s of old village life, and the restoration of some
of those pleasing customs which Time has deprived us of. The writer
is much indebted to Mr. E.R.R. Bindon for his very careful revision
of the proof-sheets.

BARKHAM RECTORY,
1891.

CONTENTS.

CHAPTER I.

JANUARY.

Dedication Festivals--New Year's Day--"Wassail"--Twelfth
Night--"King of the Bean"--St. Distaffs Day--Plough
Monday--Winter Games--Skating--Sword-dancing

CHAPTER II.

FEBRUARY.

Hunting--Candlemas Day--St. Blaize's Day--Shrove-tide--
Football--Battledore and Shuttlecock--Cock-throwing

CHAPTER III.

MARCH.

Archery--Lent--"Mothering" Sunday--Palm Sunday--
"Shere" Thursday--Watching the Sepulchre

CHAPTER IV.

APRIL.

Easter Customs--Pace Eggs--Handball in Churches--Sports confined
to special localities--Stoolball and Barley-brake--Water
Tournament:--Quintain--Chester Sports--Hock-tide

CHAPTER V.

MAY.

May-day Festivities--May-pole--Morris-dancers--The Book of
Sports--Bowling--Beating the Bounds--George Herbert's description
of a Country Parson

CHAPTER VI.

JUNE.

Whitsuntide Sports--Church-ales--Church-house--Quarter-staff--
Whistling and Jingling Matches--St. John's Eve--Wrestling

CHAPTER VII.

JULY.

Cricket--Club-ball--Trap-ball--Golf--Pall-mall--Tennis--Rush-bearing

CHAPTER VIII.

AUGUST.

Lammas Day--St. Roch's Day--Harvest Home--"Ten-pounding"
--Sheep-shearing--"Wakes"--Fairs

CHAPTER IX.

SEPTEMBER.

Hawking--Michaelmas--Bull and Bear-baiting

CHAPTER X.

OCTOBER.

Tournaments--"Mysteries"--"Moralities"--Pageants

CHAPTER XI.

NOVEMBER.

All-hallow Eve--"Soul Cakes"--Diving for Apples--The Fifth
of November--Martinmas--"Demands Joyous "--Indoor Games

CHAPTER XII.

DECEMBER.

St. Nicholas' Day--The Boy Bishop--Christmas Eve--Christmas
Customs--Mummers--"Lord of Misrule"--Conclusion

INDEX

CHAPTER I.

JANUARY.

"Come then, come then, and let us bring
Unto our pretty Twelfth-Tide King,
Each one his several offering."

HERRICK'S _Star Song_.

Dedication Festivals--New Year's Day--"Wassail"--Twelfth
Night--"King of the Bean"--St. Distaff's Day--Plough
Monday--Winter Games--Skating--Sword-dancing.

In the old life of rural England few things are more interesting
than the ancient sports and pastimes, the strange superstitions, and
curious customs which existed in the times of our forefathers. We
remember