100 Years of Kate Kennedy: The Symposium

Last weekend marked the centenary of The Kate Kennedy Spring Procession, taking place on Saturday 18 April. As if by design, the anniversary coincided with the 300th issue of The Saint. With no shortage of milestones to celebrate, what better way to honour both than with an article?

I realised I knew very little about the procession, which is shocking (and almost unacceptable), since it sits at the heart of St Andrews’ heritage. I was glad to find that The Kate Kennedy Club had organised a Historical Symposium at the Town Hall prior to the festivities. And so, on Thursday 16 April, that’s where duty took me. 

Before the presentations on offer, I wandered around a small exhibition room in which newspaper cuttings, costumes and cartoons were displayed. One cutting contained an image of “Kate”, described in a nearby letter as a “horror” since the actor was male. I felt that these historical garments and onlooker interactions were an intriguing glimpse at the material history of the procession and a taste of what the evening had in store. 

The speakers, presenting after a drinks reception, ranged from trustees to professors, discussing the history of St Andrews and the procession — from Popes to poems to pestilence. For those as little informed as I was, I should say that the centenary marks the 1926 return of the procession after it was banned in 1881. 

The procession’s roots lie in fifteenth-century legend, with the highly esteemed Kate Kennedy’s visit to her uncle, Bishop Kennedy. Once a pagan ritual, the procession now celebrates Kate herself, who features as a character. The procession aims to promote town and gown relations while upholding an important St Andrews tradition. 

Kate has traditionally been depicted by a man, with the first female ‘Kate’ appearing as late as 2022. The club has not been without controversy, having been accused of sexism, with the University severing ties in 2009 over the allegations. In 2012, women were admitted for the first time, ending over 80 years of exclusion.

The presentations included Dr Bess Rhodes of St Andrews’ School of History describing the path Marie de Guise, Queen of Scotland from 1538 until 1542, took through the town and the location of her feast with James V by the harbour. The next speaker discussed the £2 million in damages caused by Storm Babet, with £1 million raised in donations so far. 

I learned about the different characters of the procession, including Joan Clarke (the first time I have heard the words famous and fishwife used in the same breath), Edward Jenner (inventor of the smallpox vaccine), Jean Paul Marat (revolutionary politician and theorist), Elizabeth Garrett Anderson (the first woman to matriculate at St Andrews, which was later revoked), and Agnes Blackadder (first woman to graduate St Andrews with an MA). 

These medieval characters were introduced by Professor David Sinclair, who mentioned that many medical degrees were awarded in absentia in receipt of a large sum. This seemed a strangely familiar concept!  

The chair of The Kate Kennedy Trust, Martin Passmore, described historical receptions of the procession, citing one 1860s newspaper which called it “an excuse for making merry and wearing fancy dress,” which is still undeniable. Passmore described the procession as “a harmless, amusing way to honour the memory” of Kate Kennedy, and emphasised the enduring importance of the St Andrews tradition, urging his audience to “think of that … the exuberance of the Kate Kennedy Club.”

The presentations, concluded by some lighthearted heckling and quite a few “hurrahs”, were followed by a second drinks reception. For an event that invited anyone and everyone, had a casual dress code and cost only £5 to attend, there was definitely a memo to be missed. From the uniformed club members and the blazered alumni, I was very aware that I wasn’t one of the gang. Even for a free drink, I didn’t feel like hanging around. 

While the club, famously prestigious and elusively elite, isn’t to my personal taste, the Symposium made for a fascinating and informative evening. My very gappy knowledge was filled by an extremely qualified and passionate line-up, and I left appreciating the “exuberance” of the eccentric Kate Kennedy Spring Procession.

Photo by Daniel Toombs