The Walsall Penny Dole

5 January · Walsall, Staffordshire

No longer kept

Thomas Moseley gave lands in Warwickshire in trust for the town of Walsall in 1453, and on Twelfth Night eve, the anniversary for his soul and his wife Margaret’s, the bellman went about calling on everyone to kneel and pray for them. Out of gratitude the town gave a penny to every person who came, townsfolk and strangers alike. The dole is first mentioned in 1539. A writer of 1818 thought it would be better given up and the rents of the estates spent on proper charity.

the town, by way of gratitude, yearly distributed a general dole of one penny each, to young and old, rich and poor; strangers, as well as townspeople

From Hone's Year Book, cols. 54-56. Read the original

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Folklore from the old calendars

The Sieve of Candles No longer kept LeinsterSir Henry Piers, describing County Westmeath, wrote that on Twelfth Night eve the people raised a sieve full of oats as high as they could, with twelve candles set round it and a larger one in the middle, all lit.
Twelve Fires and the Ox’s Cake No longer kept Gloucestershire, HerefordshireOn Twelfth Night eve Herefordshire farmers and their servants lit twelve small fires and one large one on the highest part of a wheat field, drank old cider and hallooed, and fifty or sixty other fires might be seen at once across the country.
Wassailing the Apple Trees Still kept DevonOn Twelfth Night eve the Devon farmer took his men into the orchard with a pitcher of cider, and they circled one of the best-bearing trees and drank to it three times with a rhyme wishing it hats full, caps full and sacks full of apples.
Handsel Monday No longer kept ScotlandThe first Monday of the year was a great holiday for the Scottish peasantry and for children, the day for giving and receiving presents, or handsel.

The Walsall Penny Dole

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