A.S.Buxton Collection (No Date - c)

Source:

Albert Sorby Buxton (Col.)
*Mansfield version [Plough Bullocks' play]
A.S.Buxton Collection, Buff notebook, pp.1-7,106-107,and Insert pp.1-7,between notebook pp.110-111

*Full text (69 lines) of the a Plough Monday Plough Bullocks play from Mansfield, Notts., ceased before 1914, and revived 1922. The characters are: Courtier, St. George, Slasher, Doctor, Beelzebub, Mickey Bent, Molly Mop, and Tommy Tup.

In fact that are two Mansfield texts in this notebook, and they have yet to be checked to see if they are the same or not. Separate notes on pp.106-107 read: "The version on page 1 of the Plough Monday play was given in Mansfield regularly up to about 1875, then it gradually died out. Up to about 1840 it used to be played by men who carried a plough with them, then it got to be played by boys only.

Many old inhabitants, in 1921, could remember their fathers and mothers telling of having seen the plough used to plough up the ground in front of the houses of people who refused to give anything. Even where the boys played the play this custom of annoying non-contributors was kept up & many can remember turning over water butts, tying the front door knob to the railings or throwing mud at the windows of people who refused to give them anything. In some houses however the occupants made war on the boys & to-day many can remember how in these houses they used to heat the poker in the fire & as soon as the lads appeared run them out pf the street with this instrument."

Index Terms:

Locations: Mansfield, Notts. (SK5361)
Years: Perf. about 1840; Perf. about 1875; Ceased before 1914; Col. 1921; Rev. 1922
Subjects: *Full Text; Plough Monday; Plough Bullocks; Play; Courtier; St. George; Slasher; Doctor; Beelzebub; Mickey Bent; Molly Mop; Tommy Tup; Malicious Ploughing; Retribution
Archives: TDRG Archive, Ref. TD00768

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

Last Updated Mar 2005 by Peter Millington.