Hawick Common Riding - Picking the Cornet

The Cornet for the year is chosen well in advance of the actual Common riding. Last year's Cornet and the Cornet from the year before have special titles. They are called the Right-Hand Man and the Left Hand Man. They select a young man whom they consider worthy to succeed them and give his name to the Provost's Council.

To qualify for this honour the young man must be a “Teri”. He must also be unmarried and indeed must remain unmarried for the next two years. It has become expected that he will have been a mounted supporter of previous Cornets for several years.

If the Provost's Council, agree the Halberdier leaves the Town Hall and takes a letter to the honoured young man. It tells him that his name has been put forward and asks whether he wants to become Cornet. The Officer is accompanied by the Drum and Fife Band and a large crowd of excited children gathers round the Cornet Elect's house. Here he is welcomed by the young man and his family. As a memento he is rewarded with a new “ shilling “ or 5p piece (“piece of silver”). The Halberdier is given some refreshment and asked if he would take a letter of acceptance back to the waiting Council. The young man is then congratulated by his friends as the new Cornet.

The Halberdier accompanied by the Fifes and Drums 2000

The new Cornet is greeted with much cheering as he leaves his house. After the anticipated strive with its scramble the Cornet, with the Right and Left-Hand Men, walks round the older parts of the town. They visit the site of the old toll or gate, where people were admitted to the town, furthest from his home. Then they visit the Town Hall where a congratulatory meeting or smoker is held in his honour. An evening of song and story is enjoyed. During this he is presented with his Cornet's Badge. From then till the Common-Riding is over he is an honoured figure in Hawick.

The first recorded Cornet was in 1703:

“ May 17—The said day the Common-Rydeing was ordained to be upon Fryday the twenty-eight of May, James Scott, called Laird, was voted to carry the pencell.” — From the Annals of Hawick.

Although this is the first recorded mention of the Flag and the Cornet it is clear from other entries that a Flag and a Cornet were involved for many years before in the Common-Riding festival.

The election of a Cornet has not always been the happy event it is today. In the past there has been some dispute and controversy. For instance in 1856 an election took place but the young man chosen by the councillors did not accept. At the next meeting of the Council it was decided not to elect another one. It was also agreed to let the young men themselves choose the Cornets in future. This was because some councillors did not want to have anything to do with the Common-Riding because of bad behaviour and drunkenness.

However, at a public meeting the next year it was agreed that the Council should elect the Cornet. A petition was drawn up. It demanded that the Council change its mind. Many people were afraid that the whole Common-Riding would be in danger, so important is the Cornet to the festival.

The Council did change its mind. However, this argument carried on for some years before it was decided, happily for the Common-Riding that the Council should play a part, not only in the choice of the Cornet but also in the organisation of the festival itself. In this way it would be conducted in a proper manner. Today the Common-Riding Committee makes sure that everything is well organised for the enjoyment of all.