Thorney (SK8572), Nottinghamshire
E.M. (1924)
E. M. (Auth.)
THE MUMMERS' PLAY: INTERESTING SURVIVALS IN NOTTINGHAMSHIRE: MEMORIES OF PLOUGH MONDAY AND CHRISTMASTIDE
*Nottingham Guardian,
9th Jan.1924, No.21153, p.6d
*The author describes the mummers play he saw performed in Thorney
at Christmas-tide each year between 1898 and 1906. It was performed
at Plough Monday or more usually Christmas Eve. The actors came from
Harby or sometimes Broadholme. The actors called themselves Morris
Dancers and never Mummers, but there was almost no dancing. The author
claims the play was almost identical to that in "Cavalier Stronghold"
by Mrs. Chaworth Musters.
59 lines of text fragments are given, plus 16 lines of a closing song.
The characters were: Tom Fool, Recruiting Sergeant, Weeping Willie
[equivalent to the Ribboner], Buxom Nell/Lady, Buxom Joan [equivalent
to Dame Jane], Saint or King George, Beelzebub/Heesum Teesum, and Doctor.
Regarding the fight: "Now comes Saint or King George who is challenged
and defeated by the Sergeant. Sometimes King George was followed by
Beelzebub and the fight was between them. At other times Saint George
did not appear and the Sergeant fought Beelzebub."
This abstract has been prepared from a poor quality copy, and the
information needs to be verified against a better copy or the original.
Nottingham Journal (1941a)
[Anon.] (Auth.)
Tom Fool and Beelzebub: PLOUGH MONDAY PLAYS IN NOTTS.?
Nottingham Journal,
10th Jan.1941, No.35888, p.3c
General article describing plough plays in Nottinghamshire,
including the following paragraphs:
"The Notts. villages where the
text of such plays is still preserved
are Scarrington, Farnsfield,
Bothamsall, Lowdham, Cropwell
Bishop, Blidworth, Norwell and
Thorney."
"The last performance of a play
recalled by Mr. E.E.Neale, of the
Notts. Rural Community Council,
was at Cropwell Bishop in 1938."
The words of the final song at Blidworth are quoted.
* indicates data that not yet been validated against the original source and/or has yet to be completely indexed.
|