X % ROUND ABOUT THE UPPER THAMES BY THE SAME AUTHOR A WILTSHIRE VILLAGE A Study of English Rural Life The Reader's Library. Crown 8vo, 5s. net VILLAGES OF THE WHITE HORSE The Reader's Library. Crown 8vo, 5s. net LIFE IN A RAILWAY FACTORY The Reader s Library. Crown 8vo, 5s. net " Mr. Williams puts into words what he sees as well as he can ; and since he is a born observer with a gift of words and a love of truth, and since his subject is real life, the result is admirable." The Times. DUCKWORTH & CO., 3 Henrietta St., W.C. 2 //". Dennis Moss, Cirencester] The Round House, and Junction of the Coin with the upper Thames, near Lechlade. [Frontispiece] k ROUND ABOUT THE UPPER THAMES BY ALFRED WILLIAMS AUTHOR OF "A WILTSHIRE VILLAGE" "VILLAGES OF THE WHITE HORSE" SONGS IN WILTSHIRE" "POEMS IN WILTSHIRE' ETC. ETC. WITH FOUR PHOTOGRAPHS AND A MAP LONDON DUCKWORTH & CO. 3 HENRIETTA STREET, COVENT GARDEN First Published in 1Q22 All Rights Reserved TO REUBEN AND LOU IN MEMORY OF MANY PLEASANT EVENINGS SPENT TOGETHER IN THE VILLAGE WITH THE FLOWERS AND BIRDS AND THE OLD FOLKS Oft, as we waited for the nightingale, We passed the peaceful hours with jocund tale, Till all Heaven's starry eyes beamed in the blue, the rose drank And young deep the fragrant dew ; Then through the scented dusk you stole away Like Youth, light-hearted on a holiday. PREFACE following chapters were written in the THEearly part of 1914, and were serialised in the Wilts and Gloucestershire Standard in 1915. Since then many changes have taken place, which must have a permanent effect upon the life of the country- side. At the same time, such changes are not entirely radical. Work and wages are the principal things the remains the affected ; fundamental spirit much same as formerly. There had already been a decay of village folklore and tradition. The discontinuance of farm festivals and fairs had much to do with this. They had pro- vided the people with convenient means of asso- ciation. The ballad-singers with their bundles of broadsides, travelling players, in fact any who could tell a good story and provide entertainment at the inns never failed to attend, and were listened to by an appreciative audience. By the process of natural development, or evolution, that condition of things came to an end, and none now wish to see it restored. I nevertheless that rural It had its evils ; imagine characteristics were stronger and sturdier, and the 8 PREFACE village provided better physical material than it does to-day. When the smallholder tilled his land with the breast-plough, and the hook and the scythe did the work of the mowing and reaping machines, and the threshing was done with flails, the exertions conduced to make men tough and muscular. This accounted for the astonishing number of healthy, aged men throughout the Thames villages, some of whom followed their occupations and did useful work to the age of ninety, and even ninety-six years. Village people are healthy now, but the farm labourer lacks the power of endurance possessed by his forerunners of two generations ago. Who now would have the strength—to say nothing of the " " courage—of Old Jonathan of Highworth, who laboured with the bricklayers at London and walked home, a distance of nearly 80 miles, and returned every week-end ? Or who could compare with Giles Draper, of Hannington, who mowed two acres of a and the effort for a grass day, kept up week ; with Tom Fowler, another local champion, who, at the end of a day's mowing, could lift a heavy farm waggon unaided or ; Gabriel Zillard, who, at the singing contests held at the inn, could sing continuously for eighteen hours ? The ground covered by the chapters is, roughly speaking, that lying between the Thames Head and Radcot Bridge, i.e. the first twenty-five miles of the river's course, and it embraces portions of three counties—Wiltshire, Berkshire, and Gloucestershire. This represents a distinct locality, with a common PREFACE 9 speech and folklore. The river Thames brought about this, for it had through the ages a unifying effect on those dwelling within the sphere of its influence. As the rainfall between the Cotswolds and the Wilts and Berks uplands is gathered into the channel of the Thames, so the principal life and commerce of both sides of the valley flowed down to the river's banks, be and people differing in several respects came to blended and united in their characteristics by the processes of intercommunion and close association. The scope of the book is principally nature and life, speech, story, tradition, and humorous incident. Whatever of this is contained in the chapters was I for the most gleaned on the ground, and is, believe, part original. In traversing the circle of villages in the area I have attempted to avoid historical references, which are often tedious, though it was obviously impossible to eliminate them altogether. The question always is whether a particular locality is in itself sufficiently interesting to merit attention. his This I leave for the reader to decide ; judgment and not mine must determine the issue. Since my object was to portray as much— life as possible—not its sufferings and tragedy I have made free use of persons, and these not fictitious, but real, who inhabited the villages within the memory of those yet living, believing that such records can never become stale or valueless, and that here, as elsewhere, a little fact is more convincing than a goodly array of fiction. It was in support of this that I have retained the account of Squire Archer, 10 PREFACE of Castle Eaton, and have given the extraordinary list of worthies of the villages of Blunsdon and Hannington, with the prevalent beliefs in sorcery and witchcraft. I suppose that one locality is not much superior to another in the interest of its life and traditions, since that district which is most thoroughly explored usually exhibits the richest treasures, both as regards the human element and wild nature also. At the same time, no one can pretend to be the discoverer of but its life, only interpreter ; and however great may be the amount which he has succeeded in setting forth in any given locality it could be no more than an infinitesimal fraction of the whole comprised therein. My thanks are due to Mr. W. Scotford Harmer, editor of the Wilts and Gloucestershire Standard, for his at all times ready assistance ; and to Mr. Dennis Moss, of Cirencester, who kindly provided me with the photographs for use in the book. A. W. CONTENTS CHAPTER I The Haymakers—The Thames Valley—The River Coin— Scenery of the Thames— Sketch of the Ground— Local Opinions—"John and Sally" . 17 CHAPTER II High worth—The Town and Church— Mixed Features— Harvest Chant— "Tib Day"—The Eccentric Squire— " John Drew and Peggy" Tawnley . 32 CHAPTER III The Avenue—Shrivenham Village—"Admiral of the White" — Court Leet— Beckett House—Weather Signs— Local Tales—Lord Craven and the Farm Boy . -45 CHAPTER IV Watchfield—The Stolen Church—Blackbirds—Tales and Gossip—Coleshill—The Luck of the House—The Lord " Radnor—Anecdotes —" Mose " and the Farmer— Old Polebrook" ....... 62 12 CONTENTS CHAPTER V PAGE Crossing the Ford— Discoveries in the Field—The Hawk and the Blackbird— Inglesham Church and Village " —The Round House—The Grand Old Man of Ingles- ham"—Steam Ploughing—A Storm in the Vale . 79 CHAPTER VI " The Ha'penny Bridge"—Buscot—Squire Campbell's Works —The "Water Gardens"—Herons— Visitors to the Lake —The Woodman Naturalist—Eaton Weir—Floods at Kelmscott . 95 CHAPTER VII The Journey up the River—The Rat and Kingfisher— St. John's Bridge and Priory—Lechlade "Flea Fair"— Holders of the Manor— Curious Items of Church Ex- penditure— Local Witchcraft Tales . in CHAPTER VIII The Cotswolds near Northleach—Carl the Carter—Valley of the Coin—The Mill Pool— Fairford Church and Windows — Hard Fare— Gipsies — Harvest Home Healths—Sheep Stealing—"Cotswold Ale"—"Tig" . .129 CHAPTER IX A Cotswold Ploughing Match—Old Acquaintances—The Carter's Criticism— Progress of the Ploughing—The Prize-Winner ...... 148 CONTENTS 13 CHAPTER X PAGE " " A Cotswold Carter's Cottage— Chasing the Cock — Native Wit and Humour—On the Coin—Whelford—The Smithy —The Mill— Old Elijah's Tale . .165 CHAPTER XI The Fatal Jackdaw Nesting—Hannington Wick— Kempsford —"The Lady of the Mist"—The Boatman—A Trip by Water—The Home-made Loaves— Rustic Medicines— — Rhyme of the Shorthorn Tales at the Inn . .182 CHAPTER XII Squire Archer, of Lushill—The Vanishing Stag—Castle Eaton " —Tragedy of the Roach, Heron, and Fox— Darby and — Victoria's Coronation —The Joan" Queen— Dialogue Trout Stream The Landlord and the Farm Boy . 200 CHAPTER XIII " " Source of the Thames—Water Shortage— Wassail Song —Thames Head Villages—Cricklade— Election Scenes " " " — Open House Expenses —A Local Execution— Bark —" " Harvest" Looking through the Rafters . .218 CHAPTER XIV The Upper Thames Valley in the Making—The Youth and the Traveller—The British Camp—" Slan " Feast— "Rat-Catcher Joe"—Jack and the Squire—"Joe the T Marine"—Moll W ilkins and Tom Hancock—Bet Hyde, the Witch of Cold Harbour .... 234 14 CONTENTS CHAPTER XV PAGE Roman Remains at Bury Town—Stanton— Fulk Fitz-Warrene " —Burial of the Dead—The Lake and Woods— Moll Taw's Corner"—"Man-Traps"—The Wood Sale—Tom Fowler's Feat—Tricks and Conundrums . 254 CHAPTER XVI Bide Mill Brook and Wood—Wych-Elms— Hannington Village— Giles Draper and the Cobbler Clerk—Farmer Baden's Courtship—Whistling Joe, the Blacksmith— Lye-Droppers, Potato Starch, and Rush-Lights—"Bang- Belly" and "Frog-Water" — Wooding Rhyme — A "Journeyman Farmer"— Riddles— Rustic Lore—"Oby" " and Scamp ".....