Chapter IX: Preface (9)

[The sudden death of Mr. Owen prevented him from recasting the materials he had gathered and the paper he had written. It has been a labour of love to the Archdeacon of Chester to do this, and to add some little matter bearing upon the points which Mr. Owen, with his full and sympathetic knowledge of the place, had brought into such clear prominence.]

Farndon (Ferenton in Domesday Book) is a village about eight miles from Chester, and small though it is, it has played no unimportant part in the history of the county. It is situated on the banks of the Dee, immediately opposite to Holt, in Wales, with which it is connected by a fine stone bridge of nine arches. Many people nowadays will only think of the extensive fields of strawberries for which Farndon is famous, and it will therefore be a revelation to them to learn that the village in former days was a place of some importance.

Going back to Roman times, we must remember that Farndon was on the road between Chester and Wroxeter, and that it commanded the ferry, the first means of crossing the river above Chester. The importance of this situation in that early period has recently been brought out by the discovery of extensive Roman remains at Holt, and within half a mile of Farndon Bridge. Here cartloads of broken pottery, tiles, and drain-pipes have been found, many of which bear the stamp of “Leg. xx. v.v.,” with that regiment’s peculiar badge of the boar. The excavations are still proceeding, and fortunately are being conducted under the supervision of an ardent antiquarian, Mr. Arthur Acton, who is the occupier of the site. It is too soon yet to form an adequate opinion of the bearing of this discovery on past history. That an important Roman station existed here there can be no doubt, and it must have extended its distinction to Farndon, at the opposite side of the river. In fact, Roman tiles and portions of a hypocaust have been found at Crewe Hill, the residence of Mr. Harry Barnston, in the parish and about a mile south of the village of Farndon. It has been suggested that the site at Holt may have been occupied by kilns for the manufacture of tiles and pipes. The profusion in which these are found and the character of some of them are somewhat in favour of this idea. Large supplies would be needed for the neighbouring city of Chester, and this may have been the most convenient spot for making them. But if this were so, the factory would no doubt be protected in some way, and the excavations which are proceeding will probably reveal something, and may clear up the matter. In any case, Farndon would derive considerable importance from its proximity to Holt, as it was here that the river was crossed; if Holt was a camp, there would be frequent communications through Farndon between it and Chester; if a factory, the articles constructed would have to be conveyed through the place in the same way. We can well imagine that in those bygone ages Farndon witnessed a considerable, if not a constant, stream of traffic between Wales and Chester. It is possible that Holt, and not Bangor-is-y-coed, may have been the site of the Roman _Bovium_, and the late Mr. Thompson Watkins, in his _Roman Cheshire_, in 1886 wrote: “If Bovium were on this line of road, which I do not think, it would certainly be at Holt or Farndon, for the distance, nine English or ten Roman miles, exactly agrees, whilst Bangor is at least fifteen Roman miles from Chester.” If this were the case, Farndon would derive considerable importance from its nearness to the place, and would in some measure be a kind of outwork and protection to it.

Coming on to a later period, Farndon, from its position, must often have been the scene of stirring events. It was, as will have been gathered, not far from Bangor Monachorum, and communications between the two places must have been frequent. It is conceivable that the first Christian church was planted at Farndon, or the first preaching of Christianity given, by the monks from that monastery, but this must be a matter of conjecture. But when Ethelfrith, the pagan King of Northumbria, having conquered Chester, invaded Wales, A.D. 613, he must have passed through Farndon, or been in its immediate neighbourhood. It was then that the “Battle of Chester” was fought, and that the King massacred 1200 monks upon the field, because, though not bearing arms, they were praying for his defeat, and afterwards burnt down the monastic buildings, murdered the remnant of the monks, and destroyed their libraries. Those must have been anxious times for the dwellers in Farndon. No doubt in the years that followed they were continually being roused to activity, and had to protect themselves from constant attacks from their neighbours, the Welsh; but all this we must imagine, for we have no definite record of it. We are told that Edward the Elder, son of King Alfred, died at Farndon in 925, on his way south from fighting at Chester. He was carried to Winchester and buried in the Cathedral. The quotation from William of Malmesbury is as follows: After the battle at Chester “paucis diebus apud Ferenduna mortuus est Edvardus.” Some think that this refers to Farndon in Nottinghamshire, though the wounded monarch could hardly have accomplished so long a ride in a few days. The statement or tradition is an interesting one, and it would be well if further confirmatory information were forthcoming. It is curious (though it may have no connection with this event) that there was afterwards at Farndon one of the Cheshire sanctuaries called King’s Marsh. “It was a wild, desolate district, surrounded by a ditch to mark the limit of safety for fugitives and ‘foreigners’; for any who sought the protection of the Earl of Chester, or who were acting as mercenaries against his enemies, might reside here in safety for a year and day, provided they used no nails or pins in the erection of their squatter’s tent.”[50]

[50] Coward’s _Picturesque Cheshire_, p. 278. The title may perhaps be due to the fact that King Richard III. granted Over-Marsh to Sir William Stanley, the name being subsequently changed to King’s Marsh.

The bridge which succeeded the ferry has always been famous as affording connection with Wales. The next bridge below is at Aldford, some six miles by river, and the next above at Bangor, about fourteen miles distant by the river, which winds considerably. The date for it given by Pennant is 1345, and he says, “Until lately” (by which he may mean 1820 to 1830) “the date was over one of the arches,” but that has now disappeared. It consists of nine arches, one of which is higher than the rest; and in the roadway above this is some very massive masonry on the north side, indicating the site of the guardhouse, under which was a drawbridge, used with considerable effect at the battle of Farndon Bridge, when the Parliamentarians drove the Royalists over into Wales in 1643. In the Constable’s accounts for 1727 occurs the item: “Payd for the Guard House, 00. 01. 09.” The best part of the old bridge is to be seen by going into the third bay from Holt on the north side, and observing the tracery of a portion of some beautiful windows. The western one has remains of steps leading down to the water. Attention is directed to this, as but few visitors notice it. A sad tragedy is connected with this bridge. Prince Madoc, son of Griffith, Lord of Dinas Bran, had two sons, of whom Earl Warren and Roger Mortimer, Earl of the Marches, were appointed guardians by Edward I. These lords soon conspired to free themselves from their charges and possess themselves of their estates. Accordingly they caused them, one being of the age of ten and the other eight, to be thrown over the bridge and drowned. The authority for this story is in a manuscript in the Bodleian Library, but for many years a variation of it was current in the country under the fable of two young fairies who had been destroyed in this manner. There were also legends of their ghosts being seen at certain times. It was Roger Mortimer who, with Isabella, wife of Edward II., was responsible for that King’s death at Berkeley Castle.

The bridge must have been the scene of many a fierce fight when the marauding Welsh sought to cross to Farndon; sometimes also between the factions of the two towns, for though such near neighbours, the men of Farndon and Holt were frequently at loggerheads. In the Civil War, however, the bridge came into great prominence. Sir William Brereton forced his passage over it into Wales in November 1643 on his way to Hawarden. A few years ago letters from him bearing on the point were published in the Reports of the Historical Manuscript Commission. They show how the Royalists had made a tower and a drawbridge, and put strong gates on the bridge between Holt and Farndon; and these were so strong “that they and wee conceived it verrie difficulte, if not altogether ympossible, to make way for our passage over the bridge.” However, Sir William, having by a feint drawn off some of the Royalists, made a fierce attack on the bridge, cut the ropes of the drawbridge, forced open the gates, and gained possession of the bridge. Many of the Royalist troops retreated to Holt Castle, which was strongly fortified, but Sir William pushed on and captured Wrexham, and eventually, as stated in another paper in this volume, occupied Hawarden Castle. Two years later the Royalist cavalry, coming from Wales under the command of Sir Marmaduke Langdale, came over the bridge before the disastrous battle on Rowton Moor, and some few of those who escaped made use of the same way for their retreat. And during this anxious time, or at any rate a portion of it, the church at Farndon was turned into a garrison for soldiers, and naturally suffered in consequence. It was burnt by the Parliamentarians in 1645, and traces of this may still be seen, as also the marks of the shot and bullets which were discharged at it.

The church probably occupies the site of an earlier Saxon wooden building. Like the church of Holt, it is dedicated to St. Chad, who is the patron saint of a great many churches in the boundaries of the old kingdom of Mercia. It stands on an eminence, and is 86 feet above the sea-level, whilst the bridge is 12½ miles distant from the weir at Chester. The nave and pillars are late Norman of the close of the twelfth century. Originally the nave had a sloping roof, the lines of which may be seen above the tower arch. The clerestory windows were added at the rebuilding of the church after the fire. The tower, which can be seen from a considerable distance, is said to be of the thirteenth century, and the aisle windows are of the date of Charles II. Formerly there was good stained glass of an heraldic character relating to the families of Leche of Carden and Bostock of Churton, but this has entirely disappeared. A great treasure, however, is to be seen in the Barnston Chapel, on the south side, where there is a small stained-glass window of a character almost absolutely unique. It contains coloured figures of the four loyal Royalist families who fought for King Charles I. The first top light has gone, but on the plain glass is the inscription: “This window being ruinated was repaired by Dean Cholmondeley.” In the second light we have Sir William Mainwaring; in the third, Sir Thomas (or Sir Roger) Grosvenor; and in the fourth, Captain William Barnston. In the centre is a representation of Sir Francis Gamul (bearing the badge of baronetcy) of Chester, with whom King Charles witnessed the defeat of his army on Rowton Moor. In the lowest light is a picture of Mr. Barrington of Chester, who is carrying an ensign most gracefully. The glass is most interesting, and the details of the various panels are very full, the coats of arms of the various officers being given, and thus leading to their identification. The great gun or arquebus should be noted, with its support or carrier looking like a pitchfork. Large pikes and helmets like those depicted are preserved at Crewe Hill, the residence of Mr. Harry Barnston. The glass has been carefully protected, under the advice of Messrs. Powell, and Mr. Barnston has written a description, which is placed underneath. The window may probably be dated soon after the Restoration. The Barnston family have resided in the parish since 1370.

Another feature of the church is the ancient stone effigy of a knight in armour. The probable date of this is 1346. On his shield is written in Lombardic letters: “Hic jacet Patricius de Barton. Orate pro eo.” Barton, it may be remarked, is one of the townships of Farndon. He is semi-plated with chain armour and surcoat. The arms or distinctions on the shield are: “Argent, a bend cotised.” At his feet are two animals, a dog and a scaly animal, various interpretations being given of them, but none so far satisfactory.[51] The face of the knight was probably disfigured when the church was used as barracks. There were two other stone effigies in the church, but they were broken up about 1780 to mend the paths! One is said to have been a monument to Madocus, a prince in Wales, already alluded to.

[51] Lysons describes them thus: “On one of the shields a lion rampant, and on another a wolf passant regardant (the coat of Daresbury).”

The overseers’ and wardens’ books give many interesting particulars bearing upon the state of affairs at the time of the Civil War. Many of these were published in _The Cheshire Sheaf_ in 1884. The following will give some indication of their character: “1644. To the Constable for the Treaned (_trained_) Souldier for tow months’ pay for the loar (_lower?_) house, xviiij_d._” “1644, 20 Jan. Payd to Crestlendon (_Christleton_) to the garrison there, x_d._” “1644, 21 ffebruary. Richard Oakes took three measures of malt to ffarndon sege, and the 7th of this month a lofe of bread 14 lb.” The experience of these anxious days no doubt led the parochial authorities to the conclusion that permanent arrangements should be made for the protection of the place and district. After the raising of the siege of Chester we find this entry: “1646, 28 May. Payd to Thos. Moltra, constable, 2 mises, one for the building of a munt (_mount_) in the view of the Castle of the Holt for to keep them better in, the other, &c.” This building of a mount is most interesting. There is still a place called “The Mount Field” on the Farndon side of the river, nearly opposite Holt Castle. Upon this spot in 1646 cannon were placed, and cannon-balls have been found in the field. Many other entries from these carefully preserved records and from the registers might be given, but these must suffice to show the importance of Farndon, which must from the earliest times have been a commanding position, and thus have filled no mean place in the annals of the history of the county and the country at large.

It will not be out of place to mention here that Farndon is one of the parishes which keep up a _Rush-bearing Sunday_. Of course this does not imply, as in olden days, the strewing of the church with fresh rushes, which was done for the comfort of the worshippers. At stated times, and generally at the time of the patronal feast of a church, the old rushes were cleared away and new ones carried in, and this was done with due solemnity, and the occasion made into a parochial festival. Now at Farndon, Shocklach, and some other places, the graves are decked with rushes and flowers, and thus the memory of departed friends is cherished, whilst it is a time for reunion of families, and distant members revisit their homes.

We can give no account, not even traditional, of the prowess of Patrick de Barton and the other knights whose effigies have been mentioned. They probably would have been worth recording if this had been possible. But Farndon can, at any rate, boast of some distinguished natives. The Barnston Chapel in the church cannot but remind us of some, and specially Wm. Barnston, portrayed in the window there. He died 6th March 1664, and on the tablet to his memory he is thus described: “He was a person of great worth and integrity, ventured his life and fortune with King Charles the First; was sent prisoner from Oxford to London, where he continued till he paid his composition for his estate.” In later years a member of the same family, Roger Barnston, distinguished himself in the Crimea and in the Indian Mutiny, dying of his wounds at Cawnpore; and his deeds are commemorated by a tall stone obelisk by the side of the road in the parish. But Farndon has produced one distinguished man of peace at least besides these strenuous soldiers. John Speed, generally known as the historian, was born here in 1552. He was a tailor by trade, and migrated first to Wrexham and then to London. Here, “under the favour of the Company of Merchant Taylors, he was rescued from his menial employment.” He must, of course, have shown some aptitude for study to have attracted this notice. His opportunities at Farndon cannot have been great, as the school there was only founded in the year of his death. In passing we may note that this place produced another antiquary in the person of Dr. Williamson, who was born at Chilton, a township of this parish, and whose manuscript history of the Cheshire manors (_Villare Cestriense_) has been of much use to subsequent writers. Speed apparently rose to high office in the company, which had just shown its warm interest in education by establishing in 1561 the Merchant Taylors’ School, which has proved such a valuable institution. Queen Elizabeth had two favourite antiquarians--one was Sir John Camden and the other John Speed. The former of these is no doubt the more famous of the two, and his researches have been of great benefit to subsequent historians, whilst his name is perpetuated in the title of one of the History Professorships at Oxford. But Speed did very good work and has left behind him a great deal that is valuable in his stupendous volumes, _The History of Great Britain_. Hulbert, in his _Cheshire Antiquities_ (1828), states that “he has often been denominated the Elucidator of the Biography and History of Great Britain.” Had he had the advantages of a liberal education he would probably have been as eminent a scholar as his patrons, Sir Fulke Greville and Sir Robert Cotton. By the generous assistance of the former of these he was enabled to withdraw from the drudgery of business, and to devote himself to his favourite pursuit, the study of history. How Speed became known to him we do not know, but that great patron of learning (afterwards Lord Brooke, who was assassinated in 1628) had the discernment to discover and the generosity to encourage talent and genius, however humble in rank or obscure in birth. John Speed must have become acquainted with the literary men of his time, as Bacon, Shakespeare, Raleigh, Spenser, and others, and from his association with them must have learnt a great deal and have acquired that taste which stood him in good stead in the gathering of information. When his origin and early years are taken into account, he stands out as a wonderful example of the acquisition of knowledge under difficulties, and so of patience and perseverance in endeavouring to overcome them. He must have been gifted with great natural talents, and he certainly made a good use of them. He was a notable map-maker, and that at a time when such art must have been rare and hard to acquire. Many old books of the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries contain maps drawn by him, and these generally were embellished with certain artistic accessories, and were not confined to mere outlines and names. Thus “the ground plan of Chester” has also a view of Chester from the south-west side, the arms of the seven Earls and eight Barons of Chester, and the arms of the city, as also a reduced “mapp of Cheshire.” Similarly the map of “the Countye Palatine of Chester” has also a plan “of that most ancient citye,” the arms of the Earls, and of Speed and his assistant. In the body of the map are trees, hills, windmills, and churches, whilst ships and fishes (of a wonderful order) are to be seen in the estuary. An angel is depicted with one hand on a globe on a table, and the other holding a shield on which are Speed’s coat of arms, and underneath the inscription: “Performed by John Speed assisted by William Smyth. And are to be solde by Roger Rea the Elder and younger at the Golden Crosse in Cornhill against the Exchange.” It will be gathered from this that in the production of his works Speed must have taken the greatest pains, and that he was not content with merely following the ordinary lines. The following quotation from the 37th chapter of his book, dealing with the County Palatine of Chester, may be interesting as showing the style in which he wrote: “If the affection to my natural producer blind not the judgement of this my Survey; for aire and soil it equalls the best, and farre exceeds her neighbours the next Counties: for although the Climate be cold, and toucheth the degree of Latitude 54, yet the warmth from the _Irish Seas_ melteth the Snow, and dissolveth the Ice sooner there than in those parts that are farther off; and so wholesome for life that the inhabitants generally attain to many years. The soil is fat, fruitfull, and rich, yielding abundantly both profit and pleasures of man. The Champion grounds make glad the hearts of their Tillers; the Medows imbroidered with divers sweet-smelling flowers; and the Pastures make the Kine’s udders to strout to the Paile, from whom and wherein the best Cheese of all Europe is made.” No apology can be necessary for giving this opinion of his native county in _Memorials of Old Cheshire_, as it shows the estimation in which he held it three hundred years ago. Speed did not forget his old home and the church where he was baptized, for he presented a silver chalice to the church. Unfortunately this has disappeared, and one of the chalices now in use bears the inscription: “This Cup was given in exchange for one given to Farndon Church by John Speed.” The assassination of his patron, Lord Brooke, in September 1628, and the death about the same time of his wife, with whom he had spent fifty-seven years of his life, made a great impression upon Speed, and he died 28th July 1629, and was buried in St. Giles’ Church, Cripplegate, where a monument was erected to his memory, on which was inscribed: “Civis Londinensis mercatorum scissorum fratris servi fidelissimi regiarum majestatum Elizabethæ, Jacobi, and Caroli nunc superstitis.” His portrait is in the National Portrait Gallery. He published his _Theatre of the Empire of Great Britain_ in 1606, accompanied with the first set of maps ever published in England. His _History of Great Britain_ appeared in 1644 after his death, and beneath the plate of his portrait is a long Latin inscription, of which a portion is given above. In this he is described as a “Geographer of our lands, a faithful historian of the antiquity of Britain, and a most elegant delineator of sacred genealogy.” This last is an allusion to an elaborate work of his entitled, _The Cloud of Witnesses; or, The Genealogies of Scripture confirming the truth of the Sacred History, &c._

Farndon and the county of Cheshire may well be proud of her son, who (to use Mr. Hulbert’s words) “by his character, talents, industry, and perseverance gained friends among the most distinguished individuals in the kingdom for learning and transcendent abilities; and who was a man of genuine enlightened piety, and made his talents and his studies subservient to the cause of virtue and true religion.”

SOME CHESHIRE CUSTOMS, PROVERBS, AND FOLK-LORE

By Joseph C. Bridge, M.A., Mus. Doc. Oxon. et Dunelm., F.S.A.

Cheshire, although it borders on Wales, has caught but little of the Celtic imagination; and it is remarkable that the only Celtic legend current is found on the northern side of the county. The folk-lore of this County Palatine cannot compare with the quantity and quality of the Shropshire folk-lore; but legends are to a great extent born of valley and hill and stream, and Cheshire, with its vast plain, is, with the exception of the river Dee, deficient in those material phenomena which are present in such profusion in the neighbouring border county.

But Michael Drayton says of Cheshire men that “they of all England most to antient customs cleave”; and an attempt will be made in this chapter to give a general and compressed account of the customs which still exist and of folk-lore which has been, and still is, of great interest. The legends connected with the river Dee, and the many fine old customs connected with Chester itself are omitted, as they can easily be read in every history of the city. For other omissions the want of space must plead excuse.

SOULING

The most curious Cheshire custom still existent, and one which has not attracted the attention it deserves, is called “souling.” The day after All Saints’ Day (now November 1st) is All Souls’ Day. This was established as a festival of the Church about the tenth century, and in the Middle Ages it was customary for persons dressed in black to traverse the streets, ringing a bell at every corner and calling on all to join in prayer for the souls in Purgatory, and to contribute towards the paying of masses for them. After the Reformation the demand for money was transformed into demands for liquid and solid refreshment by the “soulers.”

But at Salerno, we are told that a custom prevailed previous to the fifteenth century of providing in every home on the eve of All Souls’ Day, a sumptuous entertainment for souls in Purgatory, who are supposed to revisit temporarily the scene of their earthly labours. Every one left their house and remained in church all night, while the feast was consumed by thieves who made a harvest out of this pious custom. Such is the origin of our “souling,” and it seems probable, therefore, that “soul-cakes” were not, at first, meant for consumption by the “soulers” themselves. The custom is still observed, and on the eve of All Souls’ (_i.e._ on the night of All Saints’ Day) bodies of children still parade Chester and Cheshire villages singing a portion of the old souling song, but tacked on to debased and incorrect versions of the old words, and in many cases amounting to mere doggerel.[52]

Now, the melody sung is most interesting, for it is undoubtedly pre-Reformation and is cast in the style of the Church music of the period, for there was no sharp dividing line between secular and sacred music when “souling” first began.[53] The “punctum” or drop of a fifth is very characteristic, and will be found in Merbecke and Church writers of the period.

[52] _e.g._ Instead of “Soul, soul, for an apple or two,” I have heard them sing, “Sole, sole, sole of my shoe”!

[53] I heard a comic song sung by a rustic in Sussex a few years ago to the plain-song which is used for the hymn “O come! O come! Emmanuel,” in _Hymns Ancient and Modern_.

The following is the tune as taken down by me many times in the past thirty years, though it is now getting greatly corrupted and altered, and will probably soon die out. No accompaniment is used:--

[Music:

Souling night has come at last,
And we are souling here;
And all that we are souling for,
Is apples and good cheer.

Soul, soul for an apple or two,
If you’ve no apples, pears will do;
If you’ve no pears, a good jug of beer
Will last us all till this time next year.

God bless the master of this house,
God bless the mistress too;
And all the little children that
Around the table go.
]

Other verses are:--

Likewise you men and maidens,
Your cattle and your store,
And all that dwells within your gates,
We wish you ten times more.

The lanes are very dirty,
My shoes are very thin;
I have a little pocket,
To put a penny in.

It will be noticed that the “refrain”[54] practically consists of only two notes, so that it could easily be lengthened at the will of the singer and new lines inserted. Here are some of the oldest rimes to which it is sung:--

Soul! Soul! for a soul-cake,
Pray, good missis! a soul-cake,
An apple, a pear, a plum or a cherry,
Or any good thing to make us merry--
One for Peter, two for Paul,
And three for Him who made us all.

Up with the kettle and down with the pan
Give us { an answer } and we’ll be gone.[55]
{ our souling }

[54] Mr. Fuller-Maitland gives this as the tune in _English County Songs_, p. 30. This is a mistake: he only has the “refrain.”

[55] There is always an “up” and “down” in all the versions met with, but, as pointed out in _Shropshire Folk-Lore_, the original no doubt was:--

“Up with the ladder and down with the can,”

_i.e._ the ladder is to be raised to the apple-loft and the can taken down in the cellar for ale or cider.

The following Staffordshire version is valuable for the statement that they “have all been praying for the soul departed.”

“Soul day, soul day,
We be come a-souling;
Pray, good people, remember the poor,
And give us all a soul-cake.
Soul day, soul day, soul,
One for Peter, two for Paul,
Three for Him who made us all.
An apple, a pear, a plum, or a cherry,
Or any good thing to make us merry.
Soul day, soul day,
We have all been praying
For the soul departed:
So pray, good people, give us a cake,
For we are all poor people,
Well known to you before;
So give us a cake, for charity’s sake,
And our blessing we’ll leave at your door.
Soul! soul! for an apple or two,
If you have no apples, pears will do;
If pears are scarce, then cakes from your pan,
Give us our souling, and we’ll be gone.”[56]

[56] _The Customs, Superstitions and Legends of the County of Stafford_, by C. H. Poole, p. 34.

The following is a Lancashire reference:--

“There is a singular custom still kept up at Great Marton in the Fylde district on this day. In some places it is called ‘soul-caking,’ but there it is named ‘psalm-caking’--from their reciting psalms for which they receive cakes. The custom is changing its character also--for in place of collecting cakes from house to house, as in the old time, they now beg for money. The term ‘psalm’ is evidently a corruption of the old word ‘Sal,’ for soul; the mass or requiem for the dead was called ‘Sal-mass,’ as late as the reign of Henry VI.”[57]

[57] _Lancashire Folk-Lore_, p. 251, by Harland and Wilkinson.

As time went on this tune was probably considered dull and old-fashioned, and the following has, to a limited extent, supplanted it. It is evidently an adaptation of a “pace-egging” song (see _post_):--

[Music:

We are one, two, three hearty lads, and we’re all of one mind,
We have come here a-souling, good nature to find;
We have come here a-souling as it doth appear,
And it’s all that we are souling for is your ale and strong beer.
]

_There are two other Verses._

At Northwich, Tarporley, and other places the soulers are accompanied by one bearing an imitation head of a horse, which snaps its jaws in an alarming manner. Thus “souling” has got grafted on to the pagan custom of “hodening.” At Over the soulers blacken their faces. This is a survival of the wearing of _black_ already mentioned.

The “Soulers’ Song,” as given by Egerton Leigh, is a poor modern version, evidently adapted from a _Maying_ song:--

“Ye gentlemen of England I could have ye draw near
To these few lines which we have wrote,
And all ye soon shall hear
Sweet melody of music all on this evening clear,
For we are gone a-souling for apples and strong beer.”

This is the fourth series of rimes on the subject, and the constant demand for apples and ale was to make a “wassail” bowl of “lambswool,” or hot spiced ale, with toast and roasted apples in it.

Souling seems to have been confined to, or at all events to have only survived, in the counties of Cheshire and Shropshire, though why this should be so it is difficult to say. It is also met with in the adjacent counties of Staffordshire and Lancashire, but only because it seems to have drifted over the borders. One curious reference to it occurs in _Tales and Traditions of Tenby_:[58]--

“What was called ‘souling,’ or ‘sowling,’ was practised by the female portion of the poor, who visited their wealthier neighbours, demanding ‘soul’ (possibly from the French _soûl_, signifying ‘one’s fill,’ or from _saouler_, ‘to satisfy with food.’ See Wright’s _Provincial Dictionary_), which signified, in its provincial acceptation, any condiment eaten with bread, such as meat, fish, etc., but especially _cheese_. As the usage was very generally recognised, souling-day proved, and still proves, one of the most profitable days in the calendar.”

[58] Published by R. Mason, Tenby, 1858, p. 17.

The fanciful derivation of “souling” may be passed by, but it is hard to account for this reference to it in “little England beyond Wales.”

At Oswestry, on the Welsh border, it is customary to begin with:--

“Wissal, wassal, bread and possel,
Cwrw da, plas yma,[59]
Apple or a pear, plum or a cherry,
Any good thing that will make us merry.”

--_Bye-gones_, December 11, 1872.

[59] _i.e._ “good ale (in) this place.”

Aubrey wrote regarding Shropshire thus:--

“In Salop the die õnium Animarum (All Soules-day, Novemb. 2d) there is sett on the Board a high heap of soule-cakes lyeing one upon another like the picture of the Sew-bread in the old Bibles. They are about the bignesse of 2d cakes, and n’ly all the visitors that day takes one; and there is an old Rhythm or saying--

‘A soule-cake, a soule-cake,
Have mercy on all Christian soules for a soule-cake.’”

“The late Mrs. Gill, of Hopton, near Hodnet, had _soul-cakes_ made in her house to give away to souling children every year up to her death in 1884. They were flat round, (or sometimes oval) cakes, made of very light dough, spiced and sweetened.”[60]

[60] Burne-Jackson’s _Shropshire Folk-Lore_, p. 382 _et seq._ Mr. Wirt Sykes, in his _British Goblins_, quotes this, and also the information about Tenby, but adds nothing to our knowledge.

We find some of the words of the “Souling Song” in nearly every itinerant begging custom. In Montgomeryshire a New Year’s rhyme is:--

“The road is very dirty,
My shoes are very thin;
Please give me a penny
To put some nails in.”

Several of the verses are found in a “Wessel-cup Hymn”--a carol popular in Shropshire thirty years ago--and in customs in Worcestershire and Yorkshire.

MARLING

The traveller cannot fail to notice the large number of square pits in the green fields of Cheshire, which are very different from the round drinking ponds of the southern shires.

These “pits” are excavations from which marl has been dug to place on the surface of the surrounding land as manure, and some curious old customs and words are connected with “marling.” After breakfast on the pit bank, the “head man,” who was termed the “Lord of the soil,” called out in a loud voice three times:

“‘O! Yez! O! Yez! O! Yez! This is to give notice that Mr. ---- has given to us Marlers part of a thousand pounds, and to whomsoever will do the same we will return thanks and shout.’ The men then joined hands, and, putting their heads together, shouted ‘Largesse! Largesse!’”

Should any one pass through the field, the “Lord” walked up, having a marl clod on his shoulder. This was so well understood that sixpence or a shilling was usually given. If the former, it was proclaimed as “part of one hundred pounds”; if the latter, “part of one thousand pounds.” At the close of the season they assembled in front of the village inn, and repeated the oration.

“Ladling and slutching” is the clearing out the water and mud from a pit. “Fea” is the soil covering the marl. “Setting” is spreading the marl over the land; “Mid-feather,” the space between the pits.

The Cheshire rhyme says:

“He that marls sand may buy the land,
He that marls moss shall have no loss,
He that marls clay flings all away.”

RUSH-BEARING

The strewing of the floors with rushes is an old custom, and has died hard. The farmhouses in Cheshire were strewn on the first of May with green rushes, over which lavender and rosemary were scattered. Rushes are no longer used, but a pattern is frequently worked on the flagged floor by the juice of dock leaves.[61]

Formerly all churches were strewn with rushes, and these were generally renewed on great festivals:

“1551 Rysshes at Wytsontyd vi^d
” ” ” Mydsomer viij^d
” ” against All Hallowtyde x^d

1584 To Edward Griffith for boughs, rishes,
and other things what time the
Earl of Leicester came hither xviij^s ij^d”[62]

“1630 Paid to Robert Raborne for getting
out the old rushes of the church viij^d”[63]

The custom of carrying rushes to church gradually developed into a festival, and the rushes were then decorated and carried in procession. In some parishes, where the time of year was suitable, this was done on the “Wake” day of the village. Flowers and garlands were added, which “were hung up in the church; we saw these garlands remaining in several places.”[64] Finally, the graves were strewn with them. This custom is still observed at Farndon with much ceremony on July 16th or the first Sunday afterwards.

[61] Utkinton Hall, 1908.

[62] Chester Cathedral Treasurer’s Accounts.

[63] Frodsham Accounts.

[64] Lyson’s _Cheshire_.

Many rush-bearings, or “rush-buryings,” as they are sometimes called, became riotous festivities, and the _Chester Courant_ for August 6, 1810, says:

“Christleton Rush-Bearing.--We were sorry to learn that the festivities of this annual _fête_ should have been disgraced by that almost universally reprobated amusement, a Bull-bait. After this savage practice has fallen into disrepute and disgrace amongst the most uncultivated parts of the island, it is mortifying for us to record a transaction so disgraceful in the immediate vicinity of the polished city of Chester.”

In Cheshire also rushes are used as a charm for warts. The charmer has a long straight rush, ties three knots in it, makes it into a circle, draws it over the wart downwards nine times, at the same time muttering a spell which he refuses to disclose on the ground that if he did so the charm would not work. In three months the wart will disappear.

The old rush-lights of Cheshire were sold at twenty for sixpence. “They were as thick as the present ‘twelve’ candles (twelve to the pound), but half as long again, and gave a steady but dim light. There were some curious bits of folk-lore connected with them. For instance, if a rush-light in ‘sweating’ curled over, it denoted death; if a bright star appeared in the flame, it portended a letter.”[65]

[65] Burton, _Rush-Bearing_.

PACE-EGGING

This is still practised in the Wirral peninsula, and the rime sung by the children was as follows:--

“Please, Mr. Whiteleg,
Please give us an Easter egg;
If you do not give us one,
Your hen shall lay an addled one,
Your cock shall lay a stone.”

Sometimes with the addition from “Souling” of:

“One for Peter, two for Paul,
And three for the One who made us all.”

“In Birkenhead, for some years after the Park was laid out, there were several grassy mounds inside the railings ... which went by the name of ‘The Bouks’ (Banks).... Every Easter Monday the children would bring baskets of coloured eggs. Then a game was played. First, wickets were fixed at intervals at the foot of the ‘Bouks,’ the children took their eggs to the top of the hills and rolled them down, aiming to pass them unbroken through the wickets.”[66]

[66] Gamlin’s _Memories of Birkenhead_.

By degrees “Pace-Egging” became grafted on to the old mumming play which is found in nearly every county of England, and the following was sung at Thurstaston some thirty years ago. Two verses are omitted:--

I.

Here come four or five hearty lads all of one mind;
We have come a’paste-egging if you will prove kind;
If you will prove kind, and never will fail,
We’ll treat our young lasses to the best of X ale.
Fol di-diddle dol-di-day.

II.

The next that steps in is Lord Nelson, you see
With a bunch of blue ribands tied on to his knee,
With a star on his breast like silver do shew,
And he comes a’paste-egging with his jolly crew.
Fol di-diddle dol-di-day.