Whitsuntide Customs.

Northampton . Every year the inhabitants assemble at an early hour on Whit-Monday morning , and stop up all roads ancl byeways in the parish , and demand a certain toll of every passer-by , no matter what their station in life . In case of non-compliance a long pole is produced , and the offender is placed thereon in riding attitude , carried through the village and taken to the parish stocks , and there imprisoned till the authorities choose to grant a dismissal . It

appears that Queen Elizabeth granted to the inhabitants of Corby a charter to free them from town toll throughout England , Wales , and Scotland ; and also to exempt them from serving on juries at Northampton , and to free the knights of the shire from the militia law . This custom of taking toll has been observed every twenty years since the granting of the charter , in commemoration thereof , ancl was last celebrated on June 9 th , 1862 .

The old ceremony , the "Boy ' s Bailiff , " pravailed in Whitsun week at one time at Wenlock , Shropshire . It consisted of a man who wore a haircloth gown ancl was called the bailiff , a recorder , justices , and other municipal officers . There was a large retinue of men ancl boys mounted on horseback begirt with wooden swords , which they carried on their right sides . They used to call at the gentlemen ' s houses in the franchise , where they were regaled with refreshments ; and they afterwards assembled at the Guilhall , where the town-clerk read some sort of rigmarole , which they called their charter , one part of which was : —

" We go from Bickbury , audBadger , to Stoke on the Clee , To Monkhopton , Round Acton , and so return we . " The first three named places are the extreme points of the franchise , and the other two are on the return to Much Wenlock . This custom is supposed to have originated iu going a bannering .

A remarkable usage obtained in former clays on Whitsun Monday , in the vicinity of Lichfield , Stafford . A " Court of Array , " or view of men and arms , was held at a place called Greenhill , where every householder failing to answer his name when called from the dozener ' s list , was fined a penny . The origin of this singular ceremony is unknown ; it existed long before the charters of incorporationand may perhaps be the remains of the commissions of

, array issued in the time of Henry V ., who ordered every man to keep in his possession arms and armour , according to his goods and station in life , whence the enrolment of a regular army took place . These statutes of array were repealed . Something , however , like the old custom was continued , and a booth erected for this purpose , iu which the magistrates received all the inhabitants who chose to visit them , and partake of a collation

provided for that purpose . The business of the day commenced about eight o ' clock in the morning , when the constables , attended by armed men , wearing their colours of distinction , with drums beating , preceded b y morris dancers , with the Maid Marian , tabor and pipe , etc ., conducted the bailiffs , ancl sheriff , and other city officers to the bower , where they were received with a salute from the men-at-arms . The constable then returned to

collect the dozeners with their standards or posies , who , with the inhabitants of each separate , were with like ceremonies conducted to the bower . The posies were probably originally images of saints ; they afterwards became emblems of trades , or in many instances were poppets or garlands borne upon the heads of then' ancient halberts : these were in every ward received with a volley from the men-at-armswho also fired over every separate housefor which they

, , received money and liquor from the inhabitants . Greenhill was on these occasions crowded with shows , booths , and stalls , and the day was regarded as a festival of the city and neighbourhood . About nine in the evening , the whole of the posies being collected , a procession was formed to conduct them to what was called the christening , ancl was in the following order : —