"J.Granby" (1953)
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Transcription
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10 THE NOTTINGHAMSHIRE GUARDIAN, SATURDAY, JANUARY 10, 1953.
Nottinghamshire's Plough
Mondays
THOMAS MILLER, who was born
at Gainsborough in 1808 and lived
in Nottingham for some years, was a
basket-maker by trade but an author
by preference. Of his numerous books
- about fifty in all - more than one
were written at Nottingham, and among
these was, in part at least, his "Country
Year Book," in which he describes
with fidelity the customs and scenes
with which he was familiar, on both
sides of the Trent.
The following account of the Plough
Monday celebration, although here pre-
sented in abbreviated form, relates to
the period 1830 to 1850 which covered
his Nottingham life. He vouches for
the accuracy of the description and
there is no reason to doubt that he had
himself taken part in this after-Christ-
mas custom in and about Notts. in the
days of his youth.
Plough Monday is the first Mon-
day after Epiphany and no doubt
the custom of this day in its
revived form has received com-
memorative attention in more than
one Notts. village this year.
But it is not usual to reproduce all
its features, and indeed it would be
impossible to do so for it was a
peripatetic affair, as Miller's account
shows. Here it is:
"Heralding the way come the lads,
waving their hats and caps, regardless
of the cold; their heavy boots crunch-
ing the snow at every step . . . They
are followed by pipe and tabor, fiddle
and drum. Then appears a strong,
healthy-looking ploughman with his
heavy ankle-boots, worsted stockings,
stout corduroy breeches and thick plush
waistcoat, over which he wears a gown,
the skirt of which he generally tucks
up under his waistcoat until he enters
a village, to keep it from draggling.
Thus arrayed, with bonnet or cap
on head. he comes dancing along about
as gracefully as a brown shaggy bear
and rattling the money-box, which he
carries in his hand, at every step, for
he is ro-day Betsy, so famous in the
olden time as the chief figurante on a
Plough Monday.
Next follows the plough, drawn
by ten or a dozen stout country-
men, by ropes either thrown over
their shoulders or fastened round
their waists, while their hats or
white smock-frocks are decorated
with ribbons of almost all colours.
amid which ore placed ears of
corn; he who guides the plough
being ornamented like another
Ceres, intended to represent the
emblem of plenty.
Next appear threshers with their
fiails and reapers with their hooks;
waggoners with their long whips dang-
ling over their shoulders; bringing
before the eye the whole procession of
harvest, down to the dusty miller who
has covered himself with an extra coat
of meal for the occasion and come to
take toll out at the proceeds of the
day.
To this column in Jaauary, 1923, a
correspondent contributed the
following account of the Plough Mon-
day survival at Bulwell at that time.
"On Piough Monday in old times a
decorated plough was drawn about by
a beribboned procession, and 'plough-
bullocks' went about ploughing up
country doorsteps if no money was
given them.
"The last I remember of them with
a plough, was in Bulwell Kilnyards in
1870. There were four 'plough-men'
and four men dressed as women.
"The last I saw of the 'guisers'
was at Christmas, 1872. They came to
our house in the Kilnyards and acted
St. George. There was the doctor and
Beelzubub, and Bess and Jack. It was
+ + + +
LOCAL NOTES
AND QUERIES
Conducted by
JOHN GRANBY
+ + + +
all great fun. There are one or two
still living who were lads then and took.
part in the performance."
TO thus it may be added that Mrs. L.
Chaworth Musters used to recount her
memories or 'plough-bullocks' at
Cropwell and Tithby so late as 1890. |
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