The Eglinton tournament

In 1839 I gave a tournament at Eglinton.

With this stunning understatement, Lord Eglinton, in his memoirs, passed over the event that has made his name famous. This was an event which was intended to be the most magnificient and glorius expression of the age of chivalry. It was the culmination of the "Gothic Revival" of Horace Walpole and the Romantic Movement inspired by the novels of Walter Scott. This had begun more than fifty years earlier.

The tournament was held at Eglinton Castle, Ayrshire, Scotland on the 28th and 30th August 1839. The castle was situated close to a lake and a river in grounds which could, given the right circumstances, become waterlogged. As many as 100,000 people were reputed to have made their way by steamer, carriage and the new railways. By noon on the 28th the spectators were in the stands waiting for the procession which was due to start out from the castle and make its way in a stately manner to the lists. Thirty-five knights took part including Prince Louis Napoleon as Knight Visitor, Lord Eglinton as Lord of the Tournament and Sir Charles Lamb and Lord Gage as Marshals of the List. All the participants and most of the spectators were in elaborate costumes. The armours were mostly supplied by a London dealer, Samuel Luke Pratt. Some were composed of original pieces of the 16th and 17th centuries, while others were replicas in the "gothic" style.

The procession set out and the rain set in. It poured down from that moment on. Their enthusiasm dampened somewhat, the knights and ladies arrived at the lists. They took shelter in the grandstand just before the roof gave way and water cascaded over their splendid costumes. Undaunted, after running at the quintain, the tilting began with the Knight of the Swan (Jerningham) and the Knight of the Golden Lion (Fairlie). This was not entirely successful as for the first three courses they missed each other completely. Although there had been rehearsals in a garden close to Regents park, the horses were unused to the barrier and either ran wide or into them. The other problem was that the field was now somewhat waterlogged. Other tilts ensued. The best was considered to be between Lord Eglinton and Lord Waterford, the former breaking his lance on the second course. There followed a foot combat with swords between a soldier and an actor.

Then news was brought of a further disaster. The temporary banqueting hall by the castle was flooded and the evening entertainment of a banquet and ball was cancelled.

However, this slight setback did not stop Lord Eglinton. The next day it also rained too heavily for any outdoor sport. Those staying at the castle entertained themselves with a combat with broadswords between Prince Louis Napoleon and Charles Lamb in the drawing-room. In the evening there was a dinner and a dance. But, undefeated, Lord Eglinton announced the Tournament would continue on the following day.

The 30th August was a fine day. It did not rain. The combats were deemed to be successful and exciting. They comprised tilting, running at the ring, running at the quintain, and a type of "mêlée", the object of which was to smash the opponents' crests. It was during the mêlée that, to the great delight of the spectators, tempers flared and "The Marquis of Waterford and Lord Alford, getting a little hot, struck each other oftener than the rules permitted" (J. Aikman), while Lamb as Knights Marshal, waving his baton, attempted to stop them. Sadly, it was only the first disasterous day that was remembered and mocked in the press.

As an accurate representation of a medieval or even Elizabethan tournament it was a failure. Except for the tilting, most of the forms of combat including the running at the ring and quintain and the crest-smashing mêlée more properly belonged to the 17th century carousel, which was designed chiefly as a display of horsemanship. But then, it was never intended to be accurate. The Eglinton Tournament was attempting to be a living re-enactment or the literary romances. Unfortunately, it could never survive the ridicule and probably discouraged any further attempts at an extended revival of the tournament in England.