A correspondent from the Staffordshire Moorlands wrote to Hone that flowers and herbs were given meanings that went with the sound of their names, rosemary standing for remembrance and rejoicing, gillyflowers for gentleness and marigolds for mirth and marriage. An Elizabethan ballad of lovers’ nosegays began with rosemary for remembrance. He added that in Staffordshire rosemary was still commonly used at weddings and funerals, and above all at funerals.
Rosemary for remembrance
Printed under 13 April · Staffordshire
No longer kept
in Staffordshire, the use of rosemary at weddings and funerals, but particularly at the latter, is still common
From Hone's Year Book, cols. 467-468. Read the original
Get a copy: Amazon · Bookshop.org · AbeBooks
We may earn a small commission if you buy through these links.
Questions and comments