Good Morrow, Valentine at Weston Favell

14 February · Weston Favell, Northamptonshire

No longer kept

Reviewing John Cole’s little history of Weston Favell, near Northampton, in 1827, Hone noted the village’s round of customs. On St Valentine’s Day the lads and lasses of the village gathered and went round the principal inhabitants wishing them good morrow, and were given money for their song. The same village rang one of its church bells, the pancake bell, at noon on Shrove Tuesday as the signal for a holiday and sports for the young people.

On St. Valentine's day the village lads and lasses assemble, and go round with a wish of "Good morrow, morrow, Valentine!" to the principal inhabitants

From Hone's Table Book, vol. 1, p. 598. Read the original

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Folklore from the old calendars

Valentine pence in Oxfordshire No longer kept OxfordshireIn Oxfordshire the children went about on Valentine's Day collecting pence and singing a short rhyme asking each householder for a valentine.
Catching valentines before sunrise No longer kept NorfolkIn Norfolk children tried to catch one another for valentines on St Valentine's morning, and took special care to catch any elderly people in the family who were likely to be generous.
The Valentine Letter-shower Still kept EnglandBy the 1860s the drawing of valentines had given way to sending anonymous letters.
When the Birds Choose Their Mates Lore and belief EnglandAmong the common people it was believed that St Valentine's Day was the day on which the birds chose their mates, and that something of the same influence lay on young men and women, so that a partner chosen by lot or chance that day was in some degree binding.
Good Morrow, Valentine No longer kept HertfordshireIn many parts of Hertfordshire the poorer children gathered on Valentine's morning and went together to the house of the chief person of the place, who threw wreaths and true lovers' knots to them from a window.
Lynn Mart Still kept NorfolkKing's Lynn's great annual mart was granted by Henry VIII to begin the day after Candlemas, and after the change of calendar in 1752 it was proclaimed on Valentine's Day.
Drawing Valentines No longer kept England, ScotlandThe old ceremony of St Valentine's Day was a lottery.

Good Morrow, Valentine at Weston Favell

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