PORTLAND STONE QUARRIES. 193 



CURIOUS CUSTOMS. 



There is a curious old custom which is still practised by the 

 quarrymen called " The Jump." Oil the return of a newly-married 

 man belonging to the quarry to his work arrangements are made 

 for the pay off. It was compulsory at one time for the men to pay 

 five shillings or to jump ; now it is a matter of choice whether he 

 will do either, but as a rule he will not get much peace until he 

 has complied with the general custom. When a pay off is to take 

 place notice is given to the men of the neighbouring quarries. 

 Sometimes five or six sets of quarrymen will assemble and dine 

 together. As soon as dinner is over preparations are made for the 

 jump. A. piece of thin wood is held at one end by the man who 

 was last married, and at the other end by the man who is likely to 

 be married next. The piece of wood is held at a convenient height 

 to jump it with ease, the married man standing on one side and 

 the unmarried man on the other. A man stands by the side of 

 each man who holds the board armed with a stick, whose duty it 

 is to strike him while he is jumping. Before he begins another 

 man stands forward, and with his hat off he reads the law, as it is 

 termed, the custom, which is as follows : " Young men and 

 bachelors, I bid you all adieu, married men and Kohers I come unto 

 you." The jump is to be made while the last sentence is uttered. 

 This is generally repeated. He then reads the law relating to those 

 who do not observe the rules, such as omitting to take their hats 

 off, talking, or otherwise out of order. The afternoon is then spent 

 in a genial manner. I consider the above originated from some 

 ancient marriage custom, probably Celtic or Saxon. There are 

 many Celtic words in common use in Portland. Kimlin is familiar 

 to every Portlander. It designates one who is not a native of the 

 Island, and although he may have resided many years there he is 

 still a Kernlin. Drew a way through a kind of stile, and many 

 other words are in use among the people here. There is another 

 custom now obsolete termed Binding-day, which persons now living 

 can remember. It was observed on the Wednesday of the seventh 

 week after Christmas "Day, when men and women took anything 



