East Drayton (SK7775), Nottinghamshire

A.S.Buxton Collection (1925, R.F.Wilkinson)

Canon R. F. Wilkinson (Col.)
*East Drayton Version of Plough Monday play.
*A.S.Buxton Collection, Col. c.1925, Buff notebook, pp.48-59

*Full text (133 lines) of a Plough Monday play from East Drayton, Notts. The characters are: Tom Fool/Tommy, Recruiting Serjeant, Plough Boy, Lady Bright and Gay, Dame Jane, Beelzebub/Bellzibub, and Doctor.

No date or collector's name appears to be given with this script, but the copy in the M.W.Barley Collection is annotated "collected by Canon R.F.Wilkinson ca 1925".

M.W.Barley Collection (1950b)

*Anon. (Inf.)
*[Plough Monday Play at East Drayton, Notts.]
*M.W.Barley Collection, Col. c. 1950

*Itinerary and tune to the final song of a Plough Monday play from East Drayton, Notts.

M.W.Barley Collection (1950, L.Butler - a)

Lawrence Butler (Col.)
[Tunes and Notes on Plough Plays]
*M.W.Barley Collection, Com. 30th Dec.1953

Letter about Plough Plays, containing tunes and numerous three tunes to the play from Colsterworth, Lincs., (Collected from Mr.E.Shields) mentioning the characters Recruiting Sergeant, Farmers Boy and Serving Girl. The tunes are given to the final song from East Drayton, Notts., (collected from Canon R.F.Wilkinson), and to a folk song "The Wrestling Match" or "Bill Scrimshaw" from Lenton, Lincs. The play tunes were collected in December 1953.

A number of original references are given in the following passage;

"Although you have ommitted the list of villages where the dance was known to exist, I can add to it from my grandmother's knowledge - Bingham, Granby, Elton; from Mrs. Atkins of Shelford - Radcliffe-on-Trent and Cotgrave; from Mrs. Mee of Shelford - Empingham, Rutland (with account of their dress)"

References to published work include; J.P.Briscoe (1876), J.P.Briscoe (1878), E.L.Guilford (1942), J.Needham & A.L.Peck (1936) [should be 1933], and J.E.F.D.S.S.? (1937) [probably A.R.Wright & T.E.Lones (1938).]

Nottingham Traditional Music Club (1972)

Nottingham Traditional Music Club (Research Group) (Auth.)
Centuries-old custom that is fading from memory [Plough Monday]
Mansfield & North Nottinghamshire Chronicle Advertiser, 20th Jan.1972, No.5249 (New Series 1033), p.7 h-i

This article gives a potted history of the activities of Plough Bullocks on Plough Monday or Plough Bullock Night around Mansfield, Notts., and asks for information.

Plough blessing is mentioned (at Newark, East Drayton and Gotham, Notts.), as is malicious ploughing. Fragments of play text are given, characters being: [an Introducer], Saint George, Slasher/Soldier, Doctor, Beelzebub, Mickey Bent, Rake, Molly Mop, Tommy Tup, and Polly Flinders.

The author on behalf of the club was P.T.Millington - There was no response.

* indicates data that not yet been validated against the original source and/or has yet to be completely indexed.