ioo Yew-Trees of Great Britain and Ireland 



and some of their branches burnt to ashes and used 

 by the priests on the Ash Wednesday of the follow- 

 ing year, while other boughs were gathered and 

 distributed among the pious, who bore them about 

 in their numerous processions ' ' a practice which 

 was continued in this country until the second 

 year of Edward vi., when it was abolished as 

 superstitious.' * 



The following extract from Caxton's Direction 

 for keeping Feasts all the Year is decisive on this 

 custom. In the lecture for Palm Sunday, he says : 

 ' Wherefore Holy Chirche this day makyth solemn 

 processyon, in memory of the processyon that 

 Cryst made this day. But for the eucheson that 

 we have none Olyve that bereth grene leef, algate 

 therefore we take Ewe instead of palm and olyve, 

 and beren about in processyon, and so is thys day 

 called Palm Sonday.' As a confirmation of this 

 fact it is said that the yew-trees in the churchyards 2 

 of East Kent are at this day called Palms, as also 

 in Ireland, where it is still the custom for the 

 peasants to wear in their hats or buttonholes sprigs 

 of yew, from Palm Sunday until Easter Day, 3 and 

 Ablett 4 says that the branches were carried over 



1 Notes and Queries, 5F. xii. 192. 



2 In the Churchwardens' account of Woodbury, Devonshire, is the following 

 entry: * Memorandum, 1775. That a yew- or palm-tree was planted in the 

 churchyard, ye south side of the church, in the same place where one was 

 blown down by the wind a few days ago, this 25th of November.' 



3 Johns, The Forest Trees of Great Britain. 4 English Trees. 



