Folklore of England

31 October

Folklore from the old calendars

All-Hallowtide revels at the Middle Temple No longer kept LondonThe young lawyers of the Middle Temple counted All-Hallowtide as the start of Christmas, and in the reign of Charles I they chose a Master of the Revels for the season.
Pork, souse and sprats at All Saints No longer kept EnglandAll Saints was the season for pork and souse, the pickled parts of the pig, and for laying in sprats and spurlings.
Ringing for all Christian souls No longer kept EnglandBefore the Reformation the church bells were rung all night at Allhallowtide for all Christian souls.
Seed cake at Allhallows No longer kept WarwickshireBrand's servant, a Warwickshire man, told him that in that county a seed cake was had at Allhallows, marking the end of wheat sowing.
Slaughter time at Hallowtide No longer kept EnglandHallowtide began the season for killing stock, and with it the husbandman's feasting.
Souling in Staffordshire No longer kept StaffordshireTollett noted that on All Saints' Day the poor of Staffordshire went from parish to parish souling, begging and singing for soul cakes or anything else to make them merry.
The Cheshire souling song Still kept CheshireOn the eve of All Souls' Day parties of boys in Cheshire went souling from door to door, singing for apples, pears, plums, beer or money.

Folklore from the old calendars

Old Hob No longer kept CheshireA correspondent told Hone of a Cheshire frolic called Old Hob, in which a man carried a dead horse's head covered with a sheet to frighten people.
Soul-mass cakes No longer kept Herefordshire, LancashireOn All Souls' Day in Lancashire and Herefordshire the well-off used to hand out oaten cakes, called soul-mass cakes, to the poor.
The Gill-Bushes dole on All Souls’ Day No longer kept CumberlandEvery year on 2 November the rent of a field called Gill-Bushes was given out to the poor of Blennerhasset in Torpenhow church.
The Shropshire soul-cake heap No longer kept ShropshireAubrey wrote that in his time, in Shropshire and elsewhere, a high heap of soul cakes was set on the board on All Souls' Day, lying one upon another like the shewbread in the pictures of old Bibles.
Tindles at Findern No longer kept DerbyshireAt Findern in Derbyshire the boys and girls went every year on the evening of All Souls' Day to the common and lit a number of small fires among the furze, which they called Tindles.

Folklore from the old calendars

Beating the sticks round the Marlborough bonfire No longer kept WiltshireAt the Marlborough bonfires the country people walked round the fire in a ring, holding thick club-sticks over their shoulders.
Guy Fawkes’ Day Still kept EnglandAn Act of 1606 made the anniversary of the Gunpowder Plot a holiday, and by Chambers's day it was one of the most joyous days of the year for English boys.
Remember the Bonfire at Walthamstow No longer kept EssexOn Bonfire Night the bonfire boys of Walthamstow chanted the Gunpowder Plot rhyme, asking for a stick and a stake for King George's sake, and then gave three halloos.
The butchers’ bonfire in Clare Market No longer kept LondonOn the fifth of November the butchers of Clare Market built their own bonfire in the open market by Bear Yard and thrashed each other round it with the sinews of slaughtered bulls.
The Islip bonfire rhyme No longer kept OxfordshireThe boys who carried the guy round on the Fifth had many local versions of the rhyme.
The Purton bonfire No longer kept WiltshireFor weeks before the Fifth the boys of Purton went to every house begging faggots, with a rhyme threatening to take two if they were refused one, and one hard farmer lost a new pump to the fire.