Morris Ring Collection (1956, C.M.Bryant)

Main Variant

Transcription
Cheadle Hulme
  [19 Apr 1982]

Dear Peter

Thank you for the references
to Alderley. one got - one not got.

I enclose a photo copy
of a letter & text taken from the "Cheshire
Mumming Plays" from, Geoff Trewinnard
of Greensleeves Morris Men. These a
group of letters and play texts mostly
relating to Cheshire that I obtained from
the "Morris Ring Archives."

  Duncan

P.S. The poor copy is their machine not ours.


Telephone
Sandiway 2210

  Abbots Moss Cottage,
  Tarpoley Road,
  Sandiway,
  Northwich,
  Cheshire

  Dec. 2nd 1956.

Dear Mr. Ridgeway

I think you may be interested
in the script of an old play which used to be performed
by the village lads on Plough Monday in the East
Nottinghamshire & West Lincolnshire district.

At a little village called Foston on Great North Road
(which now by-passes it) between Grantham & Newark
where we lived for a few years 1931-35 the local last gave us a
performance on their round of the village. They did it
at all the farms & most houses where there was a
room large enough to allow space for the fight etc.

There are many similarities to the Cheshire
Souling Play (which some of hte older school are doing
for the W.I. Christmas Party) and I wrote away to a pers
in Foston who would I hoped be able to remember the old
do[?]. He got them he tells me from the widow of a former
actor but as in Cheshire the plays is rarely done now.

In typing the copy of the play my husband has retained the
original spelling mistakes as these are partly due to the dialect.

  C. Marjorie Brieant

  ? Bryant


WORDS of "PLOUGH MONDAY" PLAY as [it was]
Performed in EAST NOTTINGHAM & WEST LINCOLNSHIRE--
GRANTHAM--NEWARK AREA.

  (1)

TOM FOOL. In comes I who has never been seen before,
  There are six more actors at the door.
  Some can dance and some can sing,
  By your consent they'll all come in.

  My head is big, my wit is small,
  But I act Tom Fool the best of all,
  OKUM, POKUM, France and SPAIN,
  In comes the old Sergeant of the main.

SERGEANT. In comes I the enlisting sergeant,
  I've arrived here just now,
  I've orders from the King
  To enlist all young men who follow the plough.

  Tinkers, Tailors, Pedlars, Nailers,
  all the more to my advance,
  The more I hear the fiddle play,
  The better I can dance,

TOM FOOL. Dost thou think me a fool to see thee dance

SERGEANT. Faith lad, I can either dance, sing or say.

  (2)

TOM FOOL. If you begin to dance and say.
  I shall quickly fade away

FARMER'S MAN. In comes I the farmer's man/
  Dont you see my whip in hand?
  As I go forth to plough the land,
  I turn it upside down,
  As I go forth from end to end,
  I scarcely make a baulk or bend.
  And to my horses I attend
  as they go gaily round the end.
  Gee up. Whoa. Boxer.

LADY. Behold a lady bright and gay,
  Midst fortune and sweet charms,
  So scornfully I've been thrown away.
  Right out of my true loves arms.
  He swears that if I wont wed with him,
  As you shall understand
  He will and list for a soldier,
  And go to some foreign land.

SGT to F. Man. Will you enlist young man.

FARMER'S MAN. Yes Sergeant.

SERGEANT. Free, able and willing.

FARMER'S MAN. Yes Sergeant.

  (3)

SERGEANT. Well in your hand I place this shilling.
  If along with me you'll go,
  Your hat shall be neatly trimmed with ribbon,
  Likewise cut a gallant show.

FARMER'S MAN. Thank you kind soldier I like your offer,
  Time away will quickly pass.
  Your supportment very well suits me,
  I'm in love with a buxom lass.

SERGEANT. Ten bright guineas shall be your bounty,
  Ten bright guineas shall be your wage,
  You shall have all kinds of liquor,
  Like wise kiss those pretty maids.

FARMER'S MAN. Thank you kind soldier I like your offer,
  If I stay longer I might do worse,
  Dash my wig if I grieve any longer,
  For this proud and saucy lass.

LADY. And since my love has listcd,
  snd joined the volunteers,

  I neither mean to sigh for him,
  Or shed another tear.

  I don't mean to sigh for him,
  but mean to let him know.

  I'll get another sweetheart,
  And with him I will go.

TOM FOOL. Dost thou love me my pretty maid.

(4)

LADY. Yes Tommy to my sorrow.

TOM FOOL. When shall be our wedding day.

LADY. Why Tom love tomorrow.

TOM FOOL. Then we'll shake hands in wedlock Banns,
  and we'll get wed tomorrow.

Tom FOOL. Heigh up you lads theres a wedding on hear,
  I've come to invite you skipper me-jacks
  to me and my wife's wedding.
  What you like best you'd better bring with you.
  We are going to have a leg of lark,
  a wing of a toad, a farthing loaf and
  a piece of toast with a slash in it.

BEELZEBUB. In comes I Beelzebub,
  On my shoulder I carry my club.

  In my hand a whitleather frying pan,
  Don't you think I'm a funny owd man.

BOLD BLACK. In comes I Bold Black,
  Bold Black it is my name,

  I've conquered many a nation,
  and I'll conquer this the same.

BEELZEBUB. Steady Mr Black, remember there's
  a man stands before you,

BOLD BLACK. My head is made of iron,
  My bodyis made of steel,
  My hands and feet are knucle bones,
  No one can make me feel.

(5)

BEELZEBUB. If your head is made of iron,
  and your body made of steel,
  Your hands and feet of knuckle bones,

  I CAN MAKE YOU FEEL.

  I'll SLISH you SLASH you,
  small as flies
  And send you to Jamaica,
  to make mince pies.

  BOLD BLACK FALLS

TOM FOOL. Murphy. Murphy. what hast thou done.
  Thou hast slain the finest man under the sun.

  FIVE POUNDS FOR A DOCIOR:

________ Ten to keep him away.

TOM FOOL. Fifteen pounds in case like this
  and he must come.

DOCTOR. Whoa boy, Whoa. Hold my horse.
  Give him a stiff feed of sprouted bran,
  and I'll give you the small change of a
  farthing when I come out.

  In comes I the Doctor.

TOM FOOL. What- you a Doctor.

Doctor. Yes, I a Doctor.

TOM FOOL. How come you to be a Doctor

(6)

DOCTOR. I travelled for it.

TOM FOOL. Trsvelled where.

DOCTOR. England, Ireland, Scotland, Spain.
  all over the world and back again.

TOM FOOL. What pains can you cure.

DOCTOR. Ipsey, Pipsy, Palsy, Gout,
  Pains within and pains without.
  Draw a tooth and set a leg
  and cure all pains within the head.

TOM FOOL. You seem a very clever man
  You'd better try your hand on this young man.

DOCTOR. Hold my stick and hat, I will just
  feel his pulse.
  He is in a very bad way,
  I will give him a course of my pills.
 
  One now, Two in the morning and the box
  at dinner time. If the pills won't cure
  him the box will.

  I've a small bottle of lotion in my
  pocket. I'll team it down your throttle
  old man.

(7)

  It will heal your wounds and cleanse your
  blood and do your soul a world of good.

  If you can dance, I can sing,
  So now rise up and let's begin.

  Good luck unto the master,
  The misteress also,
  Likewise the little children,
  who round the table go.

  Let's hope they'll never come to want,
  while nature doth provide,
  Let plentyness and hapiness,
  attend the fireside.

  FINALE

  And now our song is ended,
  you see our fool is gone,
  We make it our business,
  to follow him along.
  We thank you for civility,
  and what you gave us here,
  We wish you all goodnight,
  and another happy year.