Wellow (SK6766), Nottinghamshire

Nottinghamshire Guardian (1897b)

[Anon.] (Auth.)
LOCAL NOTES AND QUERIES. No.807: OLD OBSERVANCES [Plough Monday Play at Wyverton Hall, Notts.]
*Nottinghamshire Guardian, 9th Apr.1897

Extracts from P.H.Ditchfield (1896) and other sources concerning various customs from Nottinghamshire and Derbyshire. These include: hanging a Kissing Bunch at Christmas in Derbys., Wassailing in Notts., the Maypole at Wellow, Oak and Nettle Day in Notts., maidens' garlands in Derbyshire churches, and a long passage on Derbys' well dressing. The following is quoted from Ditchfield:

"'The Plough Monday play', one of the few remaining specimens of English folk drama, still survives. It resembles in some ways the Christmas and Easter play but has several distinguishing features. In the Plough Monday play there is no St. George and the principal feature is the sword dance. The play, as performed recently at Wyverton Hall, Nottinghamshire is printed in Mrs Musters's 'A Cavalier Stronghold'"

F.Collingwood (1933)

Frances Collingwood (Auth.)
Folk Lore of Nottinghamshire
Nottinghamshire Magazine, 1933, Vol.1, No.3, pp.187-188

Despite its general title, half of this article is devoted to Plough Monday plays. Brief descriptions are given of versions from Clayworth, Notts., and Blidworth, Notts., and there is an unlocated photograph of a team of actors. No text is quoted however. The Clayworth play had the characters; Soldier, Old Eezum Squeezum, Clown and Doctor, although sometimes King George or Saint George appeared instead of Soldier, and Beelzebub replaced Eezum Squeezum. The Blidworth "Plough-Bullocking" play had; King George, Doctor and a Pressgang, and is described as being extant. It was collected by Rev. Edward Dunnicliff of Ollerton. Cecil Sharp's theories on the dualistic nature of the play, and their supposed pagan origins are reiterated. The rest of the article discusses the Eakring Ball Game played on Easter Tuesdays, and Maypoles at Wellow, Edwinstowe, Linby, Farnsfield, Stapleford and Nottingham.

M.W.Barley Collection (1952, Ragdale & U.Goodwin)

Mrs. Ragdale (Inf.); Mr. U. Goodwin (Inf.)
Plough Monday - 2nd Monday in Jan. [Play from Wellow, Notts.]
M.W.Barley Collection, Col. 1952, Ref.Ba P 1/37

Fragmentary text (28 lines) of a play from Wellow, Notts. The characters are; First Man/Thomas, 3rd Man/Dick Be-elzebub, 4th/Thresher, 5th/Deb Jane and Doctor.

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