“‘If a man asks why Shere Thursday is called so, ye may say that in holy Chirche it is called Cena Domini, our Lordes Super day. It is also in Englyshe called Sher Thursday, for in old faders dayes the people wolde that day shere theyr hedes, and clippe theyr berdes, and poll theyr hedes, and so make them honest agenst Ester day. For on Good Fryday they doo theyr bodyes none ease, but suffre penaunce in mynde of him that that day suffred his passyon for all mankynde. On Ester even it is time to here theyr service, and after service to make holy daye.
“‘Then, as Johan Bellet sayth, on Sher Thursday a man sholde so poll his here, and clype his berde, and a preest sholde shave his crowne, so that there sholde nothynge be between God and hym.’”—Festival, quoted by Dr. Wordsworth, in Eccles. Biog. vol. i. p. 297.
In Brand’s Pop. Antiq. (revised by Sir Henry Ellis), London, 1841, in the chapter headed “Shere Thursday, also Maundy Thursday,” the same derivation is given; and in one of the notes, a passage is quoted from the Gent. Mag. (July 1779, p. 349), in which the writer says:
“Maundy Thursday, called by Collier Shier Thursday, Cotgrave calls by a word of the same sound and import, Sheere Thursday. Perhaps—for I can only go upon conjecture—as shear means purus, mundus, it may allude to the washing of the disciples’ feet (John xiii. 5., et seq.), and be tantamount to clean. See 10th verse, and Lye’s Saxon Dictionary v. Scip. If this does not please, the Saxon scipan signifies dividere, and the name may come from the distribution of alms upon that day, for which see Archæol. Soc. Antiq., vol. i. p. 7, seq.; Spelman, Gloss. v. Mandatum; and Du Fresne, vol. iv. p. 400. Please to observe, too, that on that day they also washed the altars, so that the term in question may allude to that business.—See Collier’s Eccles. History, vol. ii. p. 157.”
Chare Thursday, however, says Dr. Hahn (N. & Q. 3rd S. vol. viii. p. 389), is the correct expression, and has nothing whatever to do with shearing or sheer, or scipan. Shere is only a corruption of chare = char, care, or carr.
In Germany Passion Week is called Charwoche, and Good Friday Charfreitag. But in former times Char was prefixed to every day of Passion Week, and we find Charmontag (Chare Monday), Chardienstag (Chare Tuesday), &c. The origin of Chare Thursday is therefore evident. Char is an old German word signifying luctus, solicitudo; Goth. kar, kara; Old Saxon cara; O.-H.-G. chara; Anglo-Saxon cearu, caru, allied to Latin cura, &c.[27]
[27] See [Care Sunday], [p. 121].
The original signification chare having become obsolete, a word of similar sound was substituted in its place, and hence Shere Thursday.
Middlesex.
Robert Halliday, by his will, dated 6th May, 1491, gave estates in the parish of St. Leonard, Eastcheap, London, the rents to be applied to various purposes, and, amongst others, five shillings to the churchwardens yearly, either to make an entertainment among such persons of the said parish of St. Clement, who should be at variance with each other, in the week preceding Easter, to induce such persons to beget brotherly love amongst them; or if none should be found in the said parish, then to make an entertainment with the said five shillings, at the tavern, amongst the honest parishioners of the said parish on the day of our Lord’s Supper, commonly called Shere Thursday, that they might pray more fervently for the souls of certain persons named in his will.—Edwards, Old English Customs and Charities, 1842, p. 146.