[Anon.] (Auth.)
BALDERTON.- PLOUGH MONDAY
Newark Advertiser,
15th Jan.1896, Vol.44, No.2118, p.5 f
"Last Monday, being the first after twelth day, was Plough Monday..."
Previously there used to be a plough procession, when a plough was
dressed with ribbon and other decorations and dragged along from house to house
by 'plough bullocks'.
On this occasion, during the early part of the day, youngsters as
young as 9 or 10, with "grimy faces and other disfigurements" stopped
passers by and visited houses with a request of "Please remember the
poor owd plough boy!"
At night the "genuine plough boys" - also called "morris dancers" -
visited houses and performed a play. The plot of the play is described:
"The caste consists of which included a clown, a
soldier,
a waggoner, a lady(?) and a doctor, besides
one or two others. To those who admit them into
their houses they willingly go through their performance,
which lasts about ten minutes. First comes
the clown, who, after reciting in verse, as a sort of prologue,
to the tune of 'Billy Barlow,' he is quickly
followed by the soldier, in scarlet uniform, with forage
cap jauntily worn on the side of the head and from
which hang recruiting ribbons. Next comes the
waggoner with whiip in hand, and plentifully bedecked
with ornamental horse brasses. After being enlisted
by the solder, the 'lady' appears on he scene, and
an altercation ensues, when she is laid prostrate by a
whack from the waggoner. A scene ensues
and a doctor is sent for who arrives clad
in a black tailed coat, with very much tail, a silk hat,
and kid gloves. After reciting the numerous wonderful
cures he has wrought, he essays to try his hand on
the prostrate lady, and feeling the pulse, which he
discovers somewhere near the nape of the neck, he
declares her to be very low, in fact, he says she could
not be any lower unless there was a hole (pronounced
'hoal' dug underneath her. Upon the administration
of a whole box of pills - box included - she recovers,
and the whole join in a song and dance, which
concludes with a solicitation for a 'little of your
money and a drink of your good beer.' All ends
happily, and the dancers depart with a song, in which
is expressed the wishes the host my have 'a happy
new year, a pocket full of money, and a cellar full of
beer.' A visit is then made to another house, and it is
seldom, if not admitted, they are turned away without
a contribution being placed in the cap."
