the Oak,
Then there'll be a regular soak;
But if the Oak before the Ash,
Then there'll only be a splash,

I have seen children eating apples and taking the pips one by one and
repeating this doggrel:--

Cobbley, Cobbley, fly away
Bring me an apple tomorrow day.

At the words "fly away" they used to throw the pip away, in the firm
belief that they would have another apple the next day for every pip
thrown; but only one pip from each apple could be used by each child.

KING'S CLIFFE.

On Palm Sunday the Church used to be decorated with palm branches in the
seats and windows.

On Christmas Day the parishoners and clerk used to meet at the Church,
at three o'clock in the morning and sing a Psalm and then proceed to the
Cross, and to every gentleman's house in the town for which they
received a largesse during the holidays.

A winding bell used be tolled on a dead person being put into her
shroud.

GODMANCHESTER.

If a man dies intestate and leaves a family the youngest son becomes the
heir to the property.

HUNTINGDON.

Once a year, the Freemen of Huntingdon used to meet on the Market Hill,
they then proceeded in procession dragging a horse's skull with them and
perambulated the bounds of the Freemen's lands. At certain points there
are boundry holes dug, these holes they re-dig and hold a boy (one of
the Freemen's sons) up by his heels with his head in the hole, and
strike him (on the part prepared by nature for that purpose), with the
spade. This is done at each hole. A different boy was whipped at every
hole so that several could remember where the holes were dug, especially
the hole at which each individual had suffered, and the memory of the
hole was impressed on mind and body, and the position of the boundary
marks were thus registered.

For many years the annual custom has been discontinued, and takes place
at irregular intervals. It has only occurred once during this century.

The men of Godmanchester sometimes formed bands on the same day and when
they met the men of Huntingdon a free fight and struggle took place
between them to secure the horse's skull.

End of the Project Gutenberg EBook of Weather and Folk Lore of Peterborough
and District, by Charles Dack

*** END OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK WEATHER AND FOLK LORE OF ***

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