sea level. This summit is the highest point of the High Weald and second highest point in East Sussex . Its relative height is 159 m, meaning Crowborough qualifies as one of England's Marilyns...
Bonfire & Carnival Society - East Hoathly & HallandHalland' is one of the traditional provinces of Sweden , on the western coast of Sweden. It borders Västergötland, Småland, Scania and the sea of Kattegat.-Administration:...
Bonfire & Carnival Society - EastbourneEastbourneEastbourne is a large town and borough in East Sussex, on the south coast of England between Brighton and Hastings. The town is situated at the eastern end of the chalk South Downs alongside the high cliff at Beachy Head...
Bonfire Society - EdenbridgeEdenbridge, KentEdenbridge is a town and civil parish in the Sevenoaks district of Kent, England. The town's name derives from Old English language "Eadhelmsbrigge" . It is located on the Kent/Surrey border on the upper floodplain of the River Medway and gives its name to the latter's tributary, the River Eden...
Bonfire Society (Kent) - EwhurstEwhurst, East SussexEwhurst is a civil parish in the Rother District of East Sussex, England; its main settlement is the village of Ewhurst Green, which is located 10 miles north of Hastings in the valley of the River Rother. The parish is a relatively large one in area, and includes the settlements of Staplecross...
& Staplecross Bonfire Society - FirleFirleFor the suburb of Adelaide, South Australia, see Firle, South Australia.Firle is a village and civil parish in the Lewes District of East Sussex, England. Firle refers to an old-English/Anglo-Saxon word fierol meaning overgrown with oak...
Bonfire Society http://www.firlebonfire.com/ - FletchingFletching, East SussexFletching is a village and civil parish in the Wealden District of East Sussex, England. It is located three miles to the north-west of Uckfield, near one of the entrances to Sheffield Park. The A272 road crosses the parish. The settlement of Piltdown is part of the parish...
Bonfire Society - HailshamHailshamHailsham is a civil parish and the largest of the five main towns in the Wealden district of East Sussex, England. Mentioned in the Domesday Book, the town of Hailsham has had a long history of industry and agriculture...
Bonfire Society http://www.hailshambonfire.org.uk/ - HastingsHastingsHastings is a town and borough in the county of East Sussex on the south coast of England. The town is located east of the county town of Lewes and south east of London, and has an estimated population of 86,900....
Borough Bonfire Society - HerstmonceuxHerstmonceuxHerstmonceux is a village and civil parish in the Wealden District of East Sussex, England. The parish includes Herstmonceux Castle, the village of Cowbeech and a number of smaller hamlets.-History:...
(The Merrie Harriers) http://merrieharriers.co.uk/mh_bonfire_society.htm - IckleshamIckleshamIcklesham is a village and civil parish in the Rother District of East Sussex, England. The village is located about six miles east of Hastings, on the main A259 Hastings to Rye road....
(Robin Hood Bonfire Society) http://www.users.globalnet.co.uk/~bonboy/icklesham.htm - IsfieldIsfieldIsfield is a small village and civil parish in the Wealden District of East Sussex in England, located north-north-west of Lewes.-History:The village of Isfield originally grew adjacent to the ford where the London to Lewes Way Roman road crossed the river River Ouse...
and Little Horsted Bonfire Society - LindfieldLindfield, West SussexLindfield is a village and civil parish in the Mid Sussex District of West Sussex, England. The parish lies to the north-east of Haywards Heath, of which the village is a part of the built-up area. It stands on the upper reaches of the River Ouse...
Bonfire Society http://www.lindfieldbonfiresociety.co.uk - LittlehamptonLittlehamptonLittlehampton is a seaside resort town and civil parish in the Arun District of West Sussex, England, on the east bank at the mouth of the River Arun. It lies south southwest of London, west of Brighton and east of the county town of Chichester....
Bonfire Society http://www.lbs.me.uk/ - Mayfield Bonfire Boyes & Belles http://mayfieldbonfire.co.uk/
- NewickNewickNewick is a village and civil parish in the Lewes District of East Sussex, England. It is located on the A272 road six miles east of Haywards Heath....
Bonfire Society http://www.newickbonfire.com/ - RidgewoodRidgewood, East SussexRidgewood is a suburb of Uckfield in South East EnglandRidgewood is a village on the south of Uckfield in the South East of England. The village includes the Uckfield Millennium Green, with an area of , making it one of the largest in England. The area used to be home to Wares Potteries, owned by...
Bonfire Society (Uckfield) (inactive at present) - RobertsbridgeRobertsbridgeRobertsbridge is a village in East Sussex, England within the civil parish of Salehurst and Robertsbridge. It is approximately 10 miles north of Hastings and 13 miles south-east of Tunbridge Wells...
Bonfire Society http://www.robertsbridgebonfiresociety.com/ - RotherfieldRotherfieldRotherfield is a village and civil parish in the Wealden District of East Sussex, England. It is one of the largest parishes in East Sussex. There are three villages in the parish: Rotherfield, Mark Cross, and Eridge.-Etymology:...
& Mark Cross Bonfire Society - RyeRye, East SussexRye is a small town in East Sussex, England, which stands approximately two miles from the open sea and is at the confluence of three rivers: the Rother, the Tillingham and the Brede...
& District Bonfire Society http://www.ryebonfire.co.uk - SeafordSeaford-In the United States of America:*Seaford, Delaware*Seaford, New York*Seaford, Virginia*Seaford Hundred, an unincorporated subdivision of Sussex County, Delaware; see List of Delaware Hundreds-In Australia:*Seaford, Victoria**Seaford railway station, Melbourne...
Bonfire Society http://www.seafordbonfire.com/ - Shoreham-by-SeaShoreham-by-SeaShoreham-by-Sea is a small town, port and seaside resort in West Sussex, England. Shoreham-by-Sea railway station is located less than a mile from the town centre and London Gatwick Airport is away...
Bonfire Society - South HeightonSouth HeightonSouth Heighton is a village and civil parish in the Lewes District of East Sussex, England. The village is located seven miles south of Lewes. In the 1890s the population of the village grew from less than 100 to over 500 as a result of the opening of a nearby cement manufacturing plant...
Bonfire Society http://www.southheighton.com/bonfire_site/index.html - UckfieldUckfield-Development:The local Tesco has proposed the redevelopment of the central town area as has the town council. The Hub has recently been completed, having been acquired for an unknown figure, presumed to be about half a million pounds...
Bonfire & Carnival Societyhttp://www.uckfieldcarnival.co.uk/ - Vines Cross Bonfire Society
- WhatlingtonWhatlingtonWhatlington is a village and civil parish in the Rother District of East Sussex, England. The village is located seven miles north of Hastings, just off the A21 road....
Renegades - Who The Devil Are We Carnival Society
Defunct Bonfire Societies
- ArundelArundelArundel is a market town and civil parish in the South Downs of West Sussex in the south of England. It lies south southwest of London, west of Brighton, and east of the county town of Chichester. Other nearby towns include Worthing east southeast, Littlehampton to the south and Bognor Regis to...
Bonfire Boys Society - BognorBognor RegisBognor Regis is a seaside resort town and civil parish in the Arun district of West Sussex, on the south coast of England. It is south-south-west of London, west of Brighton, and south-east of the city of Chichester. Other nearby towns include Littlehampton east-north-east and Selsey to the...
Bonfire Society - BrightonBrightonBrighton is the major part of the city of Brighton and Hove in East Sussex, England on the south coast of Great Britain...
- Brighton Borough Bonfire Society
- Brighton Bonfire Boys
- ChichesterChichesterChichester is a cathedral city in West Sussex, within the historic County of Sussex, South-East England. It has a long history as a settlement; its Roman past and its subsequent importance in Anglo-Saxon times are only its beginnings...
Bonfire Society - ClaphamClapham, West SussexClapham is a village and civil parish in the Arun District of West Sussex, England. The parish has a population of 317 in an area of . It lies three miles north of Angmering on the A280 road and north of the A27 crossroads...
and PatchingPatchingPatching is a small village and civil parish that lies amidst the fields and woods of the southern slopes of the South Downs in the Arun District of West Sussex, England. It has a history going back to before the Domesday survey of 1087. It is located four miles to the east of Arundel, to the...
Bonfire Club - CrawleyCrawleyCrawley is a town and local government district with Borough status in West Sussex, England. It is south of Charing Cross, north of Brighton and Hove, and northeast of the county town of Chichester, covers an area of and had a population of 99,744 at the time of the 2001 Census.The area has...
Bonfire Boys - CuckfieldCuckfieldCuckfield is a large village and civil parish in the Mid Sussex District of West Sussex, England, on the southern slopes of the Weald. It lies south of London, north of Brighton, and east northeast of the county town of Chichester. Nearby towns include Haywards Heath to the southeast and Burgess...
Bonfire Society - HooeHooe, East SussexHooe is both a small village and a civil parish in the Wealden District of East Sussex; the village being located about two miles north-west of Bexhill, and north of the A259 coast road, on the B2095 road from Ninfield...
Bonfire Society - HorshamHorshamHorsham is a market town with a population of 55,657 on the upper reaches of the River Arun in the centre of the Weald, West Sussex, in the historic County of Sussex, England. The town is south south-west of London, north-west of Brighton and north-east of the county town of Chichester...
Bonfire Society - LewesLewesLewes is the county town of East Sussex, England and historically of all of Sussex. It is a civil parish and is the centre of the Lewes local government district. The settlement has a history as a bridging point and as a market town, and today as a communications hub and tourist-oriented town...
- Landport Bonfire Society
- St Anne's Bonfire Society
- NewhavenNewhaven, East SussexNewhaven is a town in the Lewes District of East Sussex in England. It lies at the mouth of the River Ouse, on the English Channel coast, and is a ferry port for services to France.-Origins:...
- Society based at the Blacksmiths Arms pub.
- Society based at the Jolly Sailor pub.
- Newhaven Carnival Society (which replaced the former two in 1902).
- Frog and Duck Bonfire Society (Newhaven)
- WorthingWorthingWorthing is a large seaside town with borough status in West Sussex, within the historic County of Sussex, forming part of the Brighton/Worthing/Littlehampton conurbation. It is situated at the foot of the South Downs, west of Brighton, and east of the county town of Chichester...
Bonfire Society/Bonfire Club - ShorehamShoreham-by-SeaShoreham-by-Sea is a small town, port and seaside resort in West Sussex, England. Shoreham-by-Sea railway station is located less than a mile from the town centre and London Gatwick Airport is away...
Bonfire Boys
See also
- LewesLewesLewes is the county town of East Sussex, England and historically of all of Sussex. It is a civil parish and is the centre of the Lewes local government district. The settlement has a history as a bridging point and as a market town, and today as a communications hub and tourist-oriented town...
- Guy Fawkes nightGuy Fawkes NightGuy Fawkes Night, also known as Guy Fawkes Day, Bonfire Night and Firework Night, is an annual commemoration observed on 5 November, primarily in England. Its history begins with the events of 5 November 1605, when Guy Fawkes, a member of the Gunpowder Plot, was arrested while guarding...
- Marian PersecutionsMarian PersecutionsThe Marian Persecutions were carried out against religious reformers, Protestants, and other dissenters for their heretical beliefs during the reign of Mary I of England. The excesses of this period were mythologized in the historical record of Foxe's Book of Martyrs...
- Jack in the greenJack in the greenA Jack in the Green is a participant in traditional English May Day parades and other May celebrations, who wears a large, foliage-covered, garland-like framework, usually pyramidal or conical in shape, which covers his body from head to foot...
- Richard WoodmanRichard Woodman (martyr)Richard Woodman was a Protestant martyr, who was born in Buxted and lived in nearby Warbleton in East Sussex. He was burnt during the Marian Persecutions in 1557 in Lewes...