Bridgwater's Blake Museum

1927 Bridgwater Pageant

The Bridgwater Pageant was a celebration of local history that took place in June 1927.

The Pageant was a part of the Brighter Bridgwater Project and plans for it began on 1st Oct. 1926, at the first meeting of the Bridgwater Pageant Committee held at Eastgate, the home of T.Bruce Dilks. The Mayor of Bridgwater at the time (W.Deacon Esq.) chaired the committee. His wife, Mrs Deacon, was also a member. The Pageant Master was Maurice Fearing Cely Trevilian.

The Committee totalled 35 members at its first meeting and members were immediately divided into 6 sub-committees (Libretto; Finance; Music; Dress; Sites/Grounds and Publicity) as well as an additional group of officers on committees.

Interestingly, Pageant Committee meetings continued until 18th June 1930 because the committee made a considerable profit on the Pageant and any net financial gain was to be divided up and spent on town projects, one of which was the Blake Museum, founded in 1926.

A film by British Pathe
NB. Wrongly captioned 1926 - the pageant was in 1927.
Synopsis of Pageant film

Trevilian biography

Photographs of the pageant including performers

Postcards of the pageant

PDF files

Music by Percy Whitlock

Miscellany