The Oak Apple Figure

This unusual statue was once the centrepiece for a drunken celebration at Tong Fold in Bolton. The occasion was Oak Apple Day, once a national commemoration of the Restoration of King Charles II.

Parliament ordered that the 29^th May, which was also Charles II birthday, be set aside for this celebration in 1660. The significance of the oak was that this was the tree that King Charles had hidden in to escape the Roundheads at the Battle of Worcester.

Oak leaves and branches were always somehow integrated into the ritual, but the form of the celebration tended to have local variations. For instance, Castleton in Derbyshire still holds an Oak Apple day celebration that involves a horse procession through the town. At the head of the procession rides the “King” wearing a beehive–like construction decorated with flowers. The day was known elsewhere as “Shick-Shack” day, this being a name for the galls found on the tree that are more commonly known as oak apples.

The day was officially commemorated until 1859 when it was abolished by Parliament. Even so the tradition continued in many parts of the country and was still practised in Tong Fold right up until 1949. Oak Apple day had once been a week long celebration involving the whole community but latterly had become an annual commemoration involving the regulars at the Park View Inn. The ritual died out when the pub had its licence withdrawn.

Mass-Observation observers visited the pub between 1938 and 1939 at a time when the celebration was fairly low key. When they visited the Park View, or Dog and Kennel as it was known locally, they were invited to go and see “Charlie”. As they were expecting to see an image of King Charles II they were rather surprised to see the Oak Apple figure. The statue bears little resemblance to the King. In fact one of the observers was advised later on that it might even be a depiction of Christ and of Central American origin.

By this point the ritual involved a gathering of pub regulars and a reading of the “Nominy”, a ballad that had been written for the day in 1848. This was done by the eldest male in the village. Regulars also kissed the statue. This part of the custom was strictly reserved for locals but it was possible for non-natives to buy the right to do this with a gallon of beer!

The drinking of alcohol was a major factor in the celebrations. It was claimed that at one time the whole population of Tong Fold was drunk for a week after Oak Apple Day as part of the Tong Fold fair. The ritual also involved a re-enactment of King Charles concealment from the Roundheads. The statue was hung in an oak tree only to be later “discovered” and bought indoors for nomination.