"J.Granby" (1951)
Source:
"John Granby" (Auth.)
*LOCAL NOTES AND QUERIES: Poor owd 'oss
*Nottinghamshire Guardian,
15th Dec.1951
Source states:
"RUSTIC wassailing was not yet extinct, but the excesses of
disgruntled plough-bullockers had put them out of favour. Mummers
or guisers entertained villagers with their play of St. George
into the later years of the century.
At Mansfield, the hobby-horse performance was represented by the
'Poor old 'oss' until about 1870. Still later at Sutton-in-Ashfield
a man was accustomed to parade the streets at four o'clock in the
morning ringing a bell to summon people to awake and prepare for
Christmas.
Children at Hucknall continued to carry about a glass-topped box
in which dolls representing the Virgin and infant Babe lay among
ivy and holly.
At each house of call the covering cloth was withdrawn, the images
viewed, and it was deemed unlucky to let the children depart without
a gift.
The Education Act of 1870 helped to put an end to old customs, but
some struggled on to disappear completely during the war of 1914-18.
It is significant of the hold Christmas customs obtained upon the
public that present conditions of life have not killed them all.
Some of the more domestic celebrations still exist. Others have
lately been revived."
Index Terms:
| Locations: |
*Mansfield, Notts. (SK5361); Sutton-in-Ashfield, Notts. (SK5059); Hucknall, Notts. (SK5349)
|
| Years: |
Ceased about 1870; Publ. 1951
|
| Subjects: |
Plough-Bullockers; Mummers; Guisers; "St. George"; Play; Hobby Horse; "Poor Owd 'Oss"; Christmas Bell; Christmas; House Visiting; Crib; Education Act 1870
|
| People: |
William Elliott Doubleday (Auth.)
|
| Archives: |
TDRG Archive, Ref. TD00048;
Local Notes & Queries Scrapbook, 1948-54, p.76
|
* indicates data that has not yet been validated against the original source and/or has yet to be completely indexed.
Last Updated Apr 2005 by Idwal Jones.
|
