Somercotes (SK4253), Derbyshire
M.W.Barley Collection (1953, W.Kay)
Mr. W. Kay (Inf.)
Plough Plays [Somercotes, Derbys.]
*M.W.Barley Collection,
Com. 20th Apr.1953 & 23rd Apr.1953
Brief note and follow-up postcard about a Plough Monday play at Somercotes,
Derbys. The note reads;
"Mr.W.Kay, Ford Farm, Higham, Derbyshire was brought up at Somercotes, s.e. of
Alfreton, and remembered performance of Plough Monday Play there.", to which is
added the comment "Includes Beelzebub but is almost certainly Mummer."
The postcard reads;
"Mr. Kay is certain Somercotes play held on Plough Monday. He recalls that
farmers attended church on previous day, then on the Monday held a Supper at
which their 'Sketches' were performed. I have asked him to write down as much
of dialogue as he can remember, a list of characters and an outline of the
action."
P.T.Millington Collection (1972, B.Faulconbridge)
Mrs. Barbara Faulconbridge (Inf.)
[Christmas, Bull Guyses play from Selston, Notts.]
P.T.Millington Collection,
Com. 20th Jan.1972 & 20th Feb.1972
Two letters. The first, responding to a newspaper article, gives an
incomplete text (14 + 4 lines) of a Bull Guyses (Guyseing) play performed at
Christmas from about 1946 to 1950 at Selston, Notts. The characters are;
Enterer, Bull Guyse, St. George, Doctor Brown and Bells-a-bub, with additional
unidentified supernumerary characters for the "Hangers-on". The performers, who
were her friends, "... moved out of Selston with their activities as they found
that at Somercotes and Alfreton it was something quite new..."
The song "We've come to steal your old black hen" was sung at the end of the
play, and second letter was in response to a query as to what the tune was like.
It also gives the words of another "saying" mostly used with Christmas singing.
Main variant
Transcript
35 Hall Lane,,
Brinsley, Notts, NG16 3AN
Tel: L.Mill 2779
20th January 1972
Peter T. Millington Esq.,
See full transcript...
Variant: a
Scans/Images
Variant: c
Transcript
SELSTON - BULL GUYSES PLAY
Written down by Mrs. Barbara Faulconbridge, of 35 Hall Lane,
Brinsley, Notts,
on the 20/1/1972, for Peter T. Millington.
ENTERER I open the door I enter in,
See full transcript...
Scans/Images
P.T.Millington Collection (1973, D.M.Bates)
Mrs. D. M. Bates (Inf.)
CHRISTMAS CUSTOMS SURVEY [Somercotes, Derbys.]
P.T.Millington Collection,
Col. Jan.1973
Reply from the Royal Tiger Inn, Somercotes, Derbys., to a
questionnaire sent to pubs in the Nottinghamshire and
Derbyshire border district in 1973. The pub was visited by
carol singers who were children and/or Brownies. A play was
also performed in December 1972, but the local name for the
play was not known. Mrs. Bates also noted "A few young boys
playing musical instruments." "...we don't get much
traditional entertainment in these parts."
P.T.Millington Collection (1991)
Mrs. Barbara Faulconbridge (Inf.)
[Christmas Bullguysers Play and Bullguysing in Selston, Notts.]
P.T.Millington Collection,
Received 29th Jan.1991
Letter describing experiences of Bullguysing in Selston, Notts. Mrs.
Faulconbridge was associated with the custom as a girl, probably about
1940. She was not a performer herself, having to be content with Christmas
singing. The local Bullguysers "disappeared" when they discovered more
lucrative grounds in Somercotes and Alfreton. In later life she had taught the
play to her husband and sons for the entertainment of family and friends around
Brinsley, Notts.
One of her sons witnessed a set of Guysers performing in Awsworth, Notts.,
during Christmas 1990.
P.Millington (1991b)
Peter Millington (Auth.)
Do Guysers still exist? [West Notts., plays]
Eastwood & Kimberley Advertiser,
20th Dec.1991, Vol.94, No.5099, p.14 a-b
Description of accounts communicated following an appeal for information
on Christmas Guysers earlier in 1991. There is a description of the play
performed by Mr. Tom Thorpe in Bagthorpe in the 1930s. This had the
characters; Opener In, St. George, Slasher, Doctor, Belzibub and
Devildowt. Belzibub's speech is quoted. In the 1950s, Mr.G.S.Bennieston
performed in a team in Underwood. They also went to Annesley, Moorgreen,
Newthorpe, Kimberley, Eastwood, Jacksdale, Selston and Felley Priory. There is
a long description of Mrs. Barbara Faulconbridge's experiences with Bullguysers
in Selston, in which she also mentions one of her sons seeing Guysers
performing in Awsworth in 1990. The Selston teams eventually took to
going to Somercotes, Derbys. Finally, there is a mention of the annual
Guysing performed by the Ripley Morris Men in Ripley, Derbys. Syd Barber
collected their play from Mr. Percy Cook of Ripley.
Main variant
Transcript
DO GUYSERS STILL EXIST?
by Peter Millington
Earlier this year, I asked if anyone had seen any
Guysers during Christmas 1990. I only received
four replies, but the answer seems to be yes.
See full transcript...
P.Millington (1991c)
Peter Millington (Auth.)
*Do Guysers still exist? [West Notts., plays]
*Ripley & Heanor News,
21st Dec.1991, Vol.102
Syndicated article - see P.Millington (1991b).
J.Marsh (2002)
Jim Marsh (Perf.)
Guisering in Somercotes, Derbyshire
Traditional Drama Forum,
Jan.2002, No.4,
https://folkplay.info/forum/traditional-drama-forum-no4/features/guisering-somercotes-derbyshire
*Text fragments and a description of a Christmas Guisering play
performed by boys during World War II in Somercotes, Derbys. The characters
were: Enter-In/William of the Great, St. George, Bull-Slasher, a Doctor, and Beelzebub. The play
was performed on Christmas Eve, Christmas Day and Boxing Day in Somercotes,
Lower Somercotes, Leabrooks, and Riddings.
* indicates data that not yet been validated against the original source and/or has yet to be completely indexed.
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