Martinmas stray-sheep day at Patterdale

11 November · Patterdale, Matterdale and Legberthwaite

No longer kept

In the dales round Ullswater nobody went looking for a strayed sheep; whoever found one simply looked after it. On St Martin’s day the whole neighbourhood met, each bringing every sheep he held that was not his own, and all the strays were claimed and handed back. Hutchinson’s correspondent said the exchange had never produced a single quarrel or lawsuit, and the only cost was a hearty feast shared by all.

On St. Martin's day, the whole neighbourhood meets, to claim and to restore all the estrays; every person bringing all that he has, which do not belong to him.

From Hutchinson's History of Cumberland, vol. 1, p. 447. Read the original

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Folklore from the old calendars

Martlemas beef hung up for Easter No longer kept EnglandAt Martinmas the farmer killed a beast and hung the beef up to dry in the chimney, keeping it until Easter.
Martinmas is past and gone at Wooler Lore and belief NorthumberlandA Wooler rhyme lamented that Martinmas had come and gone with Christmas drawing near and no mutton left in the house for the feast.
St Martin’s little summer Lore and belief EnglandSt Martin's little summer was the name for the spell of fine days that sometimes breaks into the usual stormy weather about the beginning of November.
The Martinmas mart No longer kept Northumberland, ScotlandMartinmas was the time to kill beasts and salt them down for winter, so in Scotland and the north of England a fat ox for killing was called a mart.
Wroth Silver at Knightlow Cross Still kept WarwickshireBefore sunrise on Martinmas morning the parishes of the hundred of Knightlow paid their wroth silver, or ward money, to the lord of the hundred at the stump of Knightlow Cross near Rugby.

Martinmas stray-sheep day at Patterdale

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