Easter

On Good Friday the buns dedicated to the season were borne about the streets by a number of lads, each bearing a wicker basket lined with a fair white cloth.

Now, be it observed that the buns of those days, the real Good Friday bun differs from the ordinary, everyday article both in flavour and appearance.  They had a distinctive taste (perhaps extra spice) and were scored deeply with deep cuts forming the cross, which further enhanced their attraction for us as being obtainable at no other time.

When, by dint of much running and shouting, the baskets of the merchants had been emptied, the whole company adjourned to the field called ‘Rickets’ where they spent the afternoon in gambling at Pitch-and-toss with their hand carved cuppers.  Then disputes would arise passing into fights which on the occasion ended in a pitched battle and some bloodshed, after which the voice of authority was invoked and the argies came to an end.  It was in ‘Rickets;’ too, that fights were arranged between local pugilists, during my boyhood I learnt, from an old inhabitant of a tragic affair in this connection.

 A man had backed his son to win a fight in which the lad was defeated.  The father was so enraged at loosing his wager that he actually held up his son to be pummelled by the opponent with the result that the son was fatally injured.  This very fight was mentioned by the Western Gazette, a few years back, in their series headed ‘a hundred years ago’ Date probably 1830.

On the day after Good Friday our parish clerk would provide himself with buns of a large size, being the width of a dinner plate or over.  These finer specimens were then offered to prominent church people, ostensibly as complimentary gifts, but actually as a reminder that an Easter offering would be acceptable.

 After Easter Monday came the ‘Club Walkings’  a feature of the many local friendly societies, continuing through ‘the merry month of May’.  These festivities in each place were well attended by visitors from adjacent villages, I suppose that the object of those gatherings was to ‘boost’ the society coniuned and also to serve as a pretext for days merrymaking in the opening summertime.

 Mainhall club was a fixture well known in the neighbourhood.

 From a description of the latter event in Hardy’s ‘Tess’ one may surmise that the writer personally attended one such celebration during his residence in Sturminster where he lived for some years

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Quaint Remedies

  Over a century ago there were cases of a malignant disease known as ‘king’s evil’. A remedy prescribed for this malady was the leg of a toad, cut from the living reptile, then sewn up in a thin muslin bag and hung round the sufferer’s neck, to be worn constantly next to the skin. Epileptic fits were supposed to be curable by the following ritual;- The patient collected a penny each from eleven different friends, a twelfth friend then gave a shilling for the eleven coins.   The silver coin was then beaten into a ring to be worn by the afflicted one.   I remember seeing a ring which had been so acquired, but no benefit resulted.
Read more

Trade with Newfoundland

  During the first half of the 19 th Century a considerable trade with Newfoundland was carried on in the town, a sub depot was housed in the premises now occupied by Messrs Barnett where, in the room which formed the office, I am told there may still be seen traces of the transactions of that busy time.   The chief depot was established at Poole between which seaport and Sturminster. there passed a steady stream of traffic.   (See mentions of the old ‘Road Wagon on Page 4). The exports from our town were warm clothing, boots, gloves and other necessaries for the men engaged in the arduous labours of the distant fishing fleet.   The imports consisted of large quantities of codfish, salted and dried, barrels of caplin, a small dried fish of a peculiar flavour and cranberries in small wooden kegs.   The latter formed a most useful fruit for winter use, they were very juicy and tender, much superior to the tough, thick-skinned variety which is now the only kind ...
Read more

The Railway

  In 1847 the old South Western line was extended via Wimborne to Dorchester.   Next from Hamworthy to Poole, the latter place being the terminus for some years during which time visitors to Bournemouth were conveyed from Poole in vans and waggonettes. About 1858 the old Somerset and Dorset line was laid from a junction at Wimborne up to Blandford where a station was built a mile below the town on the Spetisbury road.   The first train to reach Blandford was hailed by a public holiday with processions of schoolchildren etc. Finally the line was extended via Sturminster, Wincanton and Glastonbury to Burnham –on-Sea.   During the summers 1862-72 crowded excursions trains ran weekly from all stations between Blandford and Burnham.   Return fares 1s Children 6d for a distance of 50 miles each way.   This was the fare from Sturminster.   Much money was lost by local magnates who financed the railway, one landowner being so badly hit that he was compelle...
Read more