North Muskham (SK7958), Nottinghamshire

B.V.M. (1886)

B. V. M. (Auth.)
LOCAL NOTES AND QUERIES: No. CCCII: THE LATE PLOUGH MONDAY DISTURBANCES AT NORTH MUSKHAM
Nottingham Daily Guardian, 27th Jan.1886, No.9357, p.7 f

Article reads as follows [the Latin is imperfectly transcribed from a bad copy.]

"Roger Johnson and his brother Nicholas, William Foster, William Wood, Richard Newbold, Francis Barton, John Thompson, John Allwood, William Harrison, and William Needham were charged before the Rev. Mr. Coop for plowinge in the Churche yearde and misusing theimeselves in the Churche upon plowe daie last, and also for abusynge Mr. Asheton theire vicar in wordes. Mr. Ashton having expressed his regret that a youthful excess should have been brought into court, the reverend official (Mr. Coop) addressed the irreverend defendants who seemed to treat the matter as good joke. After a long and patient investigation the accused, who appeared in the vestments and ritual peculiar to Plough Monday, were ordered to go back to North Muskham and turne downe againe the furrowes plowed uppe by theime before since upon next Soundaie, and that they should hereafter keep the queen's pees and behave themselves reverentlye to theire saide vicar, and not abuse the churche and churche yarde as they had heretofore, uppon payne of the Lawe. We are confident the defendants will not againe offend in like manner, and trust we have now heard the last of this case. Our relation is authentic and we will dismiss the affair with the touching remark that it is 'id quod actura est in villa, ecclesia, et coemuteres de Muskham ex parte boreali dia aratei anno ab incaruacionus et juxta Ecclesiae Anglicanae computacionena milimo-quinquent et sexto.' At the same time, the case of John Spittlehouse for quarelynge, chydynge and callynge Nicholas Matlocke, the constable, raskall, knave and Michaelmas knave, in the churche and churche yeard of Southwell, on the fifteenth of January, was ordered to stand over, as was also that of Alice and Edward Wood for quarallyng and smytyng Mrs. Burnell's mayde in the same churche."

B.V.M. (1902)

B. V. M. (Auth.)
LOCAL NOTES AND QUERIES: No.32: PLOUGH MONDAY [Malicious Ploughing at North Muskham, Notts. in 1596]
*Nottinghamshire Guardian, 8th Mar.1902

Reads as follows;

"Ten men of North Muskham, Notts., in 1596 (the year of Thomas Ashton's induction, but in 1597 as we should now say), were charged before the Rev. Mr. Coop with 'plowinge in the churche yarde, and misusing themselves in the churche, upon plowe daie last, and also for abusyinge Mr. Asheton, theire vicar, in wordes.' Mr. Ashton, having expressed his regret that a youthful excess should have been brought into court, the reverend official (Mr. Coop) addressed the irreverent defendants, who seemed to treat the matter as a good joke. After a long and patient investigation the accused, who appeared in the vestments and ritual peculiar to Plough Monday, were ordered to go back to North Muskham, 'and turne downe againe the furrowes plowed uppe by theim before svice, upon next Soundaie' and that they should hereafter 'keep the queen's pees, and behave themselves reverentlye to theire saide vicar, and not abuse the churche and churcheyarde as they had heretofore, uppon payne of the Lawe.' At the same time, the case of John Spittlehouse, for 'quarelynge, chydynge, and callynge Nicholas Matlocke, the constable, raskall, knave, and Michaelmas knave, in the churche and churche yeard of Southwell,' on the fifteenth of January, was ordered to stand over, as was that of Alice and Edward Wood for 'quarellyng and smytyng Mrs. Burnell's mayde" in the same church."

Newark Herald (1902)

*[Anon.] (Auth.)
*North Muskham: Plough Monday
*Newark Herald, 15th Mar.1902

*Previously published in B.V.M. (1886) and B.V.M. (1902), a transcript in the M.W.Barley Collection reads as follows;

"Ten men of N. Muskham, in 1596 (the year of Thomas Ashton's induction, but in 1597 as we should now say), were charged before the Rev. Mr. Coop with "plowinge in the churche yarde, and misusing themselves in the churche, upon plowe daie last, and also for abusyinge Mr. Asheton, theire vicar, in wordes." Mr. Ashton, having expressed his regret that a youthful excess should have been brought into court, the reverend official (Mr. Coop) addressed the irreverent defendants, who seemed to treat the matter as a good joke. After a long and patient investigation the accused, who appeared in the vestments and ritual peculiar to Plough Monday, were ordered to go back to N. Muskham, "and turne downe againe the furrowes plowed uppe by theim before since (sic), upon next Soundaie" and that they should hereafter "keep the queen's pees, and behave themselves reverentlye to theire saide vicar, and not abuse the churche and churcheyarde as they had heretofore, uppon payne of the Lawe."...

Nottinghamshire Guardian (1942a)

[Anon.] (Auth.)
Local Notes and Queries : Plough Monday Trouble At Muskham
Nottinghamshire Guardian, 3rd Jan.1942, No.5042, pp.3 c-d

Notes the recent revival of Plough Monday customs in Notts., but without the malicious ploughing aspects of the former "fool plough" mummers. It then describes an incident at North Muskham, Notts., in 1597 when the church yard was ploughed up, and the plough trailers were arraigned in court.

M.W.Barley Collection (1952, Smalley)

*Mr. Smalley (Inf.)
*[Plough Monday Plough Boys Play from North Muskham, Notts.]
*M.W.Barley Collection, Col. 1952

*Text for the Farmer Man from a Plough Monday play performed by Plough Boys before about 1900 in North Muskham, Notts.

M.W.Barley Collection (1954, W.Gascoyne)

Mr. W. Gascoyne (Perf.)
N.Muskham - Plough Monday Play
M.W.Barley Collection, Recalled 1st Feb.1954, Ref.Ba P 1/28

Full text (97 lines) and tunes for a Plough Monday Plough Boys play from North Muskham, Notts., last performed before 1914. The characters are; Tom Fool, Recruiting Sergeant/King Sergeant, Lady Bright and Gay/Polly, Thrashing Blade, Doctor, Eezum Squeezum and Little Clown. There were two teams - one men and one youths. It was rehearsed in a barn.

Newark Advertiser (1957a)

[Anon.] (Auth.)
PLOUGH BOYS ARE HERE [North Muskham Plough Monday play]
Newark Advertiser, 2nd Jan.1957, Vol.104, No.5193, p.10c-e

Full text (119 lines) and description of a Plough Monday play from North Muskham, Notts., Collected by Mr.M.W.Barley from Mr.W.Gascoyne. The script is laid out continuously rather than in verse, and has the characters: Tom Fool, King Sergeant/Recruiting Sergeant, Lady/Polly, Thrashing Blade, Doctor, Eezum Squeezum, and Little Clown. There were two teams, one for men and one for youths.

This text is the same as M.W.Barley Collection (1954, W.Gascoyne) - TD00473.

I.T.Jones Collection (1982, R.M.Beaumont)

Mr. R. M. Beaumont (Inf.)
North Muskham Disturbances: The Honorary Librarian, Southwell Minster
I.T.Jones Collection, Com. 3rd Jul 1982, Ref.L2-2

Letter from Mr. Beaumont, the Honorary Librarian, Southwell Minster advising that the old archdeaconry records are kept at Nottinghamshire University. What they do keep at the Minster are the records of the Chapter, which concern not only the Minster itself but also in certain matters within the Minster Peculiar. North Muskham was within the Peculiar and therefore he would have expected the Chapter and not the Archdeacon to have jurisdiction over North Muskham churchyard. Unfortunately the court records of visitations and corrections which began in 1469 are missing from 1595 to 1660.

I.T.Jones Collection (1982, D.Marcombe)

Mr. D. Marcombe (Inf.)
North Muskham Disturbances: Centre for Local History, Nottingham University
I.T.Jones Collection, Com. 21st Sep 1982, Ref.L2-3

Letter from Dr. Marcombe, Centre for Local History, Department of Adult Education, Nottingham University. He thinks it would be very unusual for a case from North Muskham to be heard by the Archdeacon. If the case was referred from the Southwell court it was most likely to be to a group of High Commisioners sitting within the Archdeaconry. Most of these High Commission records are lost and those that do exist are in the Borthwick Institute, York University. Alternatively it might have gone to the Quarter Sessions if the incident was regarded principally as a breach of the peace rather than an instance for 'moral' correction.

I.T.Jones Collection (1983, I.T.Jones - a)

Mr. Idwal Jones (Col.)
North Muskham Disturbances: Notes
I.T.Jones Collection, Written 1983, Ref.L2-1

Four articles are known relating to the disturbances in North Muskham in 1596. B.V.M. (1886) and B.V.M. (1902) are obviously taken from the same source and Newark Herald (1902) is probably taken from B.V.M. (1902). Nottinghamshire Guardian (1942) could be taken from the earlier articles but additionally mentions that the men were 'cited to the court of the Archdeacon'. This addition could have come from court records or it could just be the interpretation of the author.

Trader Pictorial [Newark] (2004)

[Anon.] (Auth.)
Reviving ancient tradition
Trader Pictorial [Newark], 7th Jan.2004, No.1189, p.2a-6

Large colour photo of the Muskham Pinkies, who had revived the plough boys' play from North Muskham, Notts., also performing at Norwell and Bathley. The original play had ceased at the start of second world war. The caption lists cast members Simon Simcox, Paul Cotter, David Haslam, Ian Harrison and Jeff Hannabuss. The accompanying article mentions the incident of 1597 when the plough boys ran a furrow across the churchyard.

Performances by the Calverton Real Ale and Plough Play Preservation Society are also listed for Calverton, Farnsfield, Epperstone, Lambley, Lowdham, Hoveringham, and Woodborough.

Newark Advertiser (2004a)

[Anon.] (Auth.)
REVIEWS: Plough play revived [North Muskham, Notts.]
Newark Advertiser, 9th Jan.2004, Vol.155, No.7931, p.Arts.10d-f

Article and two colour photos of the revival by the Muskham Pinkies of the ploughboys' play from North Muskham, Notts, also performed at Norwell and Bathley. The original tradition stopped at the start of the second world war. The captions list the following cast members: David Haslam, Dan Harrison, Simon Simcox, Paul Cotter, Keith Baines, Paul Lane, and Jeff Hannabus.

Performances by the Calverton Real Ale and Plough Play Preservation Society are listed for Farnsfield, Epperstone, Lambley, Lowdham, Hoveringham, Woodborough, and Calverton. Morris dancers performing after a Plough Sunday service at Morton, Notts., are also mentioned.

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