Nottinghamshire Guardian (1893)


Source:

[Anon.] (Auth.)
LOCAL NOTES AND QUERIES: No.DCXLXXVIII: NOTE: A NOTE ON OLD CHRISTMAS [London Mummers]
*Nottinghamshire Guardian, 23rd Dec.1893

Article describing carol singing and other customs at Christmas. One section relates:

"And in the daytime the villages were all in an uproar with the mummers - people who, fantastically dressed and wearing masks went about jumping and frolicking, to the great delight of the spectators. The hobby horse was an important character, and was represented by a man, who appeared to sit astride on a figure of a horse made of thin boards, and whose rough jests and capering gave much delight to the crowds who attended the festivities. Christmas without a hobby-horse would have been thought little about formerly."

There is also a description of "a mummery on a large scale having taken place for the amusement of young Prince Richard, grandson of Edward I" involving 130 people dressing up in various disguises and riding to Kennington.

Index Terms:

Locations: Kennington, London (TQ3177)
Years: Publ. 1893
Subjects: Mummers; Christmas; Hobby Horse; Mummery
Archives: TDRG Archive, Ref. TD00145;
Local Notes & Queries Scrapbook, Vol.8, p.161

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


Last Updated Jun 2005 by Idwal Jones.