King’s Hill in Rochford.
Curia de Domino Rege
Dicta sine Lege,
Tenta est ibidem
Per ejusdem consuetudinem.
Ante ortum Solis,
Luceat nisi Polus,
Nil scribit nisi colis.
Toties voluerit,
Gallus ut cantaverit,
Per cujus solum sonitum,
Curia est summonita.
Clamat clam pro Rege
In Curia sine Lege,
Et nisi cito venerint,
Citius pœnituerint;
Et nisi clam accedant
Curia non attendat;
Qui venerit cum lumine,
Errat in regimine
Et dum sunt sine lumine
Capti sunt in crimine,
Curia sine cura
Jurati de injuria;
Tenta ibidem die Mercurii (ante diem) proximo, post Festum Sancti Michaelis Archangeli, anno Regni Regis, &c.
There is a tradition that this servile attendance was imposed at first upon certain tenants of divers manors hereabouts for conspiring in this place at such an unreasonable time to raise a commotion.[77]
[77] At Kidderminster, says a correspondent of Gent. Mag. (1790, vol. lx. p. 1191), is a singular custom. On the election of a bailiff the inhabitants assemble in the principal streets and throw cabbage-stalks at each other. The town-house bell gives signal for the affray. This is called “lawless hour.” This done (for it lasts an hour), the bailiff elect and corporation, in their robes, preceded by drums and fifes (for they have no waits), visit the old and new bailiff, constables, &c., attended by a mob. In the meantime the most respectable families in the neighbourhood are invited to meet and fling apples at them on their entrance.
Gloucestershire.
The custom of hanging out bushes of ivy, boughs of trees, or bunches of flowers at private houses as a sign that good cheer may be had within, prevails in the city of Gloucester at the fair held at Michaelmas, called Barton Fair from the locality.—N. & Q. 1st S. vol. ix. p. 113.
Hertfordshire.
In Brand’s Pop. Antiq. (1849, vol. i. p. 372) is the following account of a curious septennial custom observed at Bishop Stortford and in the adjacent neighbourhood on old Michaelmas Day, taken from a London newspaper of the 18th of October, 1787:—
On the morning of this day, called Ganging Day, a great number of young men assemble in the fields where a very active fellow is nominated the leader. This person they are bound to follow, who, for the sake of diversion, generally chooses the route through ponds, ditches, and places of difficult passage. Every person they meet is bumped, male or female, which is performed by two other persons taking them up by their arms, and swinging them against each other. The women in general keep at home at this period, except those of less scrupulous character, who, for the sake of partaking of a gallon of ale and a plumcake, which every landlord or publican is obliged to furnish the revellers with, generally spend the best part of the night in the fields if the weather is fair, it being strictly according to ancient usage not to partake of the cheer anywhere else.