12 OLD VILLAGE JOKES AND GAMES. 



further popularized by bouts of cudgel " play " before and 

 after the races. Through the kindness of Mr. Wingfield 

 Digby I am able to exhibit a poster dated August 1817 ; 

 announcing the race meetings. After advertising the race 

 meetings the poster announces " Cudgelling ; to be played 

 for by young gamesters. A purse of three guineas each 

 Day. To mount the stage precisely at Ten o'clock or no 



Play." 



The play on the first day took place in front of the old Town 

 Hall and the stage was set up in front of the steps to the Abbey, 

 about the spot where the weighbridge now stands, and on the 

 second day the bout was on Green Hill in front of the old 

 Angel Hotel, which was a noted posting house and stood where 

 the Rev. H. Dunkin's School House now is. William Barrett, 

 who died recently, aged 88, remembered these games well. 

 His descriptions coincide with those of Mr. Old and Wm. 

 Loder, except that sometimes the combatants played with two 

 cudgels each, but the one held in the left hand was used only 

 as a guard, answering to the shield of former days. When 

 only one cudgel was used the player's left arm was strapped 

 behind his back, presumably to prevent its being broken and to 

 present a better target of the ribs. 



The town crier, who held office under the lord of the manor 

 of Sherborne, acted as " master of ceremonies " and announced 

 the commencement of the " play " with his bell. The chal- 

 lenger then mounted the platform and threw down his cap, 

 which was duly taken up by his opponent. When blood had 

 been drawn from the head of one of the combatants, the crier 

 rang his bell and cried " Another man's head broken, another 

 man wanted." The last crier thus to act as master of the 

 ceremonies was William Simmonds, who died in 1865. Four 

 generations of Simmonds held this office, and through the 

 kindness of Mr. Archdall Ffooks, the steward of the manor, I 

 am able to exhibit photographs of the last two of these im- 

 portant personages, not indeed announcing " another man's 

 head broken," but the advent to the town of a big supply of 

 mackerel from West Bay. There was always a great rivalry 



