Old Bolingbroke Candle Auction. Lincolnshire England 1975. Now takes place in Horncastle.
Poor Folk’s Close a six acre site in the parish, is auctioned on the last Thursday in March, after the Annual Parish Assembly. The original auction died out in 1920s. The Ramsden family of Hareby House estate, revived the custom in 1937, in celebration of the silver jubilee of George V. The Candlestick auction pays for the upkeep of the village hall and in 1974, £76-00 was...
more »Old Bolingbroke Candle Auction. Lincolnshire England 1975. Now takes place in Horncastle.
Poor Folk’s Close a six acre site in the parish, is auctioned on the last Thursday in March, after the Annual Parish Assembly. The original auction died out in 1920s. The Ramsden family of Hareby House estate, revived the custom in 1937, in celebration of the silver jubilee of George V. The Candlestick auction pays for the upkeep of the village hall and in 1974, £76-00 was raised which was a record, £55-00 having been raised the previous year.
The will stipulates: “Let the grazing of the field annually by the ancient custom and method peculiar to Old Bolingbroke, known as the Candlestick auction. The pin shall be inserted in the side of a lighted candle not more than one inch from the top and the person who is the highest bidder when the pin drops out shall be the purchaser of the grazing for the year.”
The winning bidder has the grazing rights for two horses, no poultry and no entire stock are permitted, there is to be no sub-letting. The summer grazing commences from the 6th April to 14th November, with half the hammer price being paid at the auction and half on 1st September. The new holder is responsible for the mowing of the thistles and nettles, and for the upkeep of the fencing, though the cost of the material may be charged to the Parish Council.
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