Old Customs of Morpeth. By Wm. Woodman. 1 27 



which formerly stood a cross — when the church bell began to 

 toll ; the officiating clergyman met the body at the church gate. 

 No persons except felons, suicides, and the unbaptized wore 

 buried on the north side of the church, which was regarded as 

 less holy — the gargoyles on that side representing ugly demons, 

 while on the other side they were angels. At the conclusion of 

 tlie (!eremony. money was given to poor women waiting in the 

 churchyard to receive it — the writer remembers this beiug done 

 at the funeral in 1820, of an old lady of 85, a rigid Presbyterian. 

 Here we have memorials, long continued, after the objects 

 for which they were established are forgotten. The candles in 

 the death room, and the V>urial with feet to the east, surely were 

 originally sun worship; and we cannot wonder at untaught 

 people reverencing the great globe which arises to light up 

 worlds. And now " there heaves the turf in many a mouldering 

 heap," where a large mound or heap of stones once marked the 

 grave. And most curious of ail we find, until the end of last 

 century — a custom from the most remote times— stone chambers 

 erected over the grave, exactly the same as the kist-vaen — as it 

 were a chamber for the dead, in which the body wo\ild have 

 been placed with a large mound above it. 



Stang. — The Stang (a single pole) was rode in the early years 

 of the 19th century, the offender who had been taken flagrante 

 delicto, against the marriage vow, was mounted upon a stick and 

 carried the length of the town, accompanied by a mob, one of 

 whom proclaimed the name of the offender and his offence. 



Flogging. — Formerly, flogging was not uncommon, the man 

 was tied to the tail of a cart, shoulders bare, and taken from the 

 gaol through all the streets. His punishment did not appear 

 very severe. 



Holidays. — The Christmas holidays began on " O Sapientia," 

 the* 16th December, when the schoolboj's brought horns (bored 



* " The time of vacation shall be from Sapientia to Monday after 

 Epiphany, and no other." — Rules of Morpeth Qrammar School, No. 42, 

 1725. 



The designation which marks this day is often omitted from the 

 Prayer Book calendars. It was taken from the first words of the antiphon 

 proper to the day in use in pre- Reformation times. " O Sapientia quae ex 

 Qre Altisaimi prodisti, attingens a fine usqae ad finem, fortiter suaviterqne 



