Manners and Customs.

For the Table Book.

Provincial Sayings, &c.

  1. As the days grow longer,
    The storms grow stronger.
  2. As the days lengthen,
    So the storms strengthen.
  3. Blessed is the corpse, that the rain falls on.
  4. Blessed is the bride, that the sun shines on.
  5. He that goes to see his wheat in May,
    Comes weeping away.

Harvest-home Call,
in the County of Durham.

Blest be the day that Christ was born,
We’ve getten mell of Mr. ——’s corn,
Well won, and better shorn.
Hip, hip, hip!—Huzza! huzza! huzza!

An old Yorkshire May-Game.

“An account of a May-Game, performed at Richmond, Yorkshire, on the 29th of May, 1660, by the inhabitants of that town; whereby they demonstrated their universal joy for the happy return of Charles II., whom God was pleased to make the instrument of freeing this nation from tyranny, usurpation, and the dismal effects of a civil war.

“They came into the town, in solemn equipage, as follows:—

“1. Three antics before them with bagpipes.

“2. The representative of a lord, attended by trumpets, falconers, four pages, as many footmen, and fifty attendants, all suited as became persons of their quality.

“3. The representative of a sheriff, with forty attendants, in their liveries.

“4. The bishop of Hereford, with four pages and footmen, his chaplain, and twenty other household officers, besides their attendants.

“5. Two companies of morris-dancers, who acted their parts to the satisfaction of the spectators.

“6. Sixty nymphs, with music before them, following Diana, all richly adorned in white and gorgeous apparel, with pages and footmen attending them.

“7. Three companies of foot soldiers, with a captain and other officers, in great magnificence.

“8. Robin Hood, in scarlet, with forty bowmen, all clad in Lincoln green.

“Thus they marched into the town. Now follows their performance.

“They marched decently, in good order, round the market-cross, and came to the church, where they offered their cordial prayers for our most gracious sovereign; a sermon preached at that time.

“From thence my lord invited all his attendants to his house to dinner.

“The reverend bishop did the same to all his attendants, inviting the minister and other persons to his own house, where they were sumptuously entertained.

“The soldiers marched up to the cross, where they gave many vollies of shot, with push of pike, and other martial feats.

“There was erected a scaffold and arbours, where the morris-dancers and nymphs acted their parts; many thousands of spectators having come out of the country and villages adjacent.

“Two days were spent in acting ‘Robin Hood.’ The sheriff and reverend bishop sent bottles of sack to several officers acting in the play, who all performed their parts to the general satisfaction of the spectators, with acclamations of joy for the safe arrival of his sacred majesty.

“Something more might have been expected from the civil magistrate of the town, who permitted the conduit to run water all the time.

“The preceding rejoicings were performed by the commonalty of the borough of Richmond.”

Christmas Pie.

The following appeared in the Newcastle Chronicle, 6th Jan. 1770:—“Monday last was brought from Howick to Berwick, to be shipp’d for London, for sir Hen. Grey, bart., a pie, the contents whereof are as follows: viz. 2 bushels of flour, 20 lbs. of butter, 4 geese, 2 turkies, 2 rabbits, 4 wild ducks, 2 woodcocks, 6 snipes, and 4 partridges; 2 neats’ tongues, 2 curlews, 7 blackbirds, and 6 pigeons: it is supposed a very great curiosity, was made by Mrs. Dorothy Patterson, housekeeper at Howick. It was near nine feet in circumference at bottom, weighs about twelve stones, will take two men to present it to table; it is neatly fitted with a case, and four small wheels to facilitate its use to every guest that inclines to partake of its contents at table.”

Oliver Cromwell’s Weddings.

The singular mode of solemnizing marriages that took place during Cromwell’s usurpation, was pretty strictly observed for the space of four years; during which time sixty-six couple were joined together before the civil magistrate (at Knaresbrough.) The gentlemen who were applied to in this case, for the most part, appear to be Thomas Stockdale, of Bilton Park, Esq.; sir Thomas Mouleverer, bart. of Allerton Park; or the mayor of Ripon. The bans were published on three separate days before marriage, sometimes at the market-cross, and sometimes in the church. The following is a copy of one of the certificates:—

“30 Mar. 1651. Marmaduke Inman and Prudence Lowcock, both of the parish of Knaresbrough, were this day married together at Ripon, having first been published three several market-days in the market-place at Knaresbrough, according to the act of parliament, and no exceptions made.

“In the presence of

“Thomas Davie,
“Anthony Simpson.”

Electioneering.

In sir Henry Slingsby’s Diary is the following note, respecting the election at Knaresbrough in the year 1640. “There is an evil custom at such elections, to bestow wine on all the town, which cost me sixteen pounds at least.”

D. A. M.