P.Spratley (1977) pp.9-17
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STAUNTON, LONG BENNINGTON, FOSTON PLAY
The village of Staunton, Notts., lies on the borders of three
counties, Leicestershire, Lincolnshire and Nottinghamshire. It
nestles at the foot of a brow by the river Smite and is surrounded
by trees, in all a very beautiful spot.
Each of the three counties play or played a part in its existence.
The medieval road led from Belvoir Castle, through Staunton to
Newark. Each was pledged to support the other's existence or
pay a heavy fine. Both Belvoir and Staunton being strongly on
the side of the Cavaliers, feel back on Newark during the Civil
War, in par icular the great Siege of 1643. To the east lies Long
Bennington important for lying on the Stone Age Sewstern Road.
Today it is the nearest point to the Great North Road and also
nearest for shopping. Staunton has a population of only sixty
although this trebles during the day. This is because of the
huge deposits of gypsum nearby. The whole village is owned by the
Staunton family including the Tavern called the Staunton Arms.
Long Bennington until recently was very busy with the multitude of
traffic on the A1 passing through. There is no doubt that this
caused the village to lose its old world appearance. In 1972 the
village was by-passed and this has enabled it to regain some of
its old character. Its population is still growing and is now about
one thousand eight hundred .
Foston was also on the Great North Road until about 1960.
Consequently it was relatively unaffected by the big car boom of
that decade. Foston had its own group of plough-boys and the
play was performed until sometime during the 1930's. Long
Bennington, a mile and a half away, probably had its own group
but no one is sure. Bob Drury, who for years has been the
village joiner and who remembered much of the play and tunes,
said that latterly the village was visited by a group from elsewhere,
probably Elston. Cyril Brown also of Long Bennington said that
this was probably correct, and that the last performance was
during the 1930's, like Foston.
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Staunton's ploughboys last performed in 1927 or 1928. Bob Drury's
brother, Jim, who lived in the family home at Staunton until his
early twenties last remembers the performance as a young lade of
six or seven. Tom Drury, another brother, took part in a performance
in 1936 or 1937 as the Recruiting Sergeant. It was organised by
Miss Frances Staunton to raise money for the cubs' camping holiday.
Characters who took part were, Fred Hurt who play the Lady,
Sam Bellamy as Bold Balck and his brother George as the Doctor.
It was whilst enquiring about the Claypole play in nearby
Long Bennington that I stumbled across this second play. The Drury
brothers provided much of the text but some portions remained
elusive. The vicar of Long Bennington with Foston, Rev Reg Hunt
appealed for information through the Parish magazine. Several
people remembered little bits, including Mrs Smith of Barrowby who
gave me an account of that typical January evening. However all
the missing portions were supplied at one go by Mrs Brieant of
Foston. For a time she had lived in Cheshire and had witnessed
their Mumming Play which included a horse's head mounted on a
stick.
See page 27.
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Mrs Brieant learned the play off Bill Johnson who had taken part
in it years before. He remembered it from a leading character
whose name was Bill Sentence.
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,
HOKUM 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.
TOM FOOL If you begin to dance and say
I shall quickly fade away
FOOL and SERGEANT dance (See Claypole play for tune)
FARMER'S MAN In come I the farmer's man
Don't you see my whip in hand?
As I go forth to plough the land,
I turn it upside down,
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As I go forth from end to end,
I scarcely make a baulk or bend.
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 won't wed with him,
As you shall understand
He will enlist for a soldier
And go to some foreign land.
SERGEANT Will you enlist young man?
FARMER'S MAN Yes Sergeant!
SERGEANT Free, able and willing?
FARMER'S MAN Yes Sergeant!
SERGEANT sings (See Claypole Ploy for melody).
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 (sung)
Thank you soldier, for your offer
Time away will quickly pass
Your support it very well suits me
I'm in love with a buxom lass.
SERGEANT (sung)
Ten bright guineas shall be your bounty,
Ten bright guineas shall be your wage,
You shall have all kinds of liquors,
Likewise kiss those pretty fair maids.
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FARMER'S MAN (sung)
Thank you sowdjer (soldier) for your offer
If I stay I might do worse (woss).
Dash me wig if I grieve any longer
For this proud and saucy lass.
LADY And since my love has 'listed
And joined the volunteers
I neither mean to sigh for him
Or shed another tear.
I do not mean to sigh for him
But mean to let him know
I'll get another sweetheart
And along with him I'll go.
TOM FOOL Dost thou love me my pretty maid?
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.
Hey up! you lads there's a wedding on heear,
Iive come to invite you skipper me-jocks
To me and me 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 toad and
A piece of toast with a slash in it.
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BEELZEBUB In comes I owd Beelzebub
On me shoader I carry me club.
In me 'and a white leather frying pan
Don't you think I'm a funny owd man?
BOLD BLACK In comes I Bold Block
Bold Black is my name,
I've conquered many a nation
And I'll conquer this the same.
BEELZEBUB Steady Mr Block, remember there's a man
stands before you,
BOLD BLACK My head is made of iron,
My body made of steel,
My hands and feet of knuckle bones,
No one can make me feel.
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 swish you and slash you small as flies
And send you to Jimmaica 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 DOCTOR:
BEELZEBUB Ten to keep him away!
TOM FOOL Fifteen pounds in a case like this he must come!
DOCTOR Whoa boy, Whoa. Owd me 'oss. Give
him a stiff feed of sprouted bran and
I'll give you the small change out of a
farthing when I come out.
In comes I the Doctor.
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TOM FOOL How can you be a Doctor?
DOCTOR I travelled for it.
TOM FOOL Travelled where?
DOCTOR England, Ireland, Scotland, Spain.
Round the world and back again.
TOM FOOL What pains can you cure?
DOCTOR Ipsey, Pipsey, Palsey, Gout
(Or: The itch, the pitch, the Fox the Gout)
Pains within and pains without
Draw a tooth and set a leg,
And cure all pains within the head.
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 don'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.
It will heal your wounds and cleanse your blood
And do your sould a world of good.
If you can dance I can sing,
So now rise up and let's begin.
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noted by Eric Swift and Philip Spratley
[Melody line omitted from transcription]
Now ear-ly in the morn' at the bar-eak of the day The
[Melody line omitted from transcription]
cocks were up a crow-in' the mast-er did say You are
[Melody line omitted from transcription]
all id-le dev-ils I'll swear and I'll vow that you
[Melody line omitted from transcription]
aint plow'd an ac-re that fol-ler the plough.
2 Good luck to the Master, the Mistress 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 happyness attend the fireside.
3 And now our song is ended you see our fool is gone
We make it our bus-i-ness to follow him along
We thank you for civility and what you gave us here,
We wish you all goodnight and another happy year.
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DRESS Full details of Dress were supplied by
Mrs Brient.
FOOL Jester costume and night cap.
SERGEANT Red jacket & Army type cop. Black trousers.
FARMER'S MAN Smock, whip, wide trousers tied below knee.
LADY Long frock apron (suitably padded!) and hat.
BOLD BLACK Black coat, white trousers. Black shoes,
white stockings and white gloves.
BEELZEBUB Dark clothes. White beard and moustache.
Squashed trilby. Club and frying pan.
DOCTOR Dark coat, striped trousers. Top hot. Stick.
Bag for pills, box and lotion.
N.B. Mr Bill Johnson informed us that the very last of the lads
to perform the play were the following:
Mr Bennett
Bill Sentance
Dick Gilbert
J Walton
J Burgin
T Renshaw
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