Children’s Coronation Treat – 6 July 1911

Tuesday 09 July 2024

Painted portrait of King George V. He is a white man with dark brown hair that is combed across his forehead. He has a thick moustache that sweeps over his beard, and wears a dark robe, open to display a black blazer with medals. A navy sash cinches his waste, and he wears a white shirt and bow tie, with a medal attached to the bow tie. — HRH King George V (then Prince of Wales) by Walter William Ouless, 1904-5 (commissioned to celebrate his year as Treasurer of the Inn in 1904)

On 22 June 1911, the Coronation of King George V, and his wife, Queen Mary, took place at Westminster Abbey. George V was a Royal Bencher at the Inn and had been Treasurer in 1904. At a Council meeting held on 28 March 1911, a suggestion was made by one of the Benchers, Mr Justice Parker, that, ‘in connection with the Coronation festivities the Inn entertain (say) 600 poor children from the neighbourhood by giving them a fete in the garden.’ This suggestion was approved, and, in customary fashion, a committee was formed to plan the event. In the Archive there is a minute book of this committee, labelled, ‘Lincoln’s Inn Children’s Coronation Treat 6th July 1911.’

Front cover of committee minute book for organising the coronation fete. It is burgundy with dark rippled patterning. A handwritten label reads: 'Lincoln's Inn. Children's Coronation Treat 6th July 1911 — Front cover of committee minute book for organising the coronation fete

The committee set to work, researching possible entertainments, and considering which local children, and how many, should be invited. The minute book diligently records their investigations and resulting decisions. The committee decided that the entertainment would be sourced by The Society of Entertainers of 44 Upper Baker Street. The Society secured for the fete an array of delights including: ‘a steam roundabout, a marionette theatre of dancing fantoccini, a conjurer, a ventriloquist, and a piano organ with operator.’

Further event bookings quickly followed. Tents were hired for the entertainment; Horton Ices Company Ltd were hired to supply, ‘1000 Neapolitan ices, three flavours in each ice, packed in lace papers ready for serving’; 1,000 serviettes were ordered with special commemorative wording, and 1200 boxes of chocolates of the Inn’s design, were purchased from Rowntree & Co Ltd, from their London office and tea rooms.

Photograph of Horton Ices & Co. menu from 1911, featuring a price list. — Horton Ices menu

These invoices and order letters tend to give us a rather administrative focused insight into this event. However, some time ago an email was sent to the Archive asking about this event. Remarkably, the enquirer’s grandmother, Florence Edith Poland, had been one of the children in attendance. She was aged 10 at the time and her son, William Brown, still has her commemorative tin and serviette that she had carefully kept. Florence Poland had attended a school on the road that she lived on, which was Drury Lane. We know from the minute book that 650 tickets for local children had been sent out – 250 to Wild Street School, 200 to Macklin Street School and 200 to St Clement Danes School. It seems that she must have attended St Clement Danes School, which is on Drury Lane. The photographs that William Brown shared of the tin and the serviette really bring to life the paper records, and we thank him for the kind permission to reproduce them here.

Commemorative tin of chocolates presented to the children in honour of the coronation of King George V. The tin is decorated with a union jack flag and portraits of King George V and his wife. The Lincoln's Inn shield is at the top of the tin. Text reads: 'Coronation Souvenir The Hon. Society of Lincoln's Inn' — Commemorative tin of chocolates presented to the children (Credit: with kind permission of William Brown)

Serviette with commemorative wording from the fete. The design features two Union Jack flags crossed over, blue and red piping and the Royal Crown. — Serviette with commemorative wording from the fete (Credit: with kind permission of William Brown)

The family have also kindly sent us a photograph of Florence Poland at St Clement Danes School. She is in the third row, third from the left, the first girl with a white pinafore and ringlets.

Black and white photograph showing girls sat in a classroom at St Clement Danes School, all looking at the camera. — Florence Edith Poland at St Clement Danes School (Credit: with kind permission of William Brown)

With the invitations sent to the children and teachers, the planning turned to the timetable and the careful staging of the event. A memo from the time outlines how the children were to meet by the Band at 4.45 and ‘form into procession.’ They were then to march to outside of the Hall ‘where the boys will go the left and the girls to right into the Hall.’

Photograph of plan of set up for the Coronation Treat, with handwritten annotations.

Miscellaneous paraphernalia from Chidren's Coronation in 1911, including a paper invitation from the Masters of the Bench at Lincoln's Inn asking to assist at the Coronation Treat.

Photograph of a timetable of activities for the Children's Coronation Treat.

Plan of the event, showing procession route into the Hall

Ticket for the event

Timetable of the event

After London County Council gave permission for the children to attend, but asserted that the Benchers of Lincoln’s Inn were to ‘accept full responsibility’ for the matter, a guarantee policy indemnifying the Inn ‘in respect of all legal liability for accidents to children and helpers’, was hastily taken out.

A committee meeting held after the event on the 6 July noted that there were in the end approximately 700 children having tea in the Hall and about 80 teachers. It also notes, with some relief, that ‘there were no accidents.’

Another celebration was held the next day for between 800 and 900 children who had tea in the ‘large tent on the upper walk.’ The Inn also sent 100 boxes of the Rowntree coronation chocolate tins to Great Ormond Street Children’s Hospital and 40 to King’s College Hospital for the children there to enjoy.

The Treasurer directed that a telegram of congratulations from the children should be sent to the King and a reply telegram was received from King’s private secretary thanking the children for their ‘loyal congratulations.’

Photograph of a telegram from 1911 sent by the King’s secretary to the Treasurer of Lincoln's Inn thanking the children — Telegram from the King’s secretary thanking the children

There are also thank you letters from those in attendance in the minute book. Along with those from the teachers, there is also letter of thanks from the girls at St Clement Danes School, which, combined with the photographs of the treasured tin and serviette belonging to Florence Poland, offer a sense of how special the event was to many of the children. The letter thanks the Masters of the Bench for the ‘lovely tea, the roundabout and other amusements [which] gave us a most enjoyable time.’ The writers add, poignantly, that they are, ‘sure we shall all remember the Coronation of Our Gracious King, when we are quite old women, the better, by the great pleasure you gave us.’