British Popular Customs, Present and Past / Illustrating the Social and Domestic Manners of the People. Arranged According to the Calendar of the Year.
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GEORGE BELL AND SONS, LTD. LONDON: PORTUGAL ST., KINGSWAY CAMBRIDGE: DEIGHTON, BELL AND CO. NEW YORK: THE MACMILLAN CO. BOMBAY: A. H. WHEELER AND CO.
BRITISH POPULAR CUSTOMS PRESENT AND PAST
ILLUSTRATING THE SOCIAL AND DOMESTIC MANNERS OF THE PEOPLE
ARRANGED ACCORDING TO THE CALENDAR OF THE YEAR
BY THE REV. T. F. THISELTON DYER, M.A. PEMBROKE COLLEGE, OXON.
LONDON G. BELL AND SONS, LIMITED 1911
In presenting the following pages to the Public I do not lay claim to any originality, my object simply having been to collect together, into a readable and condensed form, from various sources within my reach, accounts of Customs which, if not already obsolete, are quickly becoming so.
With regard to the general plan of the book, it speaks for itself. It should, however, be stated that the movable feasts are placed under the earliest days on which they can fall.
In conclusion, I would only add that I am much indebted to Mr. James Britten, of the British Museum, for the valuable help and suggestions which he has given me whilst passing the proof-sheets through the Press.
T. F. Thiselton Dyer.
September 15th, 1875.
T. F. Thiselton-Dyer
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PREFACE.
Jan. 1.] NEW YEAR’S DAY.
Buckinghamshire.
Cumberland and Westmoreland.
Essex.
Herefordshire.
Lancashire.
Isle of Man.
Northumberland.
Nottinghamshire.
Oxfordshire.
Staffordshire.
Sussex.
Warwickshire.
Worcestershire.
Yorkshire.
SCOTLAND.
HANDSEL MONDAY.
SCOTLAND.
Jan. 5.] EVE OF THE EPIPHANY.
Devonshire.
Gloucestershire.
Herefordshire.
Staffordshire.
Yorkshire.
IRELAND.
Cumberland.
Derbyshire.
Dorsetshire.
Lincolnshire.
Middlesex.
Isle of Man.
Somersetshire.
Staffordshire.
Westmoreland.
WALES.
Jan. 7.] ST. DISTAFF’S DAY.—ROCK DAY.
PLOUGH MONDAY.
Cambridgeshire.
Derbyshire.
Huntingdonshire.
Leicestershire.
Lincolnshire.
Norfolk.
Northamptonshire.
Yorkshire.
Jan. 10.]
Oxfordshire.
Jan. 12.]
SCOTLAND.
Jan. 13.] ST. HILARY’S DAY.
Jan. 14.] MALLARD NIGHT.
Oxfordshire.
Jan. 17.] SEPTUAGESIMA.
Jan. 20.] ST. AGNES’ EVE.
SCOTLAND.
Jan. 21.] ST. AGNES’ DAY.
Jan. 24.] ST. PAUL’S EVE.
Cornwall.
Jan. 25.] ST. PAUL’S DAY.
Jan. 31.] EXECUTION OF CHARLES I.
Jan. 31.]
Isle of Man.
Nottinghamshire.
Oxfordshire.
Feb. 1.] CANDLEMAS EVE.
Nottinghamshire.
Feb. 2.] CANDLEMAS DAY.
Dorsetshire.
Yorkshire.
SCOTLAND.
Western Isles of Scotland.
COLLOP MONDAY.
Buckinghamshire.
Cornwall.
Devonshire.
Feb. 3.] ST. BLAIZE’S DAY.
SHROVE TUESDAY.
Buckinghamshire.
Cheshire.
Cornwall.
Cumberland.
Derbyshire.
Devonshire.
Dorsetshire and Wiltshire.
Hampshire.
Hertfordshire.
Huntingdonshire.
Kent.
Lancashire.
Leicestershire.
Isle of Man.
Middlesex.
Norfolk.
Northamptonshire.
Northumberland.
Nottinghamshire.
Oxfordshire.
Islands of Scilly.
Shropshire.
Somersetshire.
Staffordshire.
Suffolk.
Surrey.
Isle of Wight.
Yorkshire.
WALES.
SCOTLAND.
The Highlands.
IRELAND.
Feb. 4.] ASH WEDNESDAY.
Essex.
Norfolk.
SCAMBLING DAYS.
Feb. 5.]
Gloucestershire.
Yorkshire.
Feb. 8.] CHALK SUNDAY.
IRELAND.
Feb. 10.] ST. SCHOLASTICA’S DAY.
Oxfordshire.
Feb. 13.] ST. VALENTINE’S EVE.
Derbyshire.
Devonshire.
Norfolk.
Feb. 14.] ST. VALENTINE’S DAY.
Cambridgeshire.
Derbyshire.
Herefordshire.
Kent.
Norfolk.
Northamptonshire.
Nottinghamshire.
Oxfordshire.
Yorkshire.
March. 1.] ST. DAVID’S DAY.
Middlesex.
Oxfordshire.
WALES.
March 1.] SIMNEL SUNDAY.
Lancashire.
Staffordshire.
FIRST MONDAY IN MARCH.
Berkshire and Hampshire.
FRIDAY IN LIDE.
Cornwall.
March 3.]
SCOTLAND.
March 5.] ST. PIRAN’S DAY.
Cornwall.
March 8.] CARE SUNDAY.
Cambridgeshire.
Yorkshire.
March 10.]
Oxfordshire.
March 11.]
Nottinghamshire.
March 12.] ST. GREGORY’S DAY.
IRELAND.
March 14.] PALM SATURDAY.
SCOTLAND.
March 15.] PALM SUNDAY.
Cornwall.
Derbyshire.
Herefordshire.
Hertfordshire.
Lincolnshire.
Northamptonshire.
Oxfordshire.
Surrey.
Wiltshire.
Yorkshire.
WALES.
March 16.]
Lancashire.
Oxfordshire.
March 17.] ST. PATRICK’S DAY.
Buckinghamshire.
IRELAND.
March 18.] SHEELAH’S DAY.
IRELAND.
March 19.] MAUNDY, OR CHARE THURSDAY.
Middlesex.
Northumberland.
March 20.] GOOD FRIDAY.
Bedfordshire.
Berkshire.
Devonshire—Dorsetshire.
Essex.
Lancashire.
Lincolnshire.
Isle of Man.
Middlesex.
Oxfordshire.
Surrey.
Sussex.
Worcestershire.
Yorkshire.
WALES.
IRELAND.
March 21.] EASTER EVE.
Cumberland, etc.
Dorsetshire.
Middlesex.
Yorkshire.
IRELAND.
March 22.] EASTER DAY.
Cornwall.
Cumberland.
Derbyshire.
Kent.
Middlesex.
Norfolk.
Oxfordshire.
Yorkshire.
WALES.
IRELAND.
March 23.] EASTER MONDAY.
Buckinghamshire.
Cheshire.
Derbyshire.
Essex.
Herefordshire.
Kent.
Lancashire.
Middlesex.—London.
Northumberland.
Nottinghamshire.
Warwickshire.
Worcestershire.
WALES.
SCOTLAND.
IRELAND.
March 24.] EASTER TUESDAY.
Middlesex.
Northumberland.
March 25.] LADY DAY.
Hertfordshire.
Lancashire.
Norfolk.
Isle of Thanet.
IRELAND.
March 29.] LOW SUNDAY.
WALES.
April 1.] ALL FOOLS’ DAY.
Hampshire.
Middlesex.
SCOTLAND.
April 3.] ST. RICHARD’S DAY.
Berkshire.
April 20.]
Worcestershire.
April 23.] ST. GEORGE’S DAY.
Berkshire.
Cheshire.
Leicestershire.
IRELAND.
April 24.] ST. MARK’S EVE.
Northamptonshire.
Yorkshire.
April 25.] ST. MARK’S DAY.
Northumberland.
Staffordshire.
April 26.] ROGATION SUNDAY.
Bedfordshire.
Dorsetshire.
Kent.
Oxfordshire.
Staffordshire.
April 29.] ASCENSION EVE.
Yorkshire.
April 30.] ASCENSION DAY.
Buckinghamshire.
Cheshire.
Derbyshire.
Devonshire.
Essex.
Lancashire.
Middlesex.
Northamptonshire.
Northumberland.
Nottinghamshire.
Oxfordshire.
Staffordshire.
Suffolk.
Worcestershire.
MAY EVE.
Cornwall.
Devonshire.
Huntingdonshire.
Lancashire.
Lincolnshire.
Isle of Man.
Oxfordshire.
WALES.
IRELAND.
May 1.] MAY DAY.
Berkshire.
Buckinghamshire.
Cambridgeshire.
Cheshire.
Cornwall.
Derbyshire.
Devonshire.
Essex.
Gloucestershire.
Hampshire.
Hertfordshire.
Huntingdonshire.
Kent.
Lancashire.
Lincolnshire.
Isle of Man.
Middlesex.
Northamptonshire.
Northumberland
Nottinghamshire.
Oxfordshire.
Shropshire.
Somersetshire.
Staffordshire.
Suffolk.
Surrey.
Sussex.
Westmoreland.
Worcestershire.
WALES.
SCOTLAND.
The Highlands.
Western Isles of Scotland.
IRELAND.
May 2.] ST. HELEN’S DAY—ROWAN-TREE DAY.
Yorkshire.
SCOTLAND.
May 3.]
The Highlands.
May 8.] APPARITION OF ST. MICHAEL.
Cornwall.
May 10.] WHITSUNDAY.
Cornwall.
Cumberland.
Essex.
Gloucestershire.
Hampshire.
Herefordshire.
Northamptonshire.
Northumberland.
Oxfordshire.
Somersetshire.
IRELAND.
May 11.] WHITSUN MONDAY.
Cheshire.
Derbyshire.
Hampshire.
Lancashire.
Leicestershire.
Northamptonshire.
Oxfordshire.
Shropshire.
Staffordshire.
WALES.
May 12.] WHITSUN TUESDAY.
Bedfordshire.
Buckinghamshire.
Cumberland.
Middlesex.
SCOTLAND.
May 14.] COTESWOLD GAMES.
May 16.]
Norfolk.
EEL FAIR.
Surrey.
May 17.] TRINITY SUNDAY.
Lincolnshire.
Northumberland.
Wiltshire.
WALES.
May 18.] TRINITY MONDAY.
Hampshire.
Kent.
Oxfordshire.
May 20.] CORPUS CHRISTI EVE.
May 21.] CORPUS CHRISTI DAY.
Norfolk.
Northumberland.
Yorkshire.
IRELAND.
May 22.] COVENTRY SHOW FAIR.
May 25.] THE SHREWSBURY SHOW.
FLITTING DAY.
SCOTLAND.
May 29.] RESTORATION OR ROYAL OAK DAY.
Cornwall.
Derbyshire.
Devonshire.
Durham.
Hampshire.
Middlesex.
Northamptonshire.
Northumberland.
Nottinghamshire.
Worcestershire.
SCOTLAND.
June.]
PAIGNTON FAIR.
SCOTLAND.
June 1.]
Wiltshire.
June 9.]
IRELAND.
June 11.] ST. BARNABAS’ DAY.
Cumberland.
June 15.] ST. VITUS’ DAY.
June 23.] MIDSUMMER EVE—St. JOHN’S EVE.
Buckinghamshire.
Cheshire.
Cornwall.
Cumberland.
Lancashire.
Isle of Man.
Middlesex.
Northumberland.
Nottinghamshire.
Oxfordshire.
Worcestershire.
Yorkshire.
WALES.
SCOTLAND.
IRELAND.
June 24.] MIDSUMMER DAY—ST. JOHN THE BAPTIST’S DAY.
Buckinghamshire.
Cambridgeshire.
Cheshire.
Cornwall.
Devonshire.
Isle of Man.
Middlesex.
Northamptonshire.
Northumberland.
Oxfordshire.
Somersetshire.
Wiltshire.
Yorkshire.
IRELAND.
June 25.]
Yorkshire.
June 29.] ST. PETER’S DAY.
Buckinghamshire.
Kent.
Northamptonshire.
Northumberland.
Yorkshire.
SCOTLAND.
July.] COMMENCEMENT DAY.
Cambridgeshire.
Huntingdonshire.
Lancashire.
Northumberland.
SCOTLAND.
July 1.]
IRELAND.
July 5.]
Leicestershire.
July 7.] ST. THOMAS À BECKET’S DAY.
Cornwall.
Kent.
Northamptonshire.
July 9.]
Staffordshire.
July 12.]
IRELAND.
July 15.] ST. SWITHIN’S DAY.
Surrey.
Yorkshire.
July 17.] ST. KENELM’S DAY.
Worcestershire.
July 20.] ST. MARGARET’S DAY.
Cambridgeshire.
Norfolk.
July 22.] ST. BRIDGET’S EVE.
IRELAND.
July 25.] ST. JAMES’S DAY.
Kent.
Lancashire.
July 26.] MACE MONDAY.
Berkshire.
July 29.] ST. OLAVE’S DAY.
August.] SWAN-UPPING.
August 1.] LAMMAS DAY.
Devonshire.
Isle of Man.
Middlesex.
Sussex.
ST. WILFRID’S FEAST.
Yorkshire.
SCOTLAND.
Aug. 2.]
Buckinghamshire.
Aug. 4.] APPRENTICES’ FEAST.
Aug. 5.] ST. OSWALD’S DAY
Lancashire.
Aug. 5.] RAVENGLASS FAIR.
Cumberland.
Aug. 5.]
Middlesex.
Aug. 6.] BLACK-CHERRY FAIR.
Surrey.
Aug. 15.] ASSUMPTION OF THE VIRGIN MARY.
Staffordshire.
Aug. 16.] ST. ROCHE’S DAY.
Aug. 18.] ST. HELEN’S DAY.
Aug. 24.] ST. BARTHOLOMEW’S DAY.
Lincolnshire.
Yorkshire.
Aug. 30.] PRESTON GUILD.
Lancashire.
Sept.] ECCLES WAKE.
Lancashire.
CHALK-BACK DAY.
Norfolk.
IRELAND.
Sept. 4.] ST. CUTHBERT’S DAY.
Durham.
Sept. 8.] NATIVITY OF THE VIRGIN MARY.
Lincolnshire.
Sept 12.]
Hampshire.
Sept. 14.] HOLY-ROOD DAY.
Buckinghamshire.
Surrey.
Sept. 21.] ST. MATTHEW’S DAY.
Sept. 22.]
Bedfordshire.
Sept. 24.] SCALDING THURSDAY.
Sept. 28.] MICHAELMAS EVE.
Surrey.
IRELAND.
Sept. 29.] MICHAELMAS DAY.
Berkshire.
Cornwall.
Essex.
Gloucestershire.
Hertfordshire.
Nottinghamshire.
Sussex.
WESTERN ISLES OF SCOTLAND.
IRELAND.
Oct. 2.] GOOSE FAIR.
Nottingham.
Lancashire.
Oct. 6.] ST. FAITH’S DAY.
Oct. 10.]
Dorsetshire.
Kent.
Lancashire.
Yorkshire.
Oct. 18.] ST. LUKE’S DAY.
Kent.
Yorkshire.
Oct. 21.]
Gloucestershire.
Oct. 25.] ST. CRISPIN’S DAY.
Northumberland.
Sussex.
WALES.
Oct. 29.] ST. MODWEN’S DAY.
Staffordshire.
Oct. 30.]
Buckinghamshire.
Oct. 31.] HALLOW EVE.
Cornwall.
Lancashire.
Isle of Man.
Middlesex.
Nottinghamshire.
Yorkshire.
WALES.
SCOTLAND.
IRELAND.
Nov.]
Derbyshire.
Nov. 1.] ALL SAINTS’ DAY.
Cheshire.
Lancashire.
Middlesex.
Monmouthshire.
Shropshire.
Staffordshire.
Western Isles of Scotland.
IRELAND.
Nov. 2.] ALL SOULS’ DAY.
Cheshire.
Derbyshire.
Herefordshire.
Shropshire.
WALES.
SCOTLAND.
Nov. 5.] GUNPOWDER PLOT.
Derbyshire.
Lincolnshire.
Middlesex.
Northamptonshire.
Nottinghamshire.
Oxfordshire.
Sussex.
Westmoreland.
Wiltshire.
Yorkshire.
Nov. 6.] ST. LEONARD’S DAY.
Essex.
Worcestershire.
Nov 9.] LORD MAYOR’S DAY.
Nov. 11.] ST. MARTIN’S DAY.
Buckinghamshire.
Cambridgeshire.
Cumberland.
Warwickshire.
Yorkshire.
IRELAND.
Nov. 13.] ST. BRICE’S DAY.
Nov. 14.] St. ERCONWALD’S DAY.
Nov. 17.] QUEEN ELIZABETH’S ACCESSION.
Nov. 23.] ST. CLEMENT’S DAY.
Cambridgeshire.
Kent.
Staffordshire.
WALES.
Nov. 24.] ST. CATHERINE’S EVE.
Nov. 25.] ST. CATHERINE’S DAY.
Buckinghamshire.
Cambridgeshire.
Kent.
Northamptonshire.
Isle of Thanet.
Worcestershire.
Nov. 30.] ST. ANDREW’S DAY.
Kent.
Middlesex.
Northamptonshire.
Sussex.
SCOTLAND.
STIR UP SUNDAY.
ADVENT.
Isle of Man.
PICROUS DAY.
Cornwall.
Dec. 5.] ST. NICHOLAS’ EVE.
Dec. 6.] ST. NICHOLAS’ DAY.
The Boy-Bishop.
Dec. 8.] CONCEPTION OF VIRGIN MARY.
Dec. 13.] ST. BARCHAN’S DAY.
SCOTLAND.
Dec. 14.] ST. TIBBA’S DAY.
Dec. 17.] SOW DAY.
SCOTLAND.
Dec. 21.] ST. THOMAS’ DAY.
Bedfordshire.
Berkshire.
Cheshire.
Dorsetshire.
Herefordshire.
Hertfordshire.
Isle of Man.
Nottinghamshire.
Oxfordshire.
Staffordshire.
Sussex.
Warwickshire.
Worcestershire.
Yorkshire.
WALES.
Dec. 24.] CHRISTMAS EVE.
Cheshire.
Cornwall.
Derbyshire.
Devonshire.
Gloucestershire.
Hampshire.
Herefordshire.
Kent.
Isle of Man.
Norfolk.
Northamptonshire.
Nottinghamshire.
Oxfordshire.
Sussex.
Warwickshire.
Yorkshire.
IRELAND.
Dec. 25.] CHRISTMAS DAY.
Berkshire.
Buckinghamshire.
Cambridgeshire.
Cornwall.
Cumberland.
Derbyshire.
Dorsetshire.
Essex.
Gloucestershire.
Herefordshire.
Kent.
Lancashire.
Isle of Man.
Middlesex.
Norfolk.
Northamptonshire.
Northumberland.
Nottinghamshire.
Oxfordshire.
Scilly Isles.
Somersetshire.
Staffordshire.
Suffolk.
Westmoreland.
Worcestershire.
Yorkshire.
WALES.
SCOTLAND.
The Highlands.
IRELAND.
Dec. 26.] ST. STEPHEN’S DAY.
Bedfordshire.
Buckinghamshire.
Cambridgeshire.
Isle of Man.
Norfolk.
Oxfordshire.
Yorkshire.
WALES.
IRELAND.
Dec. 28.] HOLY INNOCENTS’ DAY.
Gloucestershire.
Northamptonshire.
Somersetshire.
Worcestershire.
IRELAND.
Dec. 31.] NEW YEAR’S EVE.
Cornwall.
Cumberland.
Derbyshire.
Gloucestershire.
Isle of Man.
Nottinghamshire.
Oxfordshire.
Isle of Wight.
Yorkshire.
SCOTLAND.
IRELAND.
INDEX.
THE YORK LIBRARY
THE CLUB SERIES OF CARD AND TABLE GAMES.
BELL’S CATHEDRAL SERIES.
Transcriber’s Notes
