Oxton (SK6351), Nottinghamshire

T.Shipside (1956)

Tom Shipside (Auth.)
I LIVED IN A VILLAGE: Stories of like and folk in Nottinghamshire in general, and Oxton in particular [including Plough Monday]
Nottingham: Woolston Book Co., [1956], pp.40-41

This book is about the local history of Oxton, Notts. Details are given of the characters of the local Plough Monday play, and their costumes. These were; Tom Fool, Farmer's Man, Eezie Squeesum, Lady, Recruiting Sergeant, Dame Jane, Devil/Beelzebub and Doctor. Mention is also made of the preparations for the performances of about 1886.

No publication date appears in the book but it is 1956 according to Notts. County Library, Local Studies Division catalogue.

W.E.D. (1957)

W. E. D. (Auth.)
Plough Monday at Oxton
*Nottinghamshire Weekly Guardian, 12th Jan.1957

Description of play at Oxton, Notts., taken from T.Shipside (1956). This mentions the characters; Tom Fool, Farmer's Man, Eezie Squee-sum, Lady, Recruiting Sergeant, Dame Jane, Devil/Beelzebub and Doctor.

There is also a photo captioned; "Tollerton revived the Plough Monday round of play performances at local farms a few years ago. The characters in this picture are: Recruiting Sergeant, Tom Fool, Dame Jane, Farmer's Man, Lady Bright and Gay, Threshing Blade and the Doctor." It shows the Doctor dosing a recumbent Farmer's Man, with the others looking on in the background.

I.T.Jones (1981b)

I. T. Jones (Auth.)
The Owd Oss Mummers: PLOUGH MONDAY
The Bramley, Apr.1981, No.68, p.6e-f

Follow up letter regarding an appeal for information on Plough Monday in the Jan.1981 issue (I.T.Jones, 1981a). Mr. Steemson provided words of a play performed in Oxton until the 1890s. Mr. Ralph Brooke had the scrap book compiled by Miss L.F.Milner containing the play performed in Kirklington up to the First War. Mrs. Olifent and Mr. Robinson provided the play performed between the wars in Farnsfield, and recently revived at annual Plough Monday suppers. Mr. Jack Smith (via his daughter Mrs. Marshall) gave details of the Plough Bullocking play that he and others had revived in 1980 in Blidworth. This had been performed right up to the Second World War. Mr. Ernest Parkin remembered his father's Plough Bullocking in Edingley about 1891. Further locations mentioned where Plough Monday had been celebrated, but for not detailed information was available were Averham, Kneesall, Norwell and Southwell. The author had also obtained a copy of a Caunton text performed until about 1945.

I.T.Jones Collection (1981, Steemson - a)

Mr. Steemson (Inf.)
Oxton, Notts: Notes on phone call from Mr Steemson, Halloughton 29/01/81
I.T.Jones Collection, Col. 29th Jan.1981, Ref.K4-1

Notes on phone call from Mr Steemson. He talked about what his father had told him about a Plough Monday play in Oxton in the late 1890's. His uncle played the lady. Other characters were the Producer, Eezum Squeezum, Farmer's Man, Policeman and Recruiting Sergeant.

I.T.Jones Collection (1981, Steemson - b)

Mr. Steemson (Inf.)
Oxton, Notts: Hand written transcript of tape of conversation with Mr Steemson 30/1/81
I.T.Jones Collection, Col. 30th Jan.1981, Ref.K4-2

Hand written transcript of visit to Mr Steemson, Doncaster Farm, Halloughton on 30th January 1981. Typed version is TD00634

I.T.Jones Collection (1981, Steemson - c)

Mr. Steemson (Inf.)
Oxton, Notts: Typed transcript of tape of converstaion with Mr Steemson 30/1/81
I.T.Jones Collection, Col. 30th January 1981, Ref.K4-4

Typed transcript of tape of visit to Mr Steemson, Doncaster Farm, Halloughton on 30th January 1981. His uncle had taken part in the Plough Monday play in Oxton in the 1890's. His father had seen the play many times and taught the lines to Mr Steemson when he was a boy. Characters in the play were: Man in Charge, Tom Fool, Eezum Squeezum, Farmer's Man, Lady, Doctor, Policeman and Recruiting Sergeant. He thought the play was performed up to the time of the Boer War. He remembers lads with blackened faces going round Oxton asking 'Please remember the Plough Boys' up to about 1910. He wrote out some pieces of the play for the Vicar of Thurgaton about 2 or 3 years previously. He suggested Bob Stubb in Oxton might know something about the play.

I.T.Jones Collection (1981, Steemson - d)

Mr. Steemson (Inf.)
Oxton, Notts: Play extracted from conversation with Mr Steemson 30/1/81
I.T.Jones Collection, Col. 30th January 1981, Ref.K4-4

Text of part of the Oxton play taken from tape of meeting with Mr Steemson on 30th January 1981 (TD00634). 40 lines of text with characters: Man in Charge, Tom Fool, Old Eezum Squeezum, Farmer's Man, Lady, Doctor, Recruiting Sergeant

I.T.Jones Collection (1981, Steemson - e)

Mr. Steemson (Inf.)
Oxton, Notts: Letter to Mr Steemson 6/2/81
I.T.Jones Collection, Com. 6th Feb.1981, Ref.K4-5

Transcript of letter to Mr Steemson 6/2/81 thanking him for the visit on 30/1/81

I.T.Jones Collection (1981, Steemson - f)

Mr. Steemson (Inf.)
Oxton, Notts: Notes on phone call from Mr Steemson, Halloughton 9/02/81
I.T.Jones Collection, Col. 9th Feb.1981, Ref.K4-6

Notes on phone call from Mr Steemson thanking me for the letter I had sent him. He corrected the name Stubb to Babs Strutt.

I.T.Jones Collection (1981, Bernard Hill)

Rev. Bernard Hill (Intermediary)
Oxton, Notts: Notes on phone call to Rev Bernard Hill, Thurgarton 4/2/81
I.T.Jones Collection, Col. 4th Feb.1981, Ref.K4-7

Notes on phone call to Rev. Bernard Hill, The Vicarage, Thurgarton. He read out bits of text of the Oxton play that Mr Steemson had given him, which were esentially the same as in TD00635. Characters were The Man in Charge, Tom Fool, Eezum Squeezum, Farmer's Man, Doctor. He remembered Plough Monday being celebrated in Norwell in the early to mid 1920's when men went round and collected money to spend in the pub.

I.T.Jones Collection (1981, L.Strutt)

Mr. Leslie Strutt (Inf.)
Oxton, Notts: Letter to Mr Leslie Strutt, Oxton 11/3/81
I.T.Jones Collection, Com. 11th Mar.1981, Ref.K4-8

Transcript of letter to Mr Strutt asking if he knows the Babs Strutt described by Mr Steemson in a phone call on 9/2/81 (TD00637)

I.T.Jones Collection (1981, L.Strutt & F.Strutt)

Mr. Leslie Strutt (Inf.); Mr. Fred Strutt (Inf.)
Oxton, Notts: Notes on visit to Mr Strutt and his brother Fred 25/2/81
I.T.Jones Collection, Col. 25th Feb.1981, Ref.K4-9

Visit to Mr Leslie Strutt and Mr Fred Strutt, Hollytree Cottage, Oxton, sons of the cousin of Babs Strutt. They said that Babs Strutt is not now in a state to recall anything. They remember people telling them about Plough Monday in Oxton and how the farm lads used to get dressed up but don't remember anything about Plough Monday themselves. They suggested talking to Mr Charles Dowty, the former village blacksmith.

I.T.Jones Collection (1981, C.Dowty - a)

Mr. Charles Dowty (Inf.)
Oxton, Notts: Letter to Mr Charles Dowty, Oxton 11/3/81
I.T.Jones Collection, Com. 11th Mar.1981, Ref.K4-10

Transcript of letter to Mr Charles Dowty asking for information about Plough Monday in Oxton.

I.T.Jones Collection (1981, C.Dowty - b)

Mr. Charles Dowty (Inf.)
Oxton, Notts: Notes on phone call from Charles Dowty 17/3/81
I.T.Jones Collection, Col. 17th Mar.1981, Ref.K4-11

Notes on phone call from Mr Charles Dowty. His father took over the blacksmith's shop in Oxton in 1910 from Tom Shipside. His father played the dame in the Plough Monday play in Cropwell Butler in the 1890's and he remembers him saying the lines 'In comes I Dame Jane with my neck as long as a crane'. He knows nothing about Plough Monday in Oxton. He suggests contacting his old school friend Rev John Spencer, who revived the play in Dunham-on-Trent when he was vicar there but who now lives in Sutton-on-Trent.

I.T.Jones Collection (1982, I.T.Jones & A.Cockburn)

Mr. Idwal Jones (Col.); Miss Ann Cockburn (Col.)
Radio Nottingham Phone-In: Tape and Notes
I.T.Jones Collection, Com. 8th Jan.1982, Ref.L1-1

Tape and notes of a live phone-in on Radio Nottingham on Plough Monday 8/1/82 with the topic Plough Monday and Folk Customs. In the studio were Anne Cockburn and Idwal Jones with the interviewer Ms.Freddie Gaunt

Tape Counter (10 = ca.35 seconds):

93-114: Introduction and discussion in studio

180-196: Discussion in studio on the ancient society of horsemen

196-242: Discussion in studio on mummers plays and IJ singing the Owd 'Oss song.

242-294: Fred Buckley phoning in re the Plough Monday play in Blidworth.

294-347: Ethel Glossop phoning in re the Plough Monday play in Cotgrave.

375-425: Charles from Long Eaton phoning in re customs in Norfolk relating to the ancient society of horsemen.

425-432: Announcement about the Calverton Plough Boys performing in Oxton and Epperstone on 9th and 10th January 1982.

437-472: IJ singing the version of Good Master and Good Mistress used by the Owd 'Oss Mummers and discussion in studio.

472-505: George from Nuthall phoning in re guising in Brinsley and Underwood.

505-535: Gerry Fearnley phoning in re an Old Horse play in Bulwell.

535-551: Studio discussion on New Year customs.

551-572: Ann Frett phoning in re play from Scotland.

572-575: Closing remarks.

E.Bryson (1984)

Emrys Bryson (Auth.)
It's devil of a lark for Plough Monday! [Play revival at Calverton, Notts.]
*Evening Post [Nottingham], 5th Jan.1984, p.6 a-d

Article with on the Calverton, Notts. Plough Monday play revival side, calling themselves the Calverton Real Ale and Plough Play Preservation Society (CRAPPPS). Their play, based on a Blidworth version, featured the characters; Tom Fool, Recruiting Sergeant, Farmer's Man, Lady Bright and Gay, Dame Jane, Doctor, Ribboner, Threshing Blade, Sankey Benny and Beelzebub. Detailed itineraries are given, covering Calverton, Blidworth, Epperstone, Woodborough, Lambley, Lowdham and Oxton. A photo of the 1979 play shows four characters collecting money from the audience. Background information on Plough Monday mentions Plough-Lights and Plough Trailing by Plough Bullocks. There is a quotation from the Gentleman's Magazine for 1672 relating to malicious ploughing.

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