Historic Melton: Painting the town red

The event involved some notable Meltonians and today we know the event as “Painting the Town Red” but at the time it was reported as an “Aristocratic Spree or Riot”.

Today the phrase “Meltonian” means “A native or inhabitant of the Melton district” but back in the 1830’s the term Meltonian also included people that came to Melton to take part in the pastimes of fox hunting and horse racing.

But who were these Meltonians?

A gentleman named Henry Beresford, the 3rd Marquess of Waterford and his aristocratic friends, including Mr Reynard, Sir F Johnstone and the Hon. Mr Villiers had spent the day at Croxton Park races and were making their way back into Melton.

They were stopped at the Thorpe End toll house and refused entry as they were too drunk.

They then rode around town and entered by a different route, ending up at Lord Rokesby’s Club in Burton End.

At around 3am in the morning, they returned to the toll house and boarded up the windows. After getting their hands on some red paint, they proceeded down Sherrard Street, into marketplace and down Burton Street causing mayhem as they went.

The doors of the properties of Mr Norman and the surgeon Mr Berridge were smeared with red paint and the door knockers from Mr Gray, Miss Gray and Mr Corner were ripped off.

Flowerpots at Mr George Bishop’s were also smashed and at the Swan Inn, the Marquis was lifted up and he painted the White Swan turning it into a “Red Eagle”.

Most of the houses in this part of town including the Post Office came in for a splash of red. A caravan at Burton End was tipped over and the Red Lion pub sign was ripped down and thrown into the canal.

A year after this event took place, the Theatre Royal on Drury Lane London hosted a play titled “The Meltonians” which ran for 17 performances from the 16th April to 5th May 1838. The play, which was written by Richard Brinsley Peake, was described as “a perfectly illegitimate drama and extravaganza.”