Queen of the Sea

In 1528, Saltcoats Town was elevated to a Burgh of Barony (the right of buying and selling and holding markets and of electing bailies being given to the inhabitants), the charter being granted to the Earl of Eglinton by James V of Scotland. As part of the Quater Centenary celebrations in 1928, the Town Council inaugurated the Queen of the Sea pageant, styled after a mediaeval coronation ceremony. The Queen was elected from one of the four local schools by her fellow pupils.

The ceremony was accompanied by a procession through the town and after the crowning the Queen and her maids of honour laid their bouquets at the War Memorial. The first Queen of the Sea was Miss Netta Duff crowned on 25th August 1928 by the wife of Provost William D Kerr. A crowd of 20,000 watched the ceremony.

The ceremony continued from 1928 until 1935, except 1934 when the Ayrshire Pageant took place, then again from 1950 to 1963. The ceremony was restarted in 2000 as part of the Millennium celebrations.

The previous Sea Queens were

Video footage of previous ceremonies can be viewed as follows:

• Centenary Celebrations 1928, including Queen of the Sea and parade
• Queen of the Sea 1931
• Sea Queen 2007
• Sea Queen 2012
• Photographs of previous Queens of the Sea and artefacts relating to the ceremony can be viewed on the NA Yesterdays Flickr page.
• There are also photographs at The Three Towners' website.

Sources

Burgh of Saltcoats Quater Centenary Book 1528 - 1928 - available in the Heritage Centre Ardrossan and Saltcoats Herald
(a) available on microfiche in the Heritage Centre
(b) Saltcoats Old and New printed 1909 - on The Three Towners' website.