Whitsuntide Customs.

Anciently , instead of the now popular tea-meeting in connection with places of worship , what were known as church-ales were employed as a means of raising money for parochial purposes . These gatherings were much in vogue at Whitsuntide , and were then known as Whitsun-ales . The " nutbrown October " being at that time the staple drink of the people of England , was passed freely roundand simple sports ancl pastimes were the order of the

, day . In the time of King James these church-ales received an impetus from a manifesto of the monarch , who , thinking thereby to check the growth of nonconformity , commanded his subjects to attend them . A descrip tion of the games engaged in on these occasions in different parts of Britain would occupy considerably more space than we have at our disposal ; we mustthereforecontent ourselves with a cursory glance at some of the

, , most noteworthy . The church-ale festivities are well described b y Carew in . his " Survey of Cornwall , " p . 68 . We give the author ' s own version : — " Two young men of the parish are yerely chosen by their last foregoers to be wardens , who , dividing the task , make collection among the parishioners of whatsoever provision it p leased them voluntarily to bestow . This they employ in brewing ,

baking , and other acates ( provisions ) against Whitsuntide ; upon which holydays the neig hbours meet at the church house , ancl there merrily feed on their owne victuals , contributing some petty proportion to the stock , which , by many smalls , groweth to a meetly greatness ; for there is entertayne . d a kind of emulation between these wardens , who , by his graciousness in gathering and good husbandry , can best advance the Churche ' s profit . Besides , the

neighbour parishes at those times lovingly visit each another , ancl this way frankly spend their money together . The afternoones are consumed in such exercises as olde ancl yong folke ( having leisure ) doe accustomabl y weare out the time withall . When the feast is ended the wardens yield in their account to the parishioners , and such money as exceedeth the disbursement is layd up in store , to clef ray any extraordinary charges arising in the parish or imposed on them for the good of the country or the country ' s service , neither of which commonly gripe so much but that somewhat still remayneth to cover the purses bottom . "

Nowhere were the Whitsun-ales carried out with a greater zest than in the county of Derby ; ancl no wonder , for "Darby" ale has for many centuries been renowned for its excellence . That quaint old chronicler , Fuller , remarked anent it , " Never was the wine of Falernum better known to the Romans than the Canary of Derby is to the English ; " and Camden , the historian , speaks of it as being brewed to such perfection in his time that wine must be very good to deserve the preference . In a manuscript in the Bodleian Library is a

record of the Whitsun-ales at Elvaston and Cockbrook , from which it appears that they were formerly required to brew four ales of a quarter of malt each . All the inhabitants of Cockbrook were obliged to be present at each ale ; every husband and his wife to pay twopence , ancl every cottager a penny ; the inhabitants of Elvaston , Thurlaston , and Ambaston to receive all the profits and advantages arising from the ales to the use and behalf of the church at

Elvaston . The inhabitants of Elvaston , Thurlaston , and Ambaston to brew eight ales , each inhabitant to be present as before , or to send their money . The prevailing amusements taken part in by the visitors to the church-ales were dancing on the green , stool-fall , barley-break , rounders , hunting the fat lamb , foot-races , etc . Fairs were held in many parts of the country on Whit-Monday . At one

kept up at Hinckley , Leicestershire , the millers from all the country round formerly walked in procession , dressed in ribbons , with what they called the "King of the Millers " at their head . An unchartered Whitsun Tryste Fair is held annually on Whitsunbank Hill , near Wooler , Northumberland . A very curious custom , called " Pole Fair , " obtains at Corby , near Rockingham ,