Catalogtie of Brand Material.
195
{d)
Religious Ceremonies.
Gospel read at wells, trees and crosses
,, in cornfields before the
Civil Wars - ,, at barrel-head in inn- cellar - - - -
Ps. civ. and " Old Hundredth sung - - -
Benedicite sung -
Intercessions offered, for sea- men, for welfare of parish, for fruits of the earth Water Ceremonies.
Authorities cross river
Authorities cross river, seize twigs, receive due from ferryman, and give water to crowd - - - -
Mayor fishes in stream and leads duck-hunt in pond -
Mayor presents prize besom or byzant, as due for use of wells - - - -
Boys dam up gutters on pre- vious days and bespatter passengers. Called " strat- ting " - - - -
Blessing Wells, see Ascension Stone Ceremonies.
Coins placed on boundary or " liberty stones " -
Boy who first reaches boun- dary stone gets is. -
Bread " scrambled for " from boundary stone
Boys pelted " battering stone," and expected re- ward if they broke it
Gospel stone strewed with flowers - - - -
Freemen admitted by bang- ing against stones
LOCALITY.
■Lichfield, Wednesbury, Wolverhampton, Bur- pham, Wallasey, Lud- low.
(Aubrey).
Stanlake (Oxon.).
Newbury (Berks.). Wallasey, 1666.
Brightlingsea(Qy.modern) . Newcastle-on-Tyne.
Cumnor (1813). Bristol.
Shaftesbury (Dorset).
Exeter. Day.
Hereford. Beverley. Flaxton (Yorks.).
Whitby. Wallasey, 1666. Newbiggin, Warkworth.
