OLD VILLAGE JOKES AND GAMES. 13 



between Sherburnians and " players " from Hermitage and 

 Holnest, who \vere men of great repute at the game. 



Barrett's father was a doughty player, and he told me that 

 he remembered seeing his father crack three men's heads in a 

 morning and then go to Lenthay races as if nothing had hap- 

 pened. The cudgel playing at Sherborne was for many years 

 kept going through the patronage of Squire Gordon otLew T eston, 

 Mr. Warry, who lived at the Manor House, Sherborne, and one 

 of the Penny family, but it was very much opposed by the then 

 Vicar, the Rev. James Parsons, and I understood from Barrett 

 that quite a feud existed in the parish between the supporters 

 of the respective parties. 



Mrs. Griffiths, now aged 86, who is a daughter of Crier 

 Simmonds, tells me that towards the end the game was so 

 opposed that when a. "bout" had been arranged, posters 

 announcing the games were printed anonymously. A rap 

 would come at her father's door (he was bill-poster as well as 

 crier), and on opening it a bundle of posters with the money 

 for posting them would be found left on the step by some 

 mysterious person who had disappeared ; but, she added, " of 

 course father knew where they came from." 



Since reading this paper Mr. Stride, of Hinton St. Mary, 

 has informed me that in that village there lives an old man 

 named John Hames, aged 80, whose grandfather, bearing the 

 same names, was noted as being the best in his day with the 

 Cudgels. Mr. Stride writes : "It appears that no one would 

 stand up to him for miles around. His fame grew so, that 

 he eventually met in the Market Place at Blandford all 

 ' dons ' of the time from all Dorset, and for breaking the 

 most heads he became the Champion of Dorset and won a 

 silver Mug which is inscribed 



JOHN HAMES, 

 Hinton St. Mary. 



Won this Mug at Cudgels at Blandford, August 10th, 1803." 

 The present John Hames owns and greatly treasures this 

 cup. 



