128 Old Customs of Morpeth. By Wm. Woodman. 



and polished) to school, with which they made sweet music as 

 they went homewards. Christmas and New Year's days were 

 universal holidays. On Christmas Eve, boys called at well-nigh 

 every door asking for " Hog-mena." Goose pies were a few 

 days before seen at the confectioners : the general fare on 

 Christmas day was roast beef, turkey, plum pudding, and mince 

 pies. Wherever were children. Yule doughs* were sent. Sword- 

 dancersf visited the town. The bells, which usually were rung 

 at 6 a.m. and 6 p.m. to mark the working day, ceased from 

 Christmas to New Year's day, the curfew bell continuing to be 

 rung. 



Collop Monday. — The last Monday before Lent was styled 

 GoUop Monday. In the early part of this century, almost every 

 house killed a mart, or shared in part of a mart,:[: or at the least 

 had joints of beef salted and dried, a steak of which with eggs 

 was cooked on this day. Lent was suggested for the health of 

 the people, fresh meat was not to be had during winter, and 

 abstinence from salted provisions was salutary. 



Pancake Tuesday. — At half-past eleven, the pancake bell 

 rung, when schools and shops were closed, that pancakes might 

 be made and eaten. 



Lent was not generally observed. On some days a few women 

 attended service at the chapel at the Bridge end, but seldom 

 more than half-a-dozen, except on Ash Wednesday and Good 

 Friday, when the attendance was general. 



Carling Sunday. — " Tid, mid, miserra, 



Carling, palm, and paste egg day." 

 Everyone had a dish of carlings, peculiarly a north country 



diaponeus omnia, Teni ad docendum nos viam prudentiaj." " 

 wisdom, which didst come forth from the mouth of the Most Hip^h, 

 reaching from the one end of all things to the other, and ordering them 

 with sweetness and might ; Come, that thoa mayest teach us the way 

 of understanding." — Vide Bonk of Wisdom, viij. 1. 



* The Yule doughs, doubtless a remnant of the great ante-Christian 

 winter festival, as with Hogmena. 



t The sword-dancers we still have occasionally. Who can say whence 

 they originated ? 



X When the Mart was killed, from the blood were made black 

 puddings, and from the tallow, candles. 



" And Martinmas beef doth bear good tack. 

 When countrie folks do dainties lack." 



