St Leonard’s half-holiday

St Leonard, a Frankish hermit, was especially invoked for prisoners and was the patron of many large English churches. A list of holy days published at Worcester in 1240 made his feast a half-holiday: people were to hear mass, and all work was forbidden except ploughing. Hone added drily that the saint no longer freed prisoners even on his own day, though it was the first day of the law term.