The 1922 May Queen was 11-year-old Phyllis Doyle. Also known as Philamene, she was the youngest child of Philip and Emma Doyle (formerly Lodge), who married at St Joseph’s in 1893, but who settled in Balk Street, Batley.
Unfortunately there is no report in the Batley News about the first ceremony Phyllis performed in her role. Traditionally this was in church on the first Sunday in May, when the May Queen crowned the statue of Our Lady. That event marked the start of her year-long tenure as the parish May Queen, during which she also played a leading role in the Whitsuntide procession, which took place on 6 June 1922. As there is no description of the initial May Queen ceremony, I’ve instead included a description of the Whitsuntide event, which included three former May Queens.
PICTURESQUE PAGEANT.
Catholic Children of Batley Celebrate the Whitsuntide Festival.
A Procession of Over a Thousand Persons.Batley Catholics held their Whitsuntide procession on Tuesday – the first of its kind since the beginning of the war. It was organised by a committee of gentlemen connected with St. Mary’s Church, Cross Bank, and the procession which left the Schools on Tuesday afternoon and paraded the principal thoroughfares, was most imposing, and quite up to the standard of similar events in the past. Fully 1,000 children and adults took part and the beautiful and artistic dresses worn by the children were greatly admired by large crowds of people. Sisters of the Convent at Cross Bank under the capable leadership of the Rev. Mother Justina were responsible for the dressing of the children, and the preparation and organisation of the beautiful pageant, but the dresses themselves had been provided by the mothers of the little ones, who acted implicitly on the suggestions of the Sisters. The tout ensemble forward [sic] a brilliant spectacle of colour and artistry which reflected the greatest credit on everyone who took part in its preparation. Batley Old Band and the Bugle Band of St. Mary’s Boy’s Brigade, had prominent places in the procession.
Behind the banner of the Guardian Angel, which headed the procession, walked the little toddlers of the infants’ class and the banner of St Mary of the Angels was followed by the infant boys. The first feature was a pageant of infants representing the Fairy Queen and her attendants. Miss Hilda Ball made a pretty picture as the Fairy Queen. She wore a white silk dress, braided and trimmed with silver, whilst her long train of pink and white material was carried by six little girls. These were also dressed in white, and wore gold downs and carried fans. A number of little page boys were attractively dressed in suits of white and serge with pink sashes and they carried bells decorated with ribbons. Altogether about thirty young children took part in this pageant, and all were suitably dressed in white silk, satin or lace dresses.
It was appropriate that the banner of St. Patrick should head the pageant of the Maid of Erin and her attendants. Miss May Phillips was a winsome Maid and was beautifully dressed in white trimmed with green, whilst her train was also of green material. She wore a golden crown in the shape of shamrock leaves. She was attended by two train bearers, eight maids of honour, and four page boys. The girls were also dressed in green and white and wore ivy wreaths, and the page boys looked smart in cloaks of green velvet, and white hats trimmed with ostrich feathers.
The third pageant “Mysteries of the Rosary,” had three principals, Miss Teresa Murphy, Miss Annie Maloney, and Miss Catherine Kilkenny. The first-named was dressed entirely in white with a long white train and her attendants also wore white and white wreaths. Miss Maloney’s dress was also of white, but her wreath and train were of red and her attendants likewise wore red wreaths. Miss Kilkenny wore a white dress with a gold train and wreath, and the wreaths of her attendants were of the same colour. The Rose Queen, Miss Nora Hardy, wore a beautiful white dress with a pink train and her attendants were dressed in similarly dainty fashion. The ex-May Queens, Misses Kathleen Hughes, Eileen Dillon and Catherine Mara wore white dresses and white trains, though a little variation in colour was introduced in the dress of their respective attendants. The artistic simplicity of this pageant was greatly admired.
The principal feature of the procession was of course the pageant of the May Queen – this year, Miss Phyllis Doyle – who made a charming picture. Her dress was a beautiful creation in white silk and her white satin train was heavily brocaded, trimmed with swans-down and lace and lined in blue silk. Her eight attendants were all uniformly attired in white and wore white wreaths and her four page boys carried bouquets of beautiful flowers. This group made a pretty picture and was the object of great admiration.
Following the various pageants briefly described were members of the Guild of St. Agnes, the Children of Mary, the Confraternity of the Blessed Sacrament, the Confraternity of the Sacred Heart, and adult members of the congregation. The pageants were divided by groups of Sunday School scholars. Each section carried its own banner and the Children of Mary wore trim white veils.
Over 1,000 people took place in the procession which walked by way of Cemetery Road, Clerk Green, Wellington Street, Hick Lane, Commercial Street, Balk Street, Bradford Road, Beck Lane and Cross Bank. A short halt was made in the Market Place. Tea was served to the children at School and the evening was spent in games in a field off Carlinghow Hill, loaned by Major J. P. Critchley
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