192 



By F. A. Carrington, Esq. 



North Division of the County of Wilts, by John Aubrey, Esq." 1 

 is the following curious account of Whitsun ales : — 



" There were no rates for the poor in my grandfather's days, but for Kington 

 St. Michael (no small parish), the church ale of Whitsuntide did the 

 business. In every parish is (or was) a church-house to which belonged spits, 

 crocks, &c. — utensils for dressing provisions. Here the housekeepers met and 

 were merry and gave their charity. The young people were there too, and had 

 dancing, bowling, shooting at butts, &c, the ancients sitting gravely by and 

 looking on. All things were civil and without scandal.* The church ale is 

 doubtless derived from the Agapse or love-feasts mentioned in the New Testa- 

 ment." 



This introduction is dated "Eston Pierse, April 28, 1670." 



Mr. Douce in a description of sculptures on the outside of 

 St. John's Church, at Cirencester, contained in Carter's Ancient 

 Sculpture, 2 says : — 



" With respect to Whitsun ales, no account of the manner of their celebration 

 in more ancient times has been handed down to us. At present f the Whitsun 

 ales are conducted in the following manner. Two persons are chosen previously 

 to the meeting to be lord and lady of the ale, who dress as suitably as they can 

 to the characters they assume. A large empty barn or some such building is 

 provided for the lord's hall and fitted up with seats to accomodate the company. 

 Here they assemble to dance and regale in the best manner their circumstances 

 and their place will afford, and each young fellow treats his girl with a ribband 

 or favour. The lord and lady honour the hall with their presence, attended 

 by the steward, sword-bearer, purse-bearer, and mace-bearer, with their several 

 badges or ensigns of office. They have likewise a train-bearer, or page, and a fool 

 or jester, drest in a party-coloured jacket, whose ribaldry and gesticulation con- 

 tribute not a little to the entertainment of some part of the company. The 

 lord's music consisting of a pipe and tabor is employed to conduct the dance. 

 Some people think this custom is a commemoration of the ancient Drink-lean, 

 a day of festivity formerly observed by the tenants and vassals of the lord of 

 the fee, within his manor, the memory of which on account of the jollity of 

 these meetings the people have preserved ever since. The glossaries inform us 

 that this Drink-lean was a contribution of tenants towards a potation, or ale 

 provided to entertain the lord or his steward. % 



1 At p. 32 of 1 1 Miscellanies on several curious subjects," 8vo., Lond., printed 

 by E. Curll, 1714 — a book in the Jibrary of the British Museum. 



2 Yol. ii., p. 10. 



* At Cummor, Berks, there is a very old house not far from the church which belongs to the 

 parish, and is still called " the church-house." 

 t 1788. 



X This would seem to be more bike the Leet ale. 



Mr. Douce's account of the Whitsun ale is taken verbatim from an article in the Antiquarian 

 Repository, vol. ii, p. 388 ; but it is there added that " the mace is made of silk finely plaited with 



