Discover The Story of Jankyn Smyth

Every year Bury St Edmund holds a cake and ale ceremony to honour an important benefactor to the town, Jankyn Smyth.

Smyth was a member of St Mary's Church in the 15th century and he left a bequest for a mass to be held each year on the anniversary of his death in 1481, including money to provide cake and ale. It is usually held on fourth Thursday of June.

Smyth was the founding force behind The Candlemas Guild, now known as The Guildhall Feoffment Trust, which is a registered charity still in existence today and is believed to be the oldest endowed charity in the country still in existence.

The service is recognised as the country’s longest running commemoration ceremony and welcomes guests from the Trust, residents of the Almshouses, schoolchildren and the town’s councillors and mayor who leads a robed procession through the town.

Celebrations begin at St Mary’s Church with stories of Smyth and his good friend and fellow church member John Barrett, to assembled guests.

The service continues through the town’s street with a procession to Bury St Edmunds Guildhall, the oldest civic building in continuous use in the country and owned by the Guildhall Feoffment Trust.

Guests are given the traditional token cake and ale brewed by Greene King. Glasses are raised to recognise Smyth’s efforts of all those years ago.

Jankyn Smyth was a wealthy merchant and leading civic figure in Bury St Edmunds during the late 15th century.

He served several times as alderman (a role similar to mayor) and was closely involved in the town’s governance at a time when tensions often existed between the townspeople and the powerful Abbey of St Edmund. Smyth was part of a rising class of prosperous lay citizens who helped shape the independence and identity of the town.

He is best remembered for his generous charitable bequests. In his will, Smyth left property and funds to support what became known as the Guildhall Feoffment (originally linked to the Candlemas Guild). The income from these endowments was intended to relieve local taxation burdens, support civic and religious activities, and benefit the wider community. His gifts helped strengthen the town’s financial stability and civic institutions long after his death.

Smyth also had strong ties to St Mary's Church, where he funded building works to enlarge the church. He was responsible for the financing of a new sanctuary at the east end of the chancel, four bay arcades either side of the chancel and adding the North and South chapel chancel chapels - all this was done between 1457 and 1470.

You can find Jankyn Smyth's memorial brass inside the church in the south chapel. There are two kneeling figures in brass which are Jankyn and his wife Ann.

Sadly, the inscription, shields and prayers, shown like speech balloons are all missing. The brass was probably made at the Bury workshop of Reignold Chirche, bellfounder.

Jankyn is shown wearing a Yorkist collar of suns and roses with a lion pendant. The brass shows the couple lifting up holy hands expressing praise and adoration for the image of St John on or near the altar. The stone was probably moved from his chantry chapel to its present position after the reformation.

Jankyn died on the 28 June 1481 and he and his wife were buried at the east end of the north aisle of the nave at St Mary's Church.

A portrait of Jankyn Smyth hangs over the mantle of the Banqueting Hall fireplace at Bury St Edmunds Guildhall. It was painted around 1750 by Barham Rushbrooke of a 15th Century Copy. The original may possibly have been painted by Van Eyke.

Smyth was a key figure in the history of the Guildhall and his bequest ensures that Bury St Edmunds Guildhall, owned by the Guildhall Feoffment, continues today as a venue and heritage centre.

He instructed masons in the late 1400s to construct a strongroom at the Guildhall to house his deeds. This still stands proudly over the entrance to this day, containing the original medieval safe.

You can discover more about Jankyn Smyth in the video below proudced by Bury St Edmunds Guildhall.