Show i I 1 i 1 I I 4 I o 4 44 4 oH I THE TICHBORNE RNE DINNER I IA 4 A Curious South of England Custom and Its Pretty Origin 1 1 A Ie Ie 0 L f fr fr t v T 1 T 7 Tt T T v n nry vir P T ry ryThe The pilgrim along the pathway of 1 curious customs the searcher after singular singular singular sin sin- gular observances fi finds ds many things to interest him Some are great national national national na na- na- na festivals with odd rites injected into their their ceremonies others are r bizarre municipal affairs others have lived their life lICe in the past and exist bu but t as memory today others are village or parish customs scarce scarce known beyond the borders of the brief brif district of their observance but hut none have a prettier legend t for r their origin and a more rational rational ra ra- ra- ra celebration in the present day daythan daythan daythan than the h annual charity offering and and charity dinner held at Tichborne Hampshire England on St St. Cronan's day dav January Many years ago at a time not particularly par par- set forth in the legend the story runs there lived in the manor house of Tichborne the rough bear- bear like and uncharitable Sir Roger Tichborne Tich Tich- borne He was fond of riotous living card playing hunting and rough sports but had not the saving grace possessed by t y so many of his kind occasional kind occasional gleams of kindness charity and large- large heatedness Mean crafty cunning and i brutal he took particular delight In Inflicting misery upon the poor and I tho those thoe E oyer whom he be exercised authority author- author ty ity ity and he ne was wan heartily hated throughout through through- out the length and breadth of Hampshire Hamp Hamp- shire His wife t the e Lady Mabella was his opposite in every respect and vas was as much loved by bythe the people as s her husband was loathed Kind Rind and g gentle sen senile gen gen- n- n tie ile in disposition her charitable acts had nad b been en many but the one in which 1 she took the keenest delight was the giving of a dole or portion n of bread to the poor toor of Tichborne front from the steps of the village church on St St. Cronan day During the closing years years' of her ife how however cr she lost her estates her private fortune was swept away and andler her ler acts of charity were thus brought broughto to o an untimely end She begged her husband for the means to at least continue con- con her er St St. Cronan day charity but butle he le only mocked her tears and prayers prayers During he hei last illness in a moment of rare compassion however Sir Roger toger agreed to accede to her request hut but Ut hesitated when she insisted that h h give her enough to endow it and r. rZ r. z T T thus make the festival an annual oc oc- oc currence cuirence At last he told her that he would give her for the purpose just so much land and as as she compass in a walk while a Knot of wood was burning burn burn- ing The Lady Mabella was so ill she could scarcely stand on her feet and Sir Roger must have chuckled when he named the condition but she accepted accepted accepted ac ac- ac- ac it and was at once carried in inner her ner bed a large field determined l to fulfill the the proposition Despite her spirit she found she could not actually walk and therefore asked her husband to permit her hei to crawl This was was' J I agreed to to the brand was lighted and the courageous lady started to perform her task Though the bit bitof bitof bitof of wood selected by the husband was apparently perfectly dry an old chronicle chron chron- icle ide states it smoldered as if it were vve damp and b before tore it had finally been reduced to ashes the w wife Ife had compassed com corn passed twenty-three twenty acres of good land landa a a tract which is still known as is the Crawl and is pointed out with great reverence to all visitors at Tichborne Fearing that the agreement might I later be violated Lady Mabella l laid a curse on the family just before she expired expired expired ex ex- ex- ex that if such a thing should eV ever r rome come ome to pass the manorial Ime me would crumble away the lord of the day would have seven daughters and the family name become extinct But Sir Rog Roger r faithfully kept his agreement The proceeds from the crops raised on the three three y-three acres were donated to the parish and the distribution of- of the bread purchased with It made every everySt St St. Cronan's Cronan s day In the year 1796 the custom was so much abused that the Tichborne of the day decided to discontinue discontinue dis dis- continue it When he married his children children children child child- ren were all daughters and the name nam became extinct as he was the last male of the line In 1803 the house was I blown lown down and the daughter who was then in possession of the estate estate estate es es- es- es tate she had married a man roan named Doughty was moved by y this occurrence occur occurrence occur occur- cui- cui rence to establish the endowment again but in the form of a dinner to the poor of the parish instead of a general general general gen gen- eral distribution of bread to all 1311 who might apply and in thi this form the custOm custom custom cus cus- tom is still observed ever every every January Collections of money money are also made on this da day by the church authorities authorities au au- i for foe the further relief of the needy living in the parish Globe Globe Globe- Democrat |