Selston (SK4553), Nottinghamshire

A.S.Buxton Collection (1920s, Manners)

Miss Manners (Col.)
*SELSTON - PLOUGH MONDAY PLOUGH BULLOCKS PLAY
A.S.Buxton Collection, Col. 1920s, Buff notebook, pp.22-32

Full text (95 lines) of a Plough Monday play from Selston, Notts., performed by Plough Bullocks. The characters are; First Plough Bullock/George, Bold Guy, Second Plough Bullock, Doctor, and Beelzebub.

A.S.Buxton (1922/23)

Mr. A. S. Buxton (Auth.)
PLOUGH MONDAY
Reprints of Papers of the Old Mansfield Society, Winter Session 1922-1923, pp.3-4

This is a short paper read to introduce a revived performance of a Plough Bullocks' Plough Monday play from Mansfield, Notts., arranged by Councillor Beazley. The original custom had died out about 1890, and the characters St. George, Slasher, Beelzebub and Doctor are mentioned. A brief history of Plough Monday, Plough Lights, plough trailing and plays is given alluding to Mansfield, and stylistic parallels are drawn between mediaeval mystery plays and modern folk plays. Comparing the Mansfield text with one from Selston, Notts. (collected by Miss Manners), and an unidentified Cornish version, the author notes their overall similarity. Only fragments of text are quoted.

S.R. (1924)

S. R. (Auth.)
PLOUGH MONDAY: THE MUMMERS' PLAY: RELIC OF AN OLD CUSTOM: NOTTINGHAMSHIRE VERSIONS
Nottingham Guardian, 7th Jan.1924, No.21151, p.3 b-c

The theories on the origins of Mummers' plays propounded by Cecil Sharpe and R.J.E.Tiddy (1923) are briefly reviewed. There is a detailed description with most of the text of a Selston play (collected by Capt. J.P.Scothorne from boys at Bagthorpe). This includes the characters; Fool, St. George, Slasher, Doctor, Beelzebub and Devil Doubt. Fragments are also quoted from the East Retford play published by E.Sutton (1912) but here only located as "North Notts." The characters given are; Herald, Hero, St. George and Doctor. Mention is also made of relic plays in Nottingham suburbs and also of a plough procession in East Bridgford, Notts.

S.Race Collection (1924, J.P.Scothorne)

[Capt. J. P. Scothorne] (Col.); Sydney Race (Col.)
Selston Version [Christmas Play from Bagthorpe, Notts.]
S.Race Collection, Col. about Jan.1924

Typescript of a Christmas play text (62 lines), with the characters were; Fool, St. George, Slasher, Doctor, Belzebub/Beelzebub and Devil Doubt. The typescript has been marked up for publication, and a hand written five line song at the end may not have been part of the original.

There is little identification with the text, although it clearly tallies with the text quoted extensively in S.R. (1924). The hand written heading on the text gives its location as Selston, and in his publications, S.Race also describes it coming from Selston. However, S.R. (1924) says that the text was taken down by Capt. Scothorne from pupils of the school in Bagthorpe, Notts., at which he was teaching. Selston is a neighbouring village, and it seems unlikely that children from Selston would have gone to school in Bagthorpe. S.R. (1924) states that the custom was still current, so it would have been the version performed in 1923.

In the collection, this text is attached to the manuscript of a short article intended for publication in a newspaper. This is annotated "Wkly 2/2/46", but no published version has yet been found (see S.Race, 1946).

S.R. (1926)

S. R. (Auth.)
THE MUMMERS' PLAY: More Light on the Origin of Plough Monday Masque
Nottingham Journal, 12th Jan.1926, No.31235, p.4 d-f

The author starts by mentioning the reproduction of Mrs. Chaworth Musters' version of a Plough Monday play [Cropwell, Notts.] in A.H. (1926), and its discussion in E.K.Chambers' (1903) "The Mediaeval Stage". However he clearly disagrees with Chambers' discussion of folk plays. Race recognises two sorts of play, the Christmas St. George play, and the Plough Monday play. The St.George play is the older version, with a plot or structure dating back to pagan times, and a text dating back to the Crusades. The Plough Monday play he considers to be a "2nd edition" produced to extend the actors' touring season. He notes that Robin Hood did not appear in Notts., plays, and that the "Recruiting Sergeant" of Plough Monday plays probably originated with the Napoleonic Wars. He further notes that chapbooks were a source of some plays in the 1870s.

Quotes fragments of Notts., texts from Cropwell, the Selston district, and "North Notts. round Retford", the latter probably taken from E.Sutton (1913).

A.Sharp (1936)

*Arthur Sharp (Auth.)
OLD REVELS OF TWELFTH NIGHT AND PLOUGH MONDAY: Notts Versions of Ancient Mummer's Play: "Hooden Horse" That Sang Verses in Villages
Nottingham Evening Post, 30th Dec.1936, No.18246, p.6 a-b

Brief description of Twelfth Night customs, including the Twelfth Cake and King of the Bean. The description of Plough Monday Mummers' plays mentions the characters of Selston, Notts.; Fool, Saint George, Slasher, Doctor, Beelzebub, and Devil Doubt. A North Notts., version (evidently E.Sutton, 1912) had the characters; Herald, Hero, St. George and Doctor, and a couple of fragments of text are quoted. Another custom was the Hooden Horse or Owd 'Oss, which the author appears to have performed in himself. He calls the performers "hoodeners", and the play used to be found in both Notts., and Derbys. Discussing the origins of Plough Monday, mention is made of Plough Lights, and the trailing of a "Fool Plough" by Plough Bullockers, and accompanied by Morris Dancers and a "Bessy". Mention is also made of the horn dance at Pagets Bromley in Staffs. This is another name for Abbots Bromley

S.Race (1946)

*Sydney Race (Auth.)
*Mummers [The Mummers' Play: Notts versions for Plough Monday.]
*Nottinghamshire Guardian, 2nd Feb.1946

*The S.Race Collection contains a manuscript of the above article, to which is attached the typescript of a "Selston" play text (see S.Race Collection, 1924, J.P.Scothorne). This is annotated "Wkly 2/2/46". However, no copy of an actual publication has yet been located. "Wkly" most probably refers to the weekly edition of the Nottinghamshire Guardian. The article states;

"Almost as familiar in Victorian times as the carols of Christmas was the Mummers' Play & its popularity was widespread. Thomas Hardy in one of his Wessex stories describes a performance, & there are versions of it in print which come from Cornwall, Devon & Hampshire, from Oxford & Warwickshire, from Lancashire & the neighbouring counties, & even from northern Ireland.

It had a firm hold in Nottinghamshire, particularly in the district around Retford & in the villages near to the Vale of Belvoir. A newspaper of January 1871 states that 'a party of Mummers lately visited the towns & villages of North Notts and highly diverted the inhabitants by their dancing, singing of old songs, & the play of the Hobby Horse'. Mrs Chaworth Musters in her story of 'A Cavalier Stronghold' printed a version for Plough Monday which she had collected from Cropwell.

In the years between the two wars, there was a great revival of interest in the play, & quite probably in this first Christmas of the peace there have been places in which it has again been seen.

There are many versions of the play & Here is one, a little abbreviated, which was obtained in the Selston district, twenty years ago."

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).

M.W.Barley Collection (1951, J.L.Moss)

J. L. Moss (Col.)
SELSTON, NOTTS. [Christmas Play]
M.W.Barley Collection, Col. 1951, Ref.Ba P 1/32

Full text (66 lines) of a Christmas play last performed about 1930 in Selston, Notts. The characters are; 1st Man, St. George, Old Woman, Doctor, Beelzebub, Jenny Wibble, Tommy Tup.

Nottinghamshire Local History Council Collection (1960, H.Peach)

Howard Peach (Auth.)
"MEMORIES OF A VILLAGER": Some Glimpses of Selston, 1875-1900 [Christmas, Guysers & Plough Monday]
Nottinghamshire Local History Council Collection, Written 26th Mar.1960, Ref.DD/121/1/54, 8pp.

Entry to an essay competition on old village life at Selston, Notts. It includes the following (pp.6-7);

"On Shrove Tuesday there was the old custom of 'pegging (locking) out the Schoolmaster', very popular with the children for the half day holiday which followed the proceedings."

"After the harvest, it was but a short wait until Bonfire Night, and in due course, Christmas. Merrymaking there certainly was, but not much in the way of expensive presents, cards and the various extravegances we take for granted nowadays. But there was some good singing, and the chance for the boys to dress up as 'guysers,' and go from house to house performing the traditional plays associated with Plough Monday."

A.E.Green Collection (1966, C.Simons)

Clifford Simons (Inf.)
*New Year Jubilees Play from Selston, Notts.
A.E.Green Collection, Col. 5th Feb.1966, Vol.XIV, Accession 476

*Text fragments of a New Year from Selston, Notts., performed by 17- to 18-year old church lads called Jubilees before 1917. Characters: Bullguy, St. George, Dragon(?), and Doctor.

The name "Jubilees" may be a misinderstanding on the part of the collector - being derived from lines that elsewhere have the words "jovial actors", "juveniles", etc.

P.S.Smith Collection (1967, J.G.Storr & J.Sharrard)

J. G. Storr (Inf.); J. Sharrard (Inf.)
CHRISTMAS FOLK DRAMA [Bull Guisers in Selston, Notts.]
P.S.Smith Collection, Col. Summer 1967

Front of 5 inch by 8 inch record card reads:

"CHRISTMAS FOLK DRAMA
At Christmas, 'bull guisers' used to go round from door to door in Selston reciting rhymes and acting short plays. This was also common in the Eastwood area and mention is made of the guisers in 'The Rainbow' by D.H. Lawrence. I am not sure whether the practice still continues, but within my memory guisers from this area have performed at an inn in Nuthall, my previous home (about five miles from Selston). A popular play performed by the mummers of the Selston area was about Saint George. The B.B.C. once recorded it.
---> over
J.G.Storr Living in Sheffield, born Nuthall, Notts.

Mr.J.Sharrard
Retired collier 65-70 Selston (Underwood)

As a boy in Selston

Summer 1967 18.1.70"

The reverse of the record card reads:

" Boys used to go round in groups of four or five, bang open the
door and say 'I open the door, I enter in
I beg our pardon to be in
Whether I stand or sit or fall
I'll do my duty to please you all
A room! A room! (or words to that effect).
Then 'Bull Guy' would enter. Sometimes, for mischief, they would begin: 'I open the door, I enter in,
I'll fight your father to begin.' etc."

P.T.Millington Collection (1971c)

Anon. (Inf.)
MISCELLANEOUS NOTES ON NOTTINGHAMSHIRE AND DERBYSHIRE FOLK DRAMA RECORDED BY PETER T. MILLINGTON: SELSTON Notts SK 4652
P.T.Millington Collection, Col. Jan.1971

Brief note as follows:-

"Recorded from the barman of the 'Shepherds Rest' Bagthorpe in January 1971.

The informant described the visits of Bullguysers to the pub at Christmas in 1970. The boys had blackened faces and wore their coats inside out, and carried wooden swords. Characters included a First Man, Bullguy, Beelzebub, Doctor and Molly Mop.

The informant was not sure where the Bull Guysers came from, but thought they came from Brinsley. The characters are more in keeping with the Selston version."

P.T.Millington Collection (1971, H.Clark - b)

Harry Clark (Inf.)
*Mumming custom from Selston, Notts.
*P.T.Millington Collection, Col. 28th May 1971

*Mr.Clark described a custom called Mumming from Selston, Notts., that he had been told about by his mother. Youths with blackened faces and with stout poles about five feet long at night or at dusk would go from house to house and pound on the ground with their sticks and mumble (i.e. "Mumumum...") until silver was given.

P.T.Millington (1972b)

Peter T. Millington (Auth.)
CORRESPONDENCE CORNER: Local Guysers' Plays
Eastwood & Kimberley Advertiser, 4th Feb.1972, Vol.75, No.4067, p.8 i

This letter summarises information received following an article published by the author three weeks earlier. The replies gave information on; Christmas, Guysers' plays performed at Underwood and Brinsley, Notts., and Heanor and Pinxton, Derbys., a Christmas, Bull Guysers' play from Selston, Notts., and a Plough Monday, Plough Bullockers' play from Kimberley, Notts. Information was also received concerning a Scottish play [Tillicoultry, Clack.].

The form of the name "Plough Bullockers" was probably copied from a respelling introduced by the newspaper editor into the original article, which in manuscript used the form "Plough Bullocks".

P.T.Millington Collection (1972, B.Faulconbridge)

Mrs. Barbara Faulconbridge (Inf.)
[Christmas, Bull Guyses play from Selston, Notts.]
P.T.Millington Collection, Com. 20th Jan.1972 & 20th Feb.1972

Two letters. The first, responding to a newspaper article, gives an incomplete text (14 + 4 lines) of a Bull Guyses (Guyseing) play performed at Christmas from about 1946 to 1950 at Selston, Notts. The characters are; Enterer, Bull Guyse, St. George, Doctor Brown and Bells-a-bub, with additional unidentified supernumerary characters for the "Hangers-on". The performers, who were her friends, "... moved out of Selston with their activities as they found that at Somercotes and Alfreton it was something quite new..."

The song "We've come to steal your old black hen" was sung at the end of the play, and second letter was in response to a query as to what the tune was like. It also gives the words of another "saying" mostly used with Christmas singing.

Nottingham Traditional Music Club Collection (1972, A.Cockburn & M.Couldry)

*[Anon.] (Inf.)
*Christmas and New Year Guysers play from Selston, Notts.
*Nottingham Traditional Music Club Collection, Col. 1972

*Fragments and description of a Christmas to New Year Guysers' (Guysering) play from Selston, Notts., performed by boys aged 11 to 13 years with black faces. The characters are: Leader In, Bullguy, St. George, Doctor, and Beelzebub.

P.T.Millington Collection (1973, A.Coleman - c)

A. Coleman (Inf.)
[Children's games and other folklore from Selston, Notts.]
P.T.Millington Collection, Com. 14th Feb.1973

A lengthy letter describing various children's lore. Mr. Coleman was resident in a sheltered housing scheme at Selston, Notts., so the descriptions relate to before the Great War.

Topics include; various sayings, mostly weather lore, notably relating to Candlemas and November 23rd; letting the New Year in on New Year's Morning; and the children's games of "Lurky", "Bulls Horns" and "Duck Stone".

P.T.Millington Collection (1973, A.Coleman - a)

Mr. Arthur Coleman (Perf.)
SELSTON - CHRISTMAS AND PLOUGH MONDAY GUYSERS (GUYSERING) PLAY
P.T.Millington Collection, Col. 1st Jan.1973

Incomplete text of a play (41 lines) from Selston, Notts. The characters included; [First Man], Bullguy, Doctor, Beelzebub, Tommy Tut, [Last Man], and others. Mr. Coleman remembered Guysering as a boy about 1895. The Guysers (also known to some as Mummers,) went round at Christmas and also on Plough Monday.

P.T.Millington Collection (1973, R.Coleman)

Mr. Ralph Coleman (Perf.)
SELSTON - PLOUGH BULLOCK NIGHT GUYSERS (GUYSING) PLAY AND CHRISTMAS MUMMING
P.T.Millington Collection, Col. 1st Jan.1973

Incomplete text of play from Selston, Notts., with the characters; Saint George, Bullguy, Doctor and Beelzebub. Mr. Coleman remembered performing the Guysers as a child in 1907 or 1908, on Plough Bullock Night. The activity was called Guysing and the performers called Guysers or sometimes Bullguysers.

Mummers went round at Christmas - late at night - singing carols. They would dress up so as to be frightening, and they carried sticks which they pounded on the ground to mark time "in a frightening manner"

P.T.Millington Collection (1973, A.Coleman - b)

Mr. Arthur Coleman (Inf.)
MISCELLANEOUS NOTES ON NOTTINGHAMSHIRE AND DERBYSHIRE FOLK DRAMA RECORDED BY PETER T. MILLINGTON: ADDENDA: SELSTON Notts SK 4652
P.T.Millington Collection, Col. 1st Jan.1973

Brief note as follows:-

"Recorded 1st Jan. 1973 from Mr. Arthur Coleman of Moor Rd., Selston, Notts.

First thing in the morning on New Years day, children used to visit their neighbours to let the new year in. They said the following lines at the door:-

We wish you a merry Christmas and a happy New Year,
A pocket full of money, and a cellarful of beer,
A good fat pig to kill next year.
A hole in my stocking, a hole in my shoe.
Please will you give me a copper or two
If you ain't got a penny, a hapenny will do,
If you ain't got a hapenny, God bless you.

After reciting this, they were invited inside and given refreshments and/or money."

R.W.Storer (1975)

R. W. Storer (Auth.)
Victorian Selston [includes Bull Guysing fragment]
Selston: Worker's Education Association, 1975, p.54

This is a general local history of the Parish of Selston, Notts., which includes Bagthorpe, Underwood and Jacksdale. The following appears on page 54;

"Older children and adults took the mumming plays or 'Bull Guysing' to the public houses and for a few of the better-off houses. These plays had their origin in Mediaeval Times and the acting or spoken word portrayed either the Christian Festivals, the New Year, the Saints, etc. Some older readers may well remember the cheery character of the blackened face of Bel-zebub and his final lines at the Christmas play:-

In comes owd Bel-zebub,
On me back a' carry me club,
In me 'and a dripping pan,
Don't yo'u think I'm a jolly old man,
If yo'u don't, I do.
Plum puddings hot, Plum puddings cow'd,
Plum puddings in the pot nine days owd,
If you think I'm a fool and got no sense,
put yo'ur hand in yo'ur pocket and gimme a few pence.

These plays have survived in certain parts of the country and in particular in the Erewash valley until recent times."

P.T.Millington Collection (1975, P.Wragg)

Mrs. P. Wragg (Inf.)
EASTWOOD CHRISTMAS GUYSERS PLAY
P.T.Millington Collection, Col. 1975

Annotated typescript plus further notes of a Christmas Guysers play performed by Eastwood Festival Committee in 1973 and 1974, in Eastwood, Hilltop and Newthorpe, Notts. The text (28 lines) was provided by Clr.K.J.Davis, who had performed it as a boy in Selston, Notts. The characters were Gypsy, Fairy, Opener, Bull-Guy, St. George, Doctor Brown and Belzebub.

I.Russell (1981b)

Ian Russell (Auth.)
In Comes I, Brut King: Tradition and Modernity in the Drama of the Jacksdale Bullguisers
Journal of American Folklore, Oct.1981, Vol.94, No.374, pp.456-485

Detailed description of how the Flint family of Jacksdale, Notts., updated their Christmas Bullguisers play to include allusions to television programmes and adverts. Three play texts are given. One of 66 lines was originally performed in 1946 at Selston, and the next year in Swanwick, Derbys. This had the characters; Enter In, Bullguys, St. George, Dr. Brown and Betsy Bellsybub. It was later revived in Jacksdale in 1978 with the same characters, but with only 58 lines of text, some of which are not present in the "original". The modernised Jacksdale play (51 lines) was performed from 1975 to 1977, and had the characters; Enter In, Referee, Brut King, Kung Fluey and Slack Alice. The plot was based round a boxing match, with Slack Alice taking the place of the Doctor. Extensive itineraries are given, as well cast lists for the 1975 to 1978 performances.

I.T.Jones Collection (1981, I.M.O'Brien)

Mrs. I. M. O'Brien (Inf.)
Underwood/Selston/Bagthorpe, Notts: Questionnaire from Mrs I.M.O'Brien
I.T.Jones Collection, 7th Feb 1981, Ref.K9-4

Questionnaire from Mrs O'Brien, age 60, who was born in Selston and now lives in Underwood giving some of her recollections and some from Mrs R. Kirk. 63 lines of text given from the Bagthorpe area with characters Announcer, St. George, Slasher, Father, Doctor, Beelzebub and Little Devil Doubt. 7 Lines of text given from the play performed in Selston. Performances remembered up to 1944 in Underwood. Players referred to locally as 'Guysers' or 'Bull guysers'

R.W.Storer (1983)

Ronald W. Storer (Ed.)
SELSTON 1913: 'END OF AN ERA': AND THE BIRTH OF OUR SELSTON BRANCH OF THE WORKERS' EDUCATION ASSOCIATION [includes muummers play]
Selston: Selston Branch of the Workers' Education Association, 1983

The chapter entitled "Selson Mummers" gives the full text (83 lines) of a mummers play performed at Christmas and New Year in Selston, Notts., during the first quarter of the 20th Century. It was collected from Abraham Edward Simpson Coleman who was born about 1900. The characters are; Introducer, Bull-Guy, King George's Son, [Bull-Guy's Father], Doctor and Beelzebub/Bel-ze-bub.

A.S.Buxton & D.J.Bradbury (1987)

A. S. Buxton (Auth.); D. J. Bradbury (Comp.)
Early Mansfield [including Plough Monday plays]
Mansfield: Wheel Publications, 1987

This book is compilation of the writings on the history of Mansfield, Notts., by A.S.Buxton, mostly published in the 1920s. Appendix 1 covers Mansfield customs, dialect and folklore. Customs mentioned include; "Going a Gooding" or "Going a Corning" on St. Thomas' Day, drawing lots for Valentines on Valentine Day, and the Cheese and Statute Fairs. There is also a glossary explaining some 40 dialect terms.

Most of the appendix is taken up with a description of Plough Bullocks' Plough Monday plays, [taken from A.S.Buxton (1922).] This includes a brief history of Plough Lights and plough trailing. Malicious ploughing is mentioned, and a more detailed description of alternative tricks played in Mansfield. Potential victims ran the Plough Bullocks out of the street with a red hot poker. Fragments of text are quoted, and the characters St. George, Slasher, Doctor and Beelzebub are mentioned. Comparisons are made with an unidentified Cornish Christmas play and a Selston play collected by Miss Manners.

P.T.Millington (1991a)

Peter Millington (Auth.)
IN YOUR VIEW: DO GUYSERS STILL EXIST? [in the area around Eastwood, Notts.]
Eastwood & Kimberley Advertiser, 18th Jan.1991, Vol.94, No.5052, p.9 c-d

Article reads;

"Madam,

Twenty year ago, I wrote an article for the Advertiser with the above title, and asking your readers about the local custom of Guysing or Bullguysing.

These short rhymed plays, with St. George, Beelzebub, the Doctor, and a host of other possible characters, were traditionally performed around Christmas time by children going from house to house.

My worry at the time was that custom was dying out.

The response from your readers was very rewarding, and several people sent vivid details of their own performances in the 1930s and 1940s. Fortunately Guysing had not died.

I was able to record Bullguysers in Brinsley in 1971 and 1972, and the Eastwood Community Association performed the play to raise funds for Eastwood Festival in the mid 1970s.

However, the last performances I have heard of were recorded about 1980 by Dr.Ian Russell of Sheffield University in Jacksdale and Selston.

Do Guysers still exist?

I would dearly like to know if any of your readers saw or performed a Guysers' play this year, and if so where. Of course, I would still be interested in any other information people can give me on their Guysing experiences, and I will pass this on to local libraries for posterity.

I feel that it would be a pity to see this centuries-old custom disappear. I would like to think that information from your readers will not only keep a record for future generations, but perhaps inspire continued performances into the Twenty First Century.

PETER MILLINGTON
232 College Street,
Long Eaton,
Nottingham, NG10 4GW"

The heading on my original letter to the editor was headed "Out Goes I St. George?"

P.T.Millington Collection (1991)

Mrs. Barbara Faulconbridge (Inf.)
[Christmas Bullguysers Play and Bullguysing in Selston, Notts.]
P.T.Millington Collection, Received 29th Jan.1991

Letter describing experiences of Bullguysing in Selston, Notts. Mrs. Faulconbridge was associated with the custom as a girl, probably about 1940. She was not a performer herself, having to be content with Christmas singing. The local Bullguysers "disappeared" when they discovered more lucrative grounds in Somercotes and Alfreton. In later life she had taught the play to her husband and sons for the entertainment of family and friends around Brinsley, Notts.

One of her sons witnessed a set of Guysers performing in Awsworth, Notts., during Christmas 1990.

P.T.Millington Collection (1991, G.S.Bennieston)

Mr. G. S. Bennieston (Perf.)
UNDERWOOD GUYSERS PLAY
P.T.Millington Collection, Col. Feb.1991

Information about a Guysers play performed in Underwood, Notts., between 1953 and 1958 or 1959. The characters were; Opener, Little Devil Doubt, Saint George, Doctor Brown and Beelzebub. The fight was between Little Devil Doubt and Saint George, and Saint George lost. There were three teams operating in Underwood at the time. The itinerary (on foot) covered Underwood, Annesley, Moorgreen, Newthorpe, Kimberley, Eastwood, Jacksdale and Selston. They performed Christmas Eve, Christmas Night and Boxing Night. They had a standing engagement on Christmas Night at Felley Priory.

P.Millington (1991b)

Peter Millington (Auth.)
Do Guysers still exist? [West Notts., plays]
Eastwood & Kimberley Advertiser, 20th Dec.1991, Vol.94, No.5099, p.14 a-b

Description of accounts communicated following an appeal for information on Christmas Guysers earlier in 1991. There is a description of the play performed by Mr. Tom Thorpe in Bagthorpe in the 1930s. This had the characters; Opener In, St. George, Slasher, Doctor, Belzibub and Devildowt. Belzibub's speech is quoted. In the 1950s, Mr.G.S.Bennieston performed in a team in Underwood. They also went to Annesley, Moorgreen, Newthorpe, Kimberley, Eastwood, Jacksdale, Selston and Felley Priory. There is a long description of Mrs. Barbara Faulconbridge's experiences with Bullguysers in Selston, in which she also mentions one of her sons seeing Guysers performing in Awsworth in 1990. The Selston teams eventually took to going to Somercotes, Derbys. Finally, there is a mention of the annual Guysing performed by the Ripley Morris Men in Ripley, Derbys. Syd Barber collected their play from Mr. Percy Cook of Ripley.

P.Millington (1991c)

Peter Millington (Auth.)
*Do Guysers still exist? [West Notts., plays]
*Ripley & Heanor News, 21st Dec.1991, Vol.102

Syndicated article - see P.Millington (1991b).

M.W.Holmes (1993)

Maurice William Holmes (Perf.)
LONG LIVE THE GUISERS [Play text from Selston Parish, Notts.]
Haggs Farm Preservation Society Newsletter, Jun.1993, No.12, pp.6-10

Reminiscences and anecdotes of performing a Christmas Guisers play from about 1947. It was taken round the Parish of Selston, Notts. [From other evidence, I know that Underwood was the team's home village.] The full text of the play is given (61 lines), and it has the characters; Opener In (played by Keith Simpson, St. George, Slasher, Doctor, Beelzebub and Devildoubt.

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