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Old English Customs THE FAVERSHAM MOOT HORN. This horn served for the calling of local assemblies at Faversham, Kent, circa 1300. Old Snglish Customs Sxtant at the Present Time An Account of Local Observances^ Festival Customs^ and (Ancient Ceremonies yet Surviving in Great Britain By T. H. T)itchfield, 3U.A., F.S.A. London cK 1896 \v PREFACE I HE object of this work is to describe all the old customs which still linger on in the obscure nooks and corners of our native land, or which have survived the march of progress in our busy city's life. There are many books which treat of ancient customs, and repeat again the stories told by Brand, Hone, and other historians and as far antiquaries ; but, as we are aware, there is no book describing the actual folk-customs yet extant, which may be witnessed to-day by the folk-lorist and lover of rural manners. We have endeavoured to supply this want, and to record only those customs which time has spared. Undoubtedly the decay has been rapid. Many customs have vanished, quietly dying out without giving a sign. The present generation has witnessed the extinc- tion of many observances which our fathers practised and revered, and doubtless the v 286064 Preface progress of decay will continue. We have entered upon a diminished inheritance. Still it is surprising to find how much has been left how the race ; tenaciously English clings to that which habit and usage have estab- lished how ancient customs hold in ; sway the palace, the parliament, the army, the law courts, amongst educated people as well as unlearned rustics cluster ; how they around our social institutions, are enshrined in reli- and are law gious ceremonial, preserved by ; how carefully they have been guarded through the many ages of their existence, and how deeply rooted they are in the affections of the English people. It is really remark- able that at the present day, in spite of ages of education and social enlightenment, in spite of centuries of Christian teach- ing and practice, we have now amongst us many customs which owe their origin to pagan beliefs and the superstitions of our heathen forefathers, and have no other raison d'etre for their existence than the wild legends of Scandinavian mythology. I desire to express my thanks to more than vi Preface sixty correspondents in different parts of the country for the kind aid they have given me in collecting information for this work. It has often been difficult to deter- mine whether during recent years particular customs have become defunct, and the only method of acquiring trustworthy informa- tion has been to communicate with local authorities. I have been fortunate in find- ing able writers, folk-lorists, and antiquaries in all parts of England, who have kindly written to me concerning the customs in their localities, and furnished me with most valuable information. I gratefully preserve their names : Dr. Williamson, Surrey. Miss Banfield, Cornwall. Rev. H. Kingsford, Worcester. V. G. Hewett, Esq., Kent. S. Andrew, Esq., Lancashire. Rev. G. B. Brooks, Bucks. C. J. Billson, Esq., Leicester. Rev. Dr. Lee, Bucks. Rev. W. Norman, Bedford. R. M. Dawkins, Esq., Devon. Mrs. Musters, Notts. W. M. Brookes, Esq., Yorks. vii Preface Rev. E. H. Goddard, Wilts. Rev. J. B. Jones, Cornwall. Rev. W. Poole, Hereford. Rev. A. J. Edwards, Beds. R. P. L. Booker, Esq., Eton College, Professor Rhys, Oxford. Rev. E. Atkinson, Cambridge. Rev. W. H. Sewell, Suffolk. Rev. H. F. Howard, Berks. T. M. Fallow, Esq., Yorks. Rev. J. Moreton, Cornwall. J. BagnalJ, Esq., Stafford. Rev. E. Bradley, Lichfield. W. H. Evans, Esq., Berks. Capt. Dickinson (Army). Major R. Holden (Army). G. F. Alldritt, Esq., Surrey Commander Edye. Capt. Anson, R.N. Rev. C. P. Winter, Wales. Rev. W. C. Box, Northants. Miss Righton, Kent. Rev. Canon Beach (Army). Miss Cornwall, Gloucester. Rev. H. J. Carter, Cambridge. W. Cudworth, Esq., Yorks. Rev. C. V. Goddard, Dorset. Lady Read, Wales. P. Manning, Esq., Oxford. Sir George Birdwood. Rev. W. G. Rutherford, Westminster. Mrs. L. Simonds, Hants, viii Preface E. Armstrong, Esq., Oxford. Rev. Augustin Ley, Hereford. Rev. A. J. M'Caul, London. Rev. J. H. Fleming, Norfolk. Rev. E. C. Bond, Devon. Rev. J. L. Francis, Devon. W. Norbury, Esq., Cheshire. Rev. W. H. Lyon, Dorset. Rev. C. Farrow, Yorks. Rev. E. A. Chichester, Surrey. Rev. G. Parr, Middlesex. Rev. W. H. Connor, Northumberland. Rev. G. B. Vaux, Kent. Rev. A. W. Headlam, Durham. G. E. Dartnell, Esq., Wilts. J. W. Bradley, Stafford. Mrs. Ogle, Cheshire. Rev. J. B. Robins, Oxford. I am of course indebted to Notes and which has for so devoted Queries > many years much of its space to the preserving of the records of ancient customs. The labours of the Folk-Lore Society are well known, and their publications have been very useful to me in the progress of this work. Finally, I have to express my thanks to Mrs. Gomme, who, in conjunction with her husband, the first President of the Folk-Lore Society, has ix Preface done so much for the study of the science of Folk-lore, and who has most kindly assisted me in revising the proof-sheets of this work. For the loan of the illustration of the Faversham Moot Horn I am in- debted to the editor and publisher of Mr. LI. Jewitt's book on Corporation Plate. P. H. D1TCHFIELD. BARKHAM RECTORY, Midsummer-day 1896. CONTENTS INTRODUCTION PAGES The decay of old customs Causes of their decline Numerous survivals Not confined to the country Pagan origin Importance of their preservation The calendar 1-7 CHAPTER I Christmas customs Mumming Folk-drama in Devon, Yorks, &c. "Vessel boxes" Carol-singing Fur- mety at Christmas Mistletoe and kissing-bush Plum- pudding Christmas-tree Bell customs at Dewsbury, &c. Boar's-head at Oxford Barring out in Cumber- land Mumping and goodening on St. Thomas' Day Hoodening "Picrous day" Burghead custom St. Stephen's Day and stoning the wren Yule Doos and local cakes Boxing-Day Pantomimes Christmas- cards 8-36 CHAPTER II New Year's Day and first-footing Banffshire custom Wassail bowls New Year's gifts and good wishes Midnight services Queen's College, Oxford Yorks custom Local rhymes and wassailers Quaaltagh in Isle of Man Twelfth Night or Epiphany Plough Monday Wassailing orchards Court custom Hakey Hood Watching animals St. Paul's Day Valentine's Day Islip valentine Customs in Berks at St. and Essex Hurling Ives . 37~58 xi Contents CHAPTER III PAGES Lenten customs Shrove Tuesday Pancake-bell Shrov- ing Tossing pancakes at Westminster Devonshire rhymes Welsh survival of thrashing the hen Coquilles at Norwich Football on Shrove Tuesday Mothering Sunday Simnels Care Sunday Palm Sunday and ball-play Fig Sunday Spy Wednesday Maundy Thursday Good Friday and hot cross buns Skipping on Good Friday and marbles Guildford custom Custom at St. Bartholomew's Church, Lon- don Blue-Coat School custom ^Flogging Judas Cornish custom of gathering shellfish St. David's Day 5^-77 CHAPTER IV Easter customs Pace-eggs Clapping for eggs in Wales Pace-egg play Biddenden custom Kentish pudding- pies Hallaton hare-pie and bottle kicking School customs St. Mark's Day and ghosts Custom at St. Mary's, Woolnoth Hocktide at Hungerford All Fools' Day 78-94 CHAPTER V May Day customs Magdalen College, Oxford Sweep at Oxford and Cheltenham Bamptom customs Charlton, Clifton, and Witney, Oxon Edlesborough, Bucks Minehead and Hawick customs Saltash, Cornwall Lancashire, Leicestershire, Cornwall, Gloucestershire, Northants customs Old Maypole still standing Gawthorpe, Yorks St. Mary, Cray 95-110 CHAPTER VI Helston Furry dance Rogation-tide and Ganging Week Beating the bounds at Malborough, Lichfield, Oxford, Leicester, and London Royal Oak Day Wilts custom Selkirk Common - Riding "Grovely" Singing custom at Durham . ui-122 xii Contents CHAPTER VII PACKS Club feasts at Whitsuntide Bampton, Oxon Morris- ' ' " dancers Irish death ride Wakes in Lancashire and Yorks Rush-bearing at Oldham, Ambleside, Grasmere Hay strewing at Braunston, Leicester " " Horn dance at Abbot Bromley Flower Sermon " " Cornish feasten Sunday .... 123-140 CHAPTER VIII Midsummer Eve customs, Pontypridd, Wales Cornish customs Bale-fires Ratby meadow-mowing Reeve houses at Desford Harvest customs Mell-sheaf and Kern-supper Kern-baby The "maiden" Cailleach " " " " Devonshire Knack Dumping Harvest- bell Horn-blowing in Hertfordshire Harvest-songs Sheep-shearing in Dorset Michaelmas goose Biddenham rabbit St. Crispin's Day and the shoe- makers 141-159 CHAPTER IX The Fifth of November Berks songs Beckley and Hed- dington, Oxon Town and Gown at Oxford Harcake or Tharcake, Lancashire Local cakes St. Clement's Day "Souling"on All Soul's Day Allan apples at . Penzance Butchers' custom . 160-172 CHAPTER X Local customs Gloves in Church of Abbots Ann, Andover Dunmow Flitch Skimmerton-riding in Wilts and Dorset Riding the Stang .... 173-181 xiii Contents CHAPTER XI FACES Holy Wells Scottish superstition Pin-wells Rag-wells Well-dressing in Derbyshire Tissington well-dress- ing Endon, Staffordshire Youlgrave, Derbyshire St. Alkmund's, Derby Wishing-wells Walsing- ham, Norfolk 182-189 CHAPTER XII Marriage customs Orange blossoms Rice-throwing Wedding-ring Bride's veil Shoe-throwing Custom at Stoke Courcy Knutsford custom Chopped straw at weddings Spur-peal Holderness customs Kiss- ing in Somerset Yorkshire Dale customs Races for ribbons Courting customs Taking Day at Crowan Cornish miners' custom Shooting the bride The Sin- eater Funeral customs Passing bell Yorks funeral biscuits Corpse roads Crape on beehives Telling the bees Burying cheeses