NEWSLETTER 13 MAY 2021 Local History Cafe Sir John Moore Foundation, Appleby Magna An Appleby Penitent An awesome sight in Appleby Magna in 1741 oday, despite public concern about teenage pregnancies and unmarried mothers, most would be shocked by the sight of a seventeen-year old girl T standing in church on Sunday morning draped in white robes and carrying a white wand, “openly and publicly” confessing to the “grievous crime” of fornication. This was the sight that greeted the parishioners after morning prayers Rituals in Appleby parish church on Sunday 19th April, 1741. Old Wives Tales The ghostly figure draped in a white sheet was one of Ceremonies the local girls. The v i l l a g e r s w e r e w i t n e s s i n g a comparatively rare event even for those times, an ancient r i t u a l a c t o f penitence legally set out and sanctioned by the Established C h u r c h i n a t o n e m e n t f o r sexual impropriety. School Assembly In a sworn statement read aloud to the congregation the penitent Mary Memories of that confessed to an illicit sexual liaison with Thomas Parker, describing her actions daily ritual … as a breach of God’s “sacred laws”, an “evil example” to others that threatened her immortal soul. Mary humbly acknowledged her scandalous behaviour, begging her neighbours to forgive her and asking for Christ's grace “to avoid all such sinful wickedness”, so that she might live a sober and righteous life in the years to come. She ended her confession by asking the congregation to join her in reciting the Lord's Prayer. HISTORY THE ANNUAL MYSTERY RITUAL OF HISTORY CAFE ‘Ne’er cast a ROGATIONTIDE The tiny object that Next Month’s clout ’til (the) was the mystery Starting in the 7th meeting is at May is out’ object last month Century 10.00m was a cleave! Rogationtide has on There is a fuller been celebrated in 18th May Basil’s Bit is explanation on Appleby ever since on Page 5 ! Page 8 Page 4 LOCAL HISTORY CAFE NEWSLETTER MAY 2021 Whitsuntide Walks … Tales from the Old Wife … Taken from High Days and Holidays by Richard Dunmore There are many Midland and Appleby beliefs and sayings. o encourage the sense of society and mutual support amongst the members, n days gone by T as well as to have an enjoyable day's food preparation holiday, an annual event took place in the I was surrounded village on Whit Monday. This involved a by so many taboos it is processional walk by the Old Friendly Society's amazing anyone got members behind the lodge banner, a service in anything to eat. Many the church and a shared meal at one of the housewives believed pubs. The banner-bearer wore special that food would be ceremonial robes which were kept at the Crown spoilt if it was stirred Inn. Whit Monday was obviously a special ‘widdershins’ – that is, annual holiday to which the villagers looked in the opposite direction forward with keen anticipation. to that of the sun. The Appleby Parish Magazine recorded the Everyone knows that ‘a celebrations at Whitsun 1890: watched pot never boils’ and in Appleby it Whit-Monday was observed as a general is common knowledge holiday in our village, the weather proving very that a slow-boiling fine, which added to the hilarity of those bent kettle is bewitched and on making the most of Bank Holiday. The may contain a toad! Original Friendly Society this year united with © Erins Kitchen the Loyal George Moore Lodge of Oddfellows in holding their Club Feasts on Whit-Monday. The n Y o r k s h i r e , two Clubs walked in procession to attend housewives used Divine Service at the Parish Church, where an I to believe that eloquent Sermon was preached by Rev. W. S. bread would not rise if Bamber. Mr Bamber was Headmaster of there was a corpse in the Appleby Grammar School. vicinity, and to cut off both ends of the loaf After the service the procession was again would make the Devil fly formed, and the Clubs, headed by the Band, over the house walked to the Moore Arms Inn, where a © Mels Kitchen Cafe substantial dinner was provided by Mr. J. W. Ne’er cast a clout ’til (the) May is out’ Bowley. After dinner the usual loyal toasts were given from the Chair; then the principal toast, Another one of the popular weather tales from old “Prosperity to the two Clubs,” was duly wives is based on the old adage that you shouldn’t submitted and responded to, and a pleasant take your vest off until the Hawthorn plants are day was spent. flowering! The first written form dates back to 1732 but probably was handed along verbally long before then. History mystery ??? This months object was found in a back garden In Groby. The question is what could it have been used for? The answer will be in our June Newsletter LOCAL HISTORY CAFE NEWSLETTER MAY 2021 Appleby Carnival and Tug of War … Remembering the Silver Jubilee Celebrations in 1977 j u b i l a n t b u r s t o f Become a celebrations in London and newsletter A a l l o v e r t h e c o u n t r y contributor officially marks the start of Jubilee Week revelries,” the souvenir 12p edition of the Radio Times of June e a l w a y s 4 to 10, 1977, declared. welcome stories W More than 4,000 street parties and memories to were held in London alone with feature in our newsletter. 12,000 in Britain as a whole. Our topics for the next Appleby Magna was not going to Another popular event was the m i s s o u t o n t h e n a t i o n a l three months are: “Tug of War” which pitch two celebrations either. teams from the village against Mining, Being In service one another. It seems the name and Summer Holidays . Duncan Saunders remembers that of the winning team has been We especially love your it all started with a parade through lost in the mists of time. the village lead by the Scout Band family stories and we from Donisthorpe. As the parade All this took place before the value input from our came down the narrow village advent of ‘Health and Safety’ readers. streets it gathered more and more a l l o w i n g e v e n t s s u c h a s folk, most of them dressed in We also invite comments knocking your opponent off a some shade of red, white or blue. telegraph pole with a sack of and suggestions about straw to take place, and was our content and format The parade led everyone to the a n o t h e r h i g h l i g h t o f t h e Village Recreation Ground where afternoon events. Send your thoughts many events had been set up for memories and stories to the crowd to try their hand at. Although the day had begun the Editor. O n e i n p a r t i c u l a r D u n c a n quite wet and damp by the remembers was “Bat the Rat” afternoon the sun had come out The email is: where the skill was to hit an object and everyone was able to enjoy [email protected] shooting out of a drainpipe. Not the refreshments and later on such as easy task as it sounds. the beer tent. It was a great success and still remembered in An event for the the village some 40 plus years s t r o n g e r later. members of the p u b l i c w a s heaving a heavy straw bale over a pole vault rail just using a pitch fork. This was popular with the young men of the village trying to prove their strength to their o n l o o k i n g girlfriends. LOCAL HISTORY CAFE NEWSLETTER MAY 2021 Rogationtide in Appleby ... Rogation Sunday in Appleby was a splendid affair The Rogation Day ceremonies are thought to have arrived in Appleby in the 7th century. The oldest known text regarding Rogation Days is dated from around 1173 to 1220. At the head of the procession was the dragon, representing Pontius Pilate, which would be followed by a lion, representing Christ. After this there would be images of saints carried by the rest of the congregation. In Appleby this annual procession was especially used for the blessing of the crops at Rogation-tide. It is not clear whether this was a continuous tradition or whether there was a revival when it took place after the Second World War. house. She was quite an amazing woman who gave me a lot of inspiration and instruction. It is known that in 1946 the visiting Bishop of Leicester gave the blessings. The procession You will see Sally (Stevenson) Hicks in the started from the church and made its way to the photograph. Sally lived in a newish bungalow in top of Rectory Lane and called at the (old) Rectory Church Street when I visited her some years to bless the rectory fields.