Tricks and Treats

We’re almost at the end of the month and Halloween is just around the corner. But did you know about other ways in which the countryfolk of Ye Olde England used to amuse themselves on wet and cold October days?

In my forays in second-hand bookshops I came across a couple of gems that give a month-by-month account of old customs, and it was a lovely surprise to see that some of our favourite counties get a mention:

Hertfordshire:

In the village of Braughing (not far from Ware, which some believe to be Meryton) there lived an old man by the name of Matthew Wall, who had a very narrow escape. He was taken on his last journey, when one of his pall-bearers slipped, tripped and fell. The coffin was dropped, and the impact jolted the occupant awake! As the author of the book cheerfully put it, ‘Matthew was rather pleased with this outcome,’ so he left money in his will to commemorate the event. He wanted the church bells to be rung on the day of his lucky escape (2 October), the sexton to look after his grave, and a poor man to be paid a shilling for sweeping the path up to the church gate. Matthew’s will dates from 1595, so Lizzy Bennet might have heard about this custom. Or maybe not – it’s known to have lapsed for some time, until its revival in the 20^th century. But it was going strong when the book was published. Thus, on 2 October, known locally as Old Man’s Day, children of the village enthusiastically sweep Fleece Lane while the funeral bell tolls. Later, this is followed by a wedding peal, because Matthew lived long enough to re-marry.

Derbyshire:

A late-1800s folklorist noted that on the eve of All Hallows, Derbyshire farmers carried a candle down the garden to see which way the wind blew, and it was said that as the wind blew on All Hallows’ Een, such would be the prevailing wind for the following three months.

Goose-riding was mentioned in connection with Derbyshire too, but this 1790s custom is at odds with modern values, so I’ll just say that it involved people riding at great speed and one hapless goose with its neck well greased.

Kent:

A notorious fair took place on 18 October within very easy distance of Bromley, where Elizabeth was supposed to mention Lady Catherine’s name at the Bell to receive the best service. We can only imagine what her ladyship might have had to say about the goings-on at the Charlton Horn Fair, famous or rather infamous for rudeness, ribaldry and indecency all the way to 1872, when it was suppressed.

Other customs were more widespread and nowhere near as contentious. Such as bobbing for apples or nuts if you wanted a good giggle and you didn’t mind getting soaking wet.

Or, for those with courtship on their mind, apples and nuts could come in handy for a spot of divination. Apple peel whirled around the head three times, then thrown to the floor over the left shoulder would form the initial of the one you were meant to marry. Nuts placed side by side over the embers would foretell a couple’s fate by jumping apart or drawing closer together when heated.

In our favourite couple’s case, the nuts must have leapt a foot up in the air, then steadily and neatly rolled very close together 😊.

If you’re not in the mood for divination or for apple bobbing, why not amuse yourself with a ghost story? Some of the ghosts can be rather outspoken, others are both outspoken and awfully opinionated, but none of them are scary.

Or if you’ve read that ghost story before, perhaps you’d like to close your eyes and let the magic of Stevie Zimmerman’s voice take you on a journey over Lakeland hills and over the Peak District… all the way to Pemberley.

Please leave a comment for a chance to win an audio code for

The Journey Home to Pemberley

(there are two up for grabs).

The Giveaway is open until Wednesday 6 Nov. 2019 midnight GMT. 

The winners will be announced on 7 Nov 2019.

Thanks for stopping by and Happy Halloween!

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Sources:

Steve Roud, ‘The English Year – A Month-by-Month Guide to the Nation’s Customs and Festivals from May Day to Mischief Night’, Penguin Books 2006

Roy Strong, Julia Trevelyan Oman, ‘The English Year’, Webb & Bower 1982