Cotgrave (SK6435), Nottinghamshire

Nottingham Guardian (1949b)

[Anon.] (Auth.)
PLOUGH MONDAY PLAYERS CALL [Tollerton, Notts.]
Nottingham Guardian, 8th Jan.1949, No.28886, p.5 h

Report of a performance of Plough Monday play by the team from Tollerton, Notts. The account is based around the experience of Ernie Burton, who remembered seeing the play being performed when a child in Edwalton "over 50 years ago." Two or three text fragments are quoted, and the characters were; Tom Fool, Recruiting Sergeant, Farm Man/Farmer's Man, Dame Jane, Lady Bright and Gay, Doctor and Thrasher Blade. The itinerary included Hall Farm, Tollerton, Normanton, Knicker Hill, Cotgrave, Keyworth and Plumtree. All the actors are named. Ernie is quoted as saying, "In the old days it was the custom to take a plough and threaten to plough a furrow across the lawn if no reward was forthcoming."

Nottingham Journal (1949a)

[Anon.] (Auth.)
Mummers' Visit to Hall Farm: Medieval Play at Tollerton
Nottingham Journal, 8th Jan.1949, No.38366, p.6 d-f,e

Plough Monday play by a team from Tollerton, Notts., first revived in 1948. They also visited; Plumtree, Cotgrave, Keyworth, Normanton, and Nicker Hill. The characters were; Tom Fool, Recruiting Sergeant, Farmer's Man, Dame Jane, Old Threshing Blades, Doctor and Lady Bright and Gay. A photograph shows seven characters in costume watching Tom Fool knocking on door with the caption:

"The seven characters in Tollerton's Plough Play - all farm workers - which starts on Monday, had a dress rehearsal last night. Picture shows them arriving at the door of Tollerton Hall Farm to give the first performance with 'Tom Fool' knocking for admission."

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).]

P.T.Millington Collection (1975, F.Glossop)

*Fred Glossop (Inf.)
*[Plough Monday Play from Cotgrave, Notts.]
*P.T.Millington Collection, 1975 ?

*Plough Monday play performed in Cotgrave, Notts., about 1920. The characters were; Leading Boy, Bold Tom/Tommy, Beelzebub, Farmers Boy/ Farmers Man, Recruiting Sergeant, Lady, Dame Jane and Doctor.

P.T.Millington Collection (1975, D.Dakin)

*Dicky Dakin (Perf.)
*[Plough Monday Play from Cotgrave, Notts.]
*P.T.Millington Collection, 1975

*Full Text of a Plough Monday, Plough Boys play performed in Cotgrave, Notts., from about 1927 to 1937. The characters were; First Man, Ploughboy/Farmers Man, Recruiting Sergeant, Beelzebub, Dame Jane and Doctor.

I.T.Jones Collection (1981, E.M.Cooke - a)

Mrs. E. M. Cooke (Intermediary)
Cotgrave, Notts: Letter from Mrs E.M.Cooke 24/1/81
I.T.Jones Collection, Com. 24th Jan.1981, Ref.K10-1

Letter from Mrs Cooke, Cotgrave W.I., dated 24/1/81, enclosing questionnaire from Miss Marian Wilson

I.T.Jones Collection (1981, M.Wilson)

Miss Marian Wilson (Inf.)
Cotgrave, Notts: Questionnaire from Miss Marian Wilson 23/1/81
I.T.Jones Collection, Com. 23rd Jan.1981, Ref.K10-2

Questionnaire filled in by a neighbour on behalf of Miss Wilson, Cotgrave, age 74. She recalled a play being pereformed in Cotgrave early January pre 1939. The group of 8 or 9 men possibly came from Tollerton and included a Jester, an Army Sergeant and a Doctor

I.T.Jones Collection (1981, E.M.Cooke - b)

Mrs. E. M. Cooke (Intermediary)
Cotgrave, Notts: Letter to Mrs Cooke 11/3/81
I.T.Jones Collection, Com. 11th Mar.1981, Ref.K10-3

Transcript of letter thanking Mrs Cooke and Miss Wilson for their help.

I.T.Jones Collection (1982, I.T.Jones & A.Cockburn)

Mr. Idwal Jones (Col.); Miss Ann Cockburn (Col.)
Radio Nottingham Phone-In: Tape and Notes
I.T.Jones Collection, Com. 8th Jan.1982, Ref.L1-1

Tape and notes of a live phone-in on Radio Nottingham on Plough Monday 8/1/82 with the topic Plough Monday and Folk Customs. In the studio were Anne Cockburn and Idwal Jones with the interviewer Ms.Freddie Gaunt

Tape Counter (10 = ca.35 seconds):

93-114: Introduction and discussion in studio

180-196: Discussion in studio on the ancient society of horsemen

196-242: Discussion in studio on mummers plays and IJ singing the Owd 'Oss song.

242-294: Fred Buckley phoning in re the Plough Monday play in Blidworth.

294-347: Ethel Glossop phoning in re the Plough Monday play in Cotgrave.

375-425: Charles from Long Eaton phoning in re customs in Norfolk relating to the ancient society of horsemen.

425-432: Announcement about the Calverton Plough Boys performing in Oxton and Epperstone on 9th and 10th January 1982.

437-472: IJ singing the version of Good Master and Good Mistress used by the Owd 'Oss Mummers and discussion in studio.

472-505: George from Nuthall phoning in re guising in Brinsley and Underwood.

505-535: Gerry Fearnley phoning in re an Old Horse play in Bulwell.

535-551: Studio discussion on New Year customs.

551-572: Ann Frett phoning in re play from Scotland.

572-575: Closing remarks.

I.T.Jones Collection (1982, E.Glossop)

Mrs. Ethel Glossop (Inf.)
Radio Nottingham Phone-In: Ethel Glossop
I.T.Jones Collection, Com. 8th Jan.1982, Ref.L1-3

Ethel Glossop age 77 from Arnold rang the phone-in to talk about her husband Fred Glossop’s memories of Plough Monday in Cotgrave. She read parts of a text up to the Recruiting Sergeant’s first speech that were exactly as the copy of the Cotgrave play in the Peter Millington Collection that had been remembered and written by Fred Glossop.

When phoned back on 13th January 1982, she explained that her husband, also age 77, had a stroke 6 months previously and was still in hospital. He came from Cotgrave and although she didn’t know what they did on Plough Monday, they used to go to several villages and to the mental hospital in Radcliffe.

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