Bingham (SK7039), Nottinghamshire

Nottinghamshire Guardian (1909b)

[Anon.] (Auth.)
PLOUGH MONDAY: PLOUGH MONDAY IN EAST NOTTINGHAM
*Nottinghamshire Guardian, 23rd Jan.1909

This article gives details of Plough Monday, Plough Bullockin by schoolboys in the Carlton Road district of Nottingham. This was not a play custom. Details are also given of Twelfth Cakes sold in Sneinton, Nottingham on Twelfth Night up to about 1870 or 1880. The article mentions the publication the previous week of an account of Plough Monday "in the neighbourhood of Bingham", Notts. Evidently this was Mrs. Chaworth-Musters account in Nottinghamshire Guardian (1909a). Note this stage in the change of name for the location of the account from Wiverton Hall into Bingham.

M.W.Barley Collection (1950, L.Butler - a)

Lawrence Butler (Col.)
[Tunes and Notes on Plough Plays]
*M.W.Barley Collection, Com. 30th Dec.1953

Letter about Plough Plays, containing tunes and numerous three tunes to the play from Colsterworth, Lincs., (Collected from Mr.E.Shields) mentioning the characters Recruiting Sergeant, Farmers Boy and Serving Girl. The tunes are given to the final song from East Drayton, Notts., (collected from Canon R.F.Wilkinson), and to a folk song "The Wrestling Match" or "Bill Scrimshaw" from Lenton, Lincs. The play tunes were collected in December 1953.

A number of original references are given in the following passage;

"Although you have ommitted the list of villages where the dance was known to exist, I can add to it from my grandmother's knowledge - Bingham, Granby, Elton; from Mrs. Atkins of Shelford - Radcliffe-on-Trent and Cotgrave; from Mrs. Mee of Shelford - Empingham, Rutland (with account of their dress)"

References to published work include; J.P.Briscoe (1876), J.P.Briscoe (1878), E.L.Guilford (1942), J.Needham & A.L.Peck (1936) [should be 1933], and J.E.F.D.S.S.? (1937) [probably A.R.Wright & T.E.Lones (1938).]

M.W.Barley Collection (1953, Atkins)

Mrs. Atkins (Inf.); L. Butler (Col.)
Shelford. [Plough-bullocks Play]
M.W.Barley Collection, Col. Dec.1953, Ref.Ba P 1/33

Fragments of a Plough Monday Plough-boys or Plough-bullocks play from Shelford, Notts., which ceased in 1912 or 1913. The characters are; First Man, Farmer's Boy, Belsey-Bub, Eezum Squeezum/Eezum Squezum, Old Dame Jane and Doctor. There was house visiting in the morning and afternoon by youths until about 1925. J.P.Briscoe (1876) is mentioned, and malicious ploughing was still remembered. A note adds, "Similar plays at East Bridgford, Radcliffe-on-Trent, at Bingham, last done 1895-1900".

A.A.Wortley (1954)

Adelaide A. Wortley (Comp.)
A HISTORY of BINGHAM [Plough Monday]
Bingham: Bingham Church School, 1954, p.53

In the section on "Old customs" the author says of Plough Monday in Bingham, Notts.; "The Plough Monday play was a particularly interesting event and many of the present older inhabitants of Bingham took part in it. An attempt to revive the play here is being made."

Other "customs" mentioned are; Hue and Cry, Beating the Bounds, and visiting the Stones on Parson's Hill on Shrove Tuesday.

The name of the compiler as given on the title page is incorrect. It should be Adelaide L.Wortley as given on the dust jacket.

Nottinghamshire Local History Council Collection (1960, E.Sharp)

Mrs. Edith Sharp (Auth.)
Memories of Bingham [Plough Monday]
Nottinghamshire Local History Council Collection, Written 26th Mar.1960, Received 12th Nov.1960, Ref.DD/121/1/8, 5pp.

Entry to an essay competition on old village life at Bingham, Notts. It includes the following on page 3, which probably relates to about the years 1881-1882;

"On Plough Monday an old labourer, Brown by name, was invited to school so that we could see him in his fancy paper trimmed suit, which was all very amusing. In the evening, boys would go round asking for gifts in money or in kind and youths and men would go the round of the public houses giving the Mummers Monologue."

* indicates data that not yet been validated against the original source and/or has yet to be completely indexed.