Blanford Forum - Sunday Revels

Nelsons Ale House, Blandford Forum - image by Trish Steel [CC-BY-SA-2.0 (www.creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0)], via Wikimedia Commons

"It appears from a Sermon made at Blanford Forum, in the Countie of Dorset, on Wensday the 17th of January 157O, by William Kethe, 8vo, that it was the custom at that time for the Church Ales to be kept upon the sabbath-day ; which holy day, says our author, "the multitude call their revelyng day, which day is spent in bulbeatings, bearebeatings, bowlings, dicyng, cardyng, daunsynges, drunkennes, and whoredome," " in so much, as men could not keepe their servauntes from, lyinge out of theyr owne houses the same sabbath-day at night.""

Brand 1813

 

Map - Blandford Forum

Banning the Wakes in Exeter and Somersetshire

Exeter Morris Men dancing!

"When an order was made in 1627 and in 1631, at Exeter, and in Somersetshire, for the suppression of the Wakes [I think these where Wakes on the night before the parish church's saint day, associated with dancing, music and drink, and the feasting on the day itself], both the Ministers and the People desired their continuance, not only for preserving the memorial of the dedication of their several Churches, but for civilizing the parishioners, composing differences by the mediation and meeting of friends, increasing of love, and unity, by these feasts of charity, and for the relief and comfort of the poor."

Brand 1813

 






  

 

Map - Exeter

Revel of Mary Magdaline - Stocklinch

Stocklinch Village today - image by Nigel Mykura [CC-BY-SA-2.0 (www.creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0)], via Wikimedia Commons

"In Collinson's History of Somersetshire, vol. i. Abdick and Bulston Hundred, p. 64, speaking of Stocklinch, St. Magdalen Parish, the author says : "A Revel is held here on St. Mary Magdalen's day.""

Brand 1813

 






 

Map - Stocklinch

[Mary Magdalene was a disciple of Jesus, and a saint in the Catholic church.  After the first half of the first millennium AD it was suggested by Pope Gregory that she was a prostitute, although the Vatican revised this in 1969 (Wikipedia!) - so for the period Brand and Collinson where talking about she would have been thought of as a 'repentant' prostitute - It makes me wander what nature her revel took...  Saint Mary Magdalene's day was the 22nd of July]

Giglet Fairs of Okehampton, Holsworthy and South Molton

The kitchen maid by Jean-Baptiste Simeon

"AT many towns and villages in Devonshire, on the first Saturday after Christmas-day, and at Ladyday, it was customary, up to a recent date, for women and girls desirous of being hired as domestic servants to repair to the "fair-field" of the district and stand in rows on exhibition. Persons in need of servants would then make a tour of inspection and select such as appeared suitable to their requirements.

This custom prevailed until a few years ago, at Holsworthy, Okehampton, and South Molton.

After the business of the day was over a revel or pleasure fair was held, known as " The Giglet Fair " and "Giglet Market."

At Okehampton Giglet Fair, bachelors were allowed, without the ceremony of introduction, to approach, make love, and propose to the "giglet" of their choice. It frequently happened that the joy bells, in a few weeks, announced the success of their venture."

Hewett 1900

Map- Okehampton
Map - Holsworthy

Map - South Molton

Mothering Sunday in Devon (part 2)

[cont] "...The custom arose from the practice of our Roman Catholic ancestors going in procession on Mid-lent Sunday, from the most distant parts of their parishes, to visit the Mother Church ; and, according to the custom of the times, much of the day, though nominally set apart for a religious service, was devoted to festivity and mirth. Instances of such perverted institutions are to be met with in the saints' festivals, the wakes, the revels, the church-ales, and fairs, many of which are still kept up in country villages, to say nothing of the more riotous festivities of Lent, Easter, Whitsuntide, and Christmas.

I'll to thee a simnel bring,
Gainst thou go a-mothering ;
So that when she blesseth thee,
Half that blessing thou'lt give me.

Hewett 1900

Fairy revel

'RICHARD also once witnessed a fairy revel in the Towen--upon which tables were spread, with the utmost profusion of gold and silver ornaments, and fruits and flowers. Richard however, according to the statement of " Aunt Alcey" (the name by which his wife was familiarly called), very foolishly interrupted the feast by some exclamation of surprise; whereas, had he but touched the end of a table with his finger, it would have been impossible for the fairy host to have removed an article, as that which has been touched by mortal fingers becomes to them accursed. As it was, the lovely vision faded before the eyes of the astonished labourer.,

Hunt 1903

Fairy Revel on teh Gump at St Just - part 5

'...Well, thought the old man, now is my time; if I could only crawl up to the prince's table, I should have a catch sure enough, and become a rich man for life. With his greedy mind fixed on this one object, and unobservant of everything else, he crouched down, as though by, so doing he could escape observation, and very slowly and stealthily advanced amongst the revellers. He never saw that thousands of spriggans had thrown little strings about him, and that they still held the ends of the threads. The presence of this selfish old mortal did not in any way discompose the assembly; they ate and drank and were as merry as though no human eye was looking on them. The old man was wondrous cautious lest he should disturb the feasters, consequently a long time was spent in getting, as he desired, to the back of the mound. At length he reached the desired spot, and, to his surprise, all was dark and gloomy behind him, but in front of the mound all was a blaze of light. Crawling like a serpent on his belly, trembling with anxiety, the old man advanced close to the prince and princess. He was somewhat startled to find, as he looked out over the mound, that every one of the thousands of eyes in that multitude was fixed on his. He gazed a while, all the time screwing his courage up; then, as a boy who would catch a butterfly, he took off his hat and carefully raised it, so as to cover the prince, the princess, and their costly table, and, when about to close it upon them, a shrill whistle was heard, the old man's hand was fixed powerless in the air, and everything became dark around him....' [cont.]

Hunt 1903

Fairy Revels on the Gump, St. Just - part 1

'LONG has the Gump been the reputed playground of the Small People. Many of the good old people were permitted to witness their revels, and for years they have delighted their grandchildren with tales of the songs they have heard, and of the sights they have seen. To many of their friends those fairies have given small but valuable presents; but woe to the man or woman who would dare to intrude upon the ground occupied by them at the time of their high festivals. There was a covetous old hunks in St Just--never mind his name, he was severely punished, let that suffice--well, this old fellow had heard so much of the riches displayed by the little people, when holding holiday on the Gump, that he resolved to get some of the treasures. He learned all he could learn from his neighbours, but kept his intention to himself. It was during the harvest-moon--the night was a softened day--and everything abroad on such a night should have been in harmony with its quiet brilliancy. But here was a dark soul passing along, making a small eclipse with his black shadow. The old man stole towards the rendezvous of the "good people," as some were fond of calling them, anxiously looking out for the treasures which he coveted. At length, when he had not advanced far on the Gump, he heard music of the most ravishing kind. Its influence was of a singularly mysterious character. As the notes were solemn and slow, or quick and gay, the old man was moved from tears to laughter; and on more than- one occasion he was compelled to dance in obedience to the time. Notwithstanding that he was almost bewildered by the whirling motion to which he was compelled, the old man "kept his wits awake," and waited his opportunity to seize some fairy treasure; but as yet nothing remarkable had presented itself. The music appeared to surround him, and, as he thought, to come closer to him than it was at first; and although its sound led him to believe that the musicians were on the surface, he was impressed with an idea that they were realty beneath the earth Eventually there was a crash of sound, startling beyond description, and the hill before him opened. All was now ablaze with variously-coloured lights...' [cont.]

Hunt 1903

North Molton - Holy Well Revel

'At daybreak on Ascension morning (1882), two men, and a woman carrying a child, were seen hurrying towards the celebrated well at North Molton, each trying to outrun the others, so as to be the first to bathe, and to be cured of some ailment. Later in the day merry groups of children and picnic parties enlivened the glen in which the well is situated. An old chapel, with a cemetery attached, is said to have formerly occupied the ground surrounding the far-famed spring. Every year pilgrims full of faith in the miraculous power of the water visit the spot for bathing, and jars
of the water are carried by some of them to their homes ; indeed, believers prize this water, which they carry back with them, as much as ever did any pilgrims of old value the leaden bottle of liquid obtained from Beckett's tomb at Canterbury.—Folk-lore Record, v., 160.

The North Devonshire Herald, May 25,1884, records a pilgrimage having just been made to the well on the morning of Ascension Day.'

Hope 1893