Pope Ladies at St Albans

25 March · St Albans, Hertfordshire

No longer kept

St Albans sold buns called Pope Ladies on Lady Day, baked in the shape of ladies. The story went that a noble lady lost on the road at night found the monastery by the lights in its clock tower, and paid for cakes to be given to the poor every Lady Day in thanks. Dyer, citing Notes and Queries, added that another writer had them sold on New Year’s Day and tied them to Pope Joan.

the lady in gratitude gave a sum of money to provide an annual distribution on Lady Day of cakes, in the shape of ladies, to the poor of the neighbourhood.

From Dyer's British Popular Customs, p. 181. Read the original

Get a copy: Amazon · Bookshop.org · AbeBooks

We may earn a small commission if you buy through these links.

Also on this day

Folklore from the old calendars

Plucking the fen geese at Lady Day No longer kept LincolnshireThe great flocks of geese in the Lincolnshire fens had their first plucking of the year at Lady Day, for feathers and quills.
Entering the fallows at Lady Day No longer kept EnglandIn the open-field champion country a new farmer could enter on all the fallow land at Lady Day, half a year before his Michaelmas entry.
Our Lady’s smock at Lady Day Lore and belief EnglandCuckoo flower was called Our Lady's smock because it first flowered about Lady Day, and its name was taken to recall the Virgin's garment in honour of the Annunciation.
My Lord in my Lady’s lap Lore and belief EnglandAn old rhyme warned that when Easter Day fell on or near Lady Day, 25 March, England would suffer some misfortune.
The Tichborne Dole Still kept HampshireThe story is that the dying Lady Mabella asked her husband, Sir Roger Tichborne, for a dole of bread to be given every Lady Day, and he promised her as much land as she could go round while a brand burned, thinking she could not go far.

Pope Ladies at St Albans

Also on this day

Questions and comments

Image credits