Radford (SK5440), Nottinghamshire

S.Mottershaw (1924)

S. Mottershaw (Auth.)
LOCAL NOTES AND QUERIES: "Plough Bullocks" and "Body Snatchers"
*Nottinghamshire Guardian, 10th Oct.1924

"The observance of what was called Plough Monday (whatever may have been its origin) caused a diversion amongst us youngsters as we noticed the get up of the men in their grotesque and foolish costumes as 'Plough Bullocks,' appealing to the onlookers for money, to obtain which seemed to be their main purpose. The demonstrators, I noticed, chiefly hailed from the Old Radford, or Kensington section of the community.

At the period of which I am writing (1849-50) there was much depression..."

Nottinghamshire Guardian (1939a)

[Anon.] (Auth.)
The End Of Plough Mondays
*Nottinghamshire Guardian, 7th Jan.1939

A general description of Plough Monday, with quotations on the disrepute of the custom through malicious ploughing, from W. Howitt (1834). S.R.Hole (1901) and Chaworth-Musters (1890) are also cited. Mentions "guisers", and the characters Robin Hood and Maid Marion.

Places in Notts., listed as having seen the custom within living memory are; Newark, Mansfield, Southwell, Bulwell, Radford, Wiverton, Cropwell, and Tithby (1890), Caunton (1900), and East Markham.

"J.Granby" (1960a)

"John Granby" (Auth.)
*LOCAL NOTES AND QUERIES: Old customs still exist - but some have a "new look" [Plough Monday in Notts.]
*Nottinghamshire Guardian, 12th Mar.1960

Article on extant customs in Nottinghamshire.

"The Monday closest to that date (January 6) is Plough Monday, the day on which the plough was taken round a parish by youths and men, who probably never knew that the money collected from cottagers and others was originally for the maintenance of the farmers' light in church and pocketed it for themselves.

This lingered long into the Victorian era at Radford and Bulwell, but roughness crept in and it was generally abandoned, though the accompanying folk-drama and mumming seem never to have quite died out locally. Mrs. Chaworth-Musters's 'Cavalier Stronghold' gives full details of the play as performed at Wiverton 50 years ago; early in the present century it was flourishing at Caunton, and since then it has been revived at Tollerton and East Markham and perhaps elsewhere."

Other customs mentioned include ringing the pancake-bell on Shrove Tuesday, sports and games on hills on the same day, Mothering Sunday, simnel cakes, and clipping the church.

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