Records of Woodhall Spa and Neighbourhood Part 39

Which may be done thus into English:-

A mother, great with coming child, Much suffers in her dreams, That naught beyond a monster head Her inward burden seems.

A head so huge, yet with such might Endowed, that at his birth, Supported on a wooden staff The infant issues forth.

{173} The account of this incident is also given in "Gilda Aurifabrorum," by Chaffers, 66. King Charles seems to have made himself merry over his cups, with others beside the Lord Mayor. It is recorded that dining with Chief Justice Sir George Jeffreys, the sovereign found his lords.h.i.+p's wine so good that he "drank to him seven times."-Verny, "Memoirs," vol. iv., p. 234

{175} Early in this chapter.

{176} "Religious Houses on the Witham," Appendix, p. 167, note 46.

{178} Bull-baiting was in vogue at Stamford in this county as early as the reign of King John, 1209, and continued till 1839.

A bill against the sport was introduced into the House of Commons, May 24th, 1802, but was rejected, mainly through the influence of Mr.

Wyndham, who used some curious arguments in favour of the sport. It has since been made illegal, through the instrumentality of the Society for Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, established 1824. At one time many towns, and even villages, practised the sport. Strutt, "Sports" (p.

277), says many of the rings "remain at the present time" (1780.)

{179} Liberty to hold an annual fair, two days before the Eve of St.

Barnabas, and to continue eight days, was granted by Henry III. by charter, to Ralph de Rhodes, Lord of the Manor. This is the present June Fair. A. second charter, granted by the same king, empowered the Lord of the Manor to hold an annual fair, to commence on the Eve of the Feast of St. Lawrence, and to continue seven days. This is the great August Fair, once perhaps the largest in the world, though now greatly reduced. Our third, or October, Fair was removed to Horncastle from Market Stainton, where it was a Statute Fair, in 1768.

{180} The inst.i.tution of "Bough-houses" at fairs was not confined to Horncastle. By Act of Parliament (35 George III., c. 113, s. 17) an exception was made to the general rule of a license being required for the sale of beer, that at fair-time any one hanging a bough at their door, and thus const.i.tuting the house a "booth," might sell beer without a license. It prevailed at Persh.o.r.e, with the sanction of the magistrates, as late as 1863; also at Bridgewater, Church Staunton, and Newton Poppleford ("Notes and Queries," 3rd series, vol. iv., pp. 141 and 258). Hence we find at Carmarthen, the princ.i.p.al hotel named "The Ivy Bush"; and at Carlisle, in English Street, there is a coaching inn called "The Bush." ("On the track of the Mail Coach," by J. E. Baines, p. 226).

There is also a "Bush Hotel" at Farnham. In out-of-the-way parts of Germany, as in the Upper Eisel District, at the village feast called "Kirmess" a bough is hung out at a house door to shew that refreshment may be obtained there. ("Field, Forest, and Fell," by J. A. Owen, p.

74). Of the existence of similar houses at an early period in England, we have evidence in Chaucer's "Canterbury Tales." There were ale-houses on the country road-sides, marked by a pole projecting over the door; and as the pilgrims rode along, the Pardoner would not begin his tale till he had stopped to refresh himself,

"But first, quod he, her, at thys ale-stake, I will both drynke, and biten at a cake."

Jusseraud, in his "Wayfaring life of 14th century," gives a sketch of such a Bow-house from a XIV. century illuminated MS.

{181} This peculiar and ready mode of dissolving the bond of wedlock was not uncommon in former times; but I have a note of a similar transaction occurring in or near Scarborough in a quite recent year; and in 1898 (Nov. 18) a case came before Mr. Justice Kekewich, in the Chancery Court, when it was found that one of the parties concerned, before leaving this country for Australia, had sold his wife for 250.

{183} Abbey and Overton, "Church of England in the 18th Century," quoted "Church Folklore," by J. E. Vaux, p. 2.

{184} "Literae Laureatae"; or, the Poems of John Brown, the Horncastle Laureate. Edited by J. Conway Walter.

{188a} Other Roman mazes have been found in Lincolns.h.i.+re at Alkborough, as well as at Louth and Appleby; at Wing, in Rutlands.h.i.+re; at Sneinton and Clifton, in Notts.; at Hilton, in Hunts.; and many other places. The one at Hilton is also called "Julian's Bower." Views of the plans of some are given in the Architectural Society's Journal (Yorks.h.i.+re), vol.

iv., pp. 251268. I shall go into this subject again further on, in dealing with "Troy wood," at Coningsby.

{188b} "Architect. Soc. Journ," vol. iv., p. 200.

{188c} Stukeley, "Itin. Curios." p. 91.

{188d} At Helston, in Cornwall, on May 8th, a procession of young persons marches through the town, decked with flowers; and the day is called "Flurry-day," doubtless a corruption of the Roman "Floralia."

{188e} "The Vikings of Western Christendom," by C. F. Keary, p. 52.

{188f} "History of Horncastle," p. 27.

{188g} "Collectanea," vol. ii, p. 509.

{190} In the "Memoirs of the Verney Family," Vol. i., it is stated that the King's army were raw levies, pressed by force at short notice, ill fed and ill clothed. The Verneys' relative, Dr. Denton, present with the forces, writes, "Our men are very rawe, our armes, of all sorts, naught, our vittle scarce, and provision for horses worse" (p. 315). Sir Jacob Astley writes, his recruits "have neither colours nor halberts"; and he has to "receive all the arch knaves of the kingdom, who beat their officers and break open prisons." Edmund Verney writes, "We have 6 weeks' pay due, and unless there be some speedy payment, you may expect to hear that our souldyers are in a mutiny; they are notable sheep stealers already." Many had only rude pykes and lances; few who had a musket had a sword as well. Pistols and matchlocks were scarce. Old armour, which had hung in churches and manor houses, was used over again (pp. 109116).

{192a} Walker's "Sufferings of the Clergy," pt. ii, pp. 252, 253.

{192b} Chancery Inquis., p. mort, 8 Ric. II, No. 99.

{193c} Some of these fragments were taken by Mr. Stanhope to Revesby Abbey. Two of them stand in the writer's garden, at Langton Rectory.

{193} Cl. Rot., 13 Hen III., given in "Lincs. N. & Q.," vol. i, p. 49.

From a very early period churches and churchyards were regarded as so sacred that a criminal, having reached one of these, like the Biblical cities of refuge, could not be disturbed. On the north door of Durham Cathedral there is a ponderous bronze knocker-ring, to which the criminal, clinging, was safe. There is another at Hexham, and at St.

Gregory's, Norwich. At Westminster, Worcester, Croyland, Tintern, and many other places, there was the same privilege. In Beverley Minster there is a remarkable stone called the "Frith-stool," because it "freeth"

the criminal from pursuit. It is recorded that in 1325 ten men escaped from Newgate, four of them to the Church of St. Sepulchre, and one to St.

Bride's. Nicholas de Porter joined in dragging a man from Sanctuary, who was afterwards executed. But this act was itself so great an offence, that he only obtained pardon through the Papal Nuncio, on doing penance in his s.h.i.+rt and bare head and feet in the church porch, on Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday in Whitsun week. A result, however, of the abuse of Sanctuary was, that churches being so numerous over the country, criminals could always obtain a refuge, and the roads became infested with highwaymen. Henry VIII. pa.s.sed Acts curtailing the privilege, and it was finally abolished by James I., 1624-"New Quarterly Mag.," Jan., 1880. _Et alibi_.

{194a} Collectanea, vol. ii., p. 300.

{194b} Although these events happened more than 250 years ago, it does not require many links to connect that day with the present. The writer was informed, at the time he was putting these records together, that a man named John Barber died in Horncastle, aged 95, in the year 1855 or 1856, whose grandfather remembered Oliver Cromwell sleeping in the above-named house, then a mud and stud structure, on the night before Winceby fight. In the Register of West Barkwith is recorded the burial of Nicholas Vickers in 1719, who guided Cromwell over Market Rasen Moor after the battle. Cromwell may well, therefore, have returned to the same house at Horncastle before proceeding northward by Market Rasen.

{196a} "Monasticon," p. 45.

{196b} "History of the House of Marmion," p. 18.

{197a} Berewick is a hamlet or minor manor attached to a larger. The word strictly means cornland (bere, or barley). This Dispenser, as his name (Latin Dispensator) implies, was steward to the Conqueror. His descendants were the Despensers, Earls of Gloucester. He was brother to the Earl Montgomery. Being a powerful man, he forcibly seized the lords.h.i.+p of Elmley from the monks of Worcester. At the time of Domesday he held 15 manors in Lincolns.h.i.+re, seventeen in Leicester, four in Warwicks.h.i.+re, &c.

{197b} Maddison's "Wills," series i., p. 360, No. 96.

{198} In a note on the Will, Mr. Maddison says, "The testator was the second son of Robert Dighton (of Sturton), by his wife, Joyce St. Paul (a lady of another very old and well-connected county family)."

{199a} Land Revenue Records, bundle 1392, file 79, Pub. Rec. Off.

{199b} North's "Church Bells of Lincolns.h.i.+re," p. 497, ed. 1882.

{200a} There are still Willoughbys in the neighbourhood, and one living in Langton.

{200b} There are, however, several modern spires since this saying came into vogue, two-at Horsington and Wispington-being within sight from Woodhall, and a third at Sausthorpe near Spilsby, a very fine one, designed by Mr. Stephen Lewin, who was the architect of St. Andrew's Church, Woodhall Spa.

{201} Gov. Geol. Survey, "Country round Lincoln," p. 205.

{204} He was supposed to have been asleep in the train, and hearing the name of the station called out, he aroused himself too slowly, and stepped out of the carriage when the train had pa.s.sed 80 yards or more beyond the platform. He was discovered an hour or more afterwards by a railway servant, who walked down the line. He was conveyed to his residence at Horncastle, but never recovered the sense of feeling below his neck. The present writer frequently read to him in his illness.

After some weeks he regained a slight power of movement in his feet, which gave hopes of recovery; but soon after this, his attendant, on visiting him, found him dead in his bed.

{205a} Blomfield, "Hist. of Norfolk," vol. iii., p. 187.

{205b} Dugdale's "Baronage," vol. i., p. 439.

{208a} This list was published by T. C. n.o.ble.

{208b} "Architect. Soc. Journ.," vol. x.x.xiii, pt. i, pp. 122 and 132.

{208c} Locally p.r.o.nounced "Screelsby," and even on one of the family monuments in the church we find, "the Honourable Charles Dymoke, Esquire, of Scrielsby," died 17 January, 1702.