Old Customs of Mooyeth. By Wm. Woodman. 185 



The Riding of the Boundaries : — once universal, has almost 

 ceased from the enclosure of land, but was continued, and has 

 not entirely ceased in Morpeth. On St. Mark's day, 25th April, 

 the boundaries of the common were rode at 2 o'clock. After 

 meeting in the Market-place, the corporation, on horseback, 

 proceeded to the common, the waits going first, then the 

 Serjeant carrying the purse on a staff, after him the Bailiffs, 

 and lastly the mob ; they passed rouud the boundaries of the 

 common until they reached a well, east of the road to the High 

 House, when the younger ones raced to the winning post. 

 There was then a race for a silver cup. At 8 o'clock the 

 Serjeant's Supper took place ; a very merry party when A. 

 H. Fen wick was serjeant, not rising from table until 7 a.m. 



" We've fallen in evil times, men read and think 

 Our good forefathers used to fight and drink." 



On days of Court Leet and Court Baron the Lord's Jury 

 walked the boundaries of the borough, sometimes the short 

 boundaries, i.e. the boundary of the borough before the grant 

 of the North Field, and more rarely the long boundaries, which 

 passed to the Quarry Bank, and by the south side of the river. 



Harvest. — What an extraordinary change ! instead of more 

 than one hundred lads and lasses reaping, one man 

 driving three horses cuts and binds a field. In the first 

 quarter of this century the workers at harvest were generally 

 residents. A few Highlanders came from Scotland, aud half-a- 

 dozen from Cumberland, the latter tall muscular men who used 

 the Hainault scythes. The joiners, smiths, shoemakers, and 

 weavers left their ordinary occupations, and maid servants 

 generally had "a week's shearing." The farmer's carts came 

 into the town in the early morning for the workers. On the 

 last day's shearing they had a "kern baby," i.e. a small sheaf 

 of corn dressed as a child, upon a fork, carried by the prettiest 

 girl, all shouting ''Kerney, Kerney hoo," and when the last 

 riggs were being cut there was " kemping " which was to 

 finish first. When all were done the kern baby was taken 

 from the stook in which it was placed, and carried to the 

 farmhouse, with loud cries of " Kerney, Kerney hoo." The 

 workers had then sup{)er and sometimes a dance. When the 

 last load of corn was to be taken into the stack garth, the horse 



