WEDDINGS. A rope was often put across the roadway
to impede the progress of those who had recently “been
wed”. Old shoes, sods, and horse beans were hurled at them.
According to some people these had a significance.
Sods denoted luck in the produce of the earth,
Shoes denoted plenty of clothes.
Rice denoted plenty of children.
A DONKEY WEDDING. On Christmas Day, 1853, a
curious wedding took place at Stoney Middleton. Donkeys
were gathered from the mines for miles around and dressed
up with straw saddles. The bridal party were then escorted
to the church amid a crowd of onlookers, After the ceremony
the bride and bridegroom were conducted to their new home,
and the donkeys set at liberty.
BARM FEAST was held on New Year's Day. At
one time people brewed their own beer. Publicans gave this
feast to those who bought barm.
PLOUGH MONDAY (Collop Monday). Ploughs
were drawn by 20 men, one of which carried a whip with a
bladder at the end. If no drink was forthcoming, they would
proceed to plough up the door.
COLLOP MONDAY (the day preceding Shrove
Tuesday). Farmers were asked to give collops of bacon, eggs,
or milk to the peasants for making pancakes.
MISCHIEF NIGHT (Collop Monday). Gates were
taken off their hinges, neighbours' carts were dragged
down-hill to the water's edge, and neighbours' doors were
tied by rope.
PANCAKE BELL is still rung at 11 11 o'clock on
Shrove Tuesday at Stoney Middleton. It is a remnant of the
Confession Bell of pre-Reformation time. Apprentices,
according to the terms of their indentures, could leave their
work at the ringing of this bell, All that now remains of the
once popular “Barring out day” is the doggerel rhyme:
‘Pancake Day,
If you won't give us holiday
We'll all run away’.
SHROVE TUESDAY: “Barring out Day”.
A former schoolmaster was once reminded of the custom
of Barring out', when the master quickly replied:
“If your grandfathers ate porridge with a fork, you
needn't do it”.
'SHAKEN BOTTLE DAY' (Easter Monday). Children
poured water from 'Betty Brewer's well' into a bottle
containing broken sweetmeats. It was shaken to cleanse or
purify the water.
'THARF CAKE JOIN' was a custom on the 5th November.
A number of persons joined together and raised a
certain sum of money with which to provide Tharf Cake (or
Parkin) and Toffey. Practical jokes were often indulged in
by those who were not invited, and on one occasion. the toffey
was spoiled by a hen being let down the chimney.
MAYPOLE DAY is still upheld in the village. The
'May Queen' is chosen by popular vote, and the children
parade the village. Mr. Wood, the historian, states that
'part of the ceremony of the great festival of the Druids
consisted in carrying long poles of mountain ash festooned
with flowers'.
'CLAY-DAUBIN'. Friends of a newly-wedded
couple assembled and erected them a cottage usually in one
day. The evening was spent in merrymaking.
SUPERSTITION dies hard in the Peak. The chattering
of crows or owls is counted ominous. If a magpie crosses
the path it denotes bad luck; if two magpies, good luck will
follow; if three, it implies approaching marriage; and four
magpies is a sign of a funeral. Other mortality signs are:
the croaking of a raven; crowing cock at roosting time;
howling dogs; ticking of a spider; and the sudden appearance
of a white cricket.
Formerly if a young woman wished to divine who was
to be her future husband, she was told to go into the
Churchyard at midnight, and as the clock struck twelve she was to
commence running round the Church repeating without
intermission:
'I sow hemp seed, hemp seed I sow,
He that loves me best,
Come after me and mow'.
Having performed the circuit twelve times without stopping,
the figure of her lover was supposed to appear and
follow her.