Bothamsall (SK6773), Nottinghamshire

M.W.Barley Collection (No Date, Anon.) Ref.BaP 1/12

Maurice Willmore Barley (Col.)
BOTHAMSALL NOTTS. PLOUGH PLAY: The Ten Pound Doctor
M.W.Barley Collection, Col. about 1953, Ref.BaP 1/12

Manuscript text (189 lines) of a Plough Play from Bothamsall, Notts. The characters are; Rummer Roamer, Tom Fool/Bald Tom/Tommy, Sergeant, Farmer's Man, Lady Bright and Gay, Jane/Jenny/Turkey Turk, Beelzebub/Belzy and Doctor.

A note at the end states; "I am putting it on with boys this week", indicating a revival. Judging from Barley's publications, this text would have been collected about 1953.

A collector's note next to the manuscript heading states; "Probably not correctly identified". However, this is identical (handwriting included) with the Bothamsall text Ref.PR6113 in the Notts. Archives Office Collection (1968, D.D.Woodgate). Evidently this text was transcribed for performance, with the addition of line tags and a few extra lines. One sheet consists of sections of text for insertion. These correspond to complete pages in PR6113, suggesting that they had been accidentally omitted during transcription due to careless page turning.

Nottingham Journal (1941a)

[Anon.] (Auth.)
Tom Fool and Beelzebub: PLOUGH MONDAY PLAYS IN NOTTS.?
Nottingham Journal, 10th Jan.1941, No.35888, p.3c

General article describing plough plays in Nottinghamshire, including the following paragraphs:

"The Notts. villages where the text of such plays is still preserved are Scarrington, Farnsfield, Bothamsall, Lowdham, Cropwell Bishop, Blidworth, Norwell and Thorney."

"The last performance of a play recalled by Mr. E.E.Neale, of the Notts. Rural Community Council, was at Cropwell Bishop in 1938."

The words of the final song at Blidworth are quoted.

M.W.Barley (1951)

M. W. Barley (Auth.); E. F. H. D. (Col.)
Plough Plays in Nottinghamshire
Nottinghamshire Countryside, Oct.1951, Vol.13, No.2, pp.1-2

This is a request for information on Plough monday plays. Brief descriptions are given of the sort of information wanted, together with outlines of the possible historical implications of Plough Monday and of the questions it is hoped to answer. The names Plough Boys, or Jacks, or Jags, or Stots, or Bullocks are mentioned. He particularly asks for information on plough trailing, sword dances, and customs from western Notts., similar to those found in Derbys. & Yorks., such as Christmas Mummers, sword dances and Morris dances. In a brief mention of Hobby Horses, he notes the Christmas play of the "Poor Owd 'Oss" from Mansfield in the A.S.Buxton Collection, and other occurrences at Cuckney and Elkesley. He already had information on Plough Monday plays from the Notts. villages of; Blidworth, Mansfield, East Bridgford, Bothamsall, Cropwell, Clayworth, Flintham, Selston, Walesby, Whatton, Worksop, Norwell, Averham, Tollerton, and North Leverton.

Appended is the final song of a play from Blidworth, Notts., collected in 1925 by E.F.H.D. This was in fact first published in 1948 (E.F.H.D., 1948).

Nottinghamshire Archives Collection (1953, D.D.Woodgate)

Rev. D. D. Woodgate (Col.)
Text of Plough Monday Play performed at Bothamsall until the 1914/18 War when it was discontinued.
Nottinghamshire Archives Collection, Deposited 22nd Jan.1953, Ref.DD/31/1, Acc.148

Manuscript text (170 lines) of a Plough Monday play from Bothamsall, Notts. up to the 1914/1918 War. The characters are; an introducer, Tom Fool/Bald Tom/Tommy Long, Sergeant, Farmer's Man, Lady Bright and Gay, Jane/Turkey Turk, Beelzebub/Belzy and Doctor.

The manuscript appears to have been copied out as a calligraphic exercise, almost certainly from Notts. Record Office Collection (1968, D.D.Woodgate). There are a few minor differences - mostly punctuation. There are no line tags.

Nottinghamshire Archives Collection (1968, D.D.Woodgate)

Rev. D. D. Woodgate (Col.)
[Plough Monday Play from Bothamsall, Notts.]
Nottinghamshire Archives Collection, Deposited 9th May 1968, Ref.PR/6113

Rough manuscript text (191 lines) of a Plough Monday play from Bothamsall, Notts., performed sometime during the 20th Century. The characters are; an introducer, Tom Fool/Bald Tom/Tommy Long, Recruiting Sergeant, Farmer's Man, Lady Bright and Gay, Old Dame Jane/Turkey Turk, Beelzebub/Belzy and Doctor. No line tags are used.

Some of the information comes from the Record Office calendar entry for the manuscript. This is probably the original from which was copied the text in Nottinghamshire Archives Collection (1953, D.D.Woodgate).