Show OLD BRITISH FESTIVAL PLOW AS OBSERVED IS L FOURTEENTH CENTURY AT GRIMSBY E ENGLAND t f r-n r r f Farmers 7 and T Townsmen Gathered to Celebrate Bountiful Crops Town Crops Town Treasurer Paid Bills ie All AU old time country people remember ber evenings at corn husking corn husking apple apple- paring and sugar boiling JS' JS Not tso so long ago a husking bee was as a great event and boys and girls old and young gathered from front far and near to sit 01 on the floor of the barn husk big ears of ol of ripened corn for several hours end end- lug ing with a grand feast of pie cake hot coffee cider elder and all nil the other goodies of the tile farm tarm cupboard But Inthis in inthis inthis this country there are no definite anc and fixed festivals held in the fall tall of ot the 3 year ear at harvest time Thanksgiving Is only a n formal remembrance In this w ve we differ ditTer and we ba have e always ill dlf- dlf and charged up to the municipal account ac count that prices or labor and anti food are ire many times higher now than In that time when trusts and combines were unknown Actors were rated exceedingly low as app appears ars by the following entries entrIes- f. f LeG a 8 a aTo aTo To the 1 Minstrels 0 0 6 0 To Noah and his wife 0 1 6 0 To Brown Drown playing God 0 0 6 0 To Jenkin Smith playing Noah 0 1 0 To Noahs Noah's wife 0 0 8 Mechanics came a 1 little hl higher her To the carver mending encoding the Trinity making his crown crowll and painting him oso 0 8 0 To the carpenter for tor making Noahs Noah's Ship 5 8 0 An address from the rector was not costly a j iTo fc i- To Mr Lewis for a sermon 0 10 0 And this this miscellany miscellany bf jf services servIce sen ices religious re cc- mechanical and mortuary came dirt came dirt cheap cheap- To five frye priests fix penny penn penny bell by bybell bell man bell man and making a 11 grave 0 1 10 Miscellaneous supplies were not costly To straw for Noah and his children children child child- ren 0 0 2 A pound of wax to set before the Trinity 0 0 10 A peck of ot barley 0 0 3 To sugar c cakes kes wine ale etc with vilh the Mayor and his brethren breth broth ren ceo 0 4 0 To six stone 84 pounds of cheese 0 6 60 0 To 2 kegs of sturgeon 1 4 6 To four tour capons 0 a a 6 i 0 a To tour geese o 0 2 8 To four tour pigs o 0 3 4 To three dot doS and eight chickens 0 9 0 10 To a pound and a Ii half bait of pepper 0 4 4 0 To 3 lambs with their appurtenances ces 0 10 0 To Ta twenty twenty six six stone Ibs lbs of ot beef 1148 1 14 8 To three quarters of mutton 0 4 6 0 They were not backward with the cup that ch cheers ers as this wIll show To six ix dozen of ot ale z 2 2 o 0 oTo To one of ot beer 0 3 4 To one gallon of for tor the priests o 0 4 6 0 To seven lIeven gallons and a bottle Of claret clar t j a 17 ar 0 a aTo To 16 of wine 0 18 8 And for one who would not waste his ils time on such flat mixtures To one gallon of ot old rum 0 8 6 4 On the docks where once the theatricals theatricals theat theat- deals and the barbecue were held now rises the great Tower of Grims by feet high serving as a landmark landmark land land- mark marI and as a lighthouse to guide the swept storm torm swept ships of great fishing fleets Into h her r safe harbor I S from our cousins across the sea Five or six hundred years ago the thebo I bo boys s 's s in the old town of Grimsby Lincolnshire Eng looked forward to Plow Monday as as eagerly as those of today anticipate Christmas This feast east was never overlooked It meant wild ild excitement a procession a theatrical the the- entertainment usually out of doors oora on the broad docks c a church ic vico c will m sermon da grand barbecue and arid feast extending far fai into the lie night It was WIlS known as Plou Plough b- b Monday l or the the- giving of thanks for forthe forthe the he harvest of crops It came at the close lose of the Christmas holl holidays ays was officially recognized the Mayor of the town own leading the procession and his brethren following proudly Tl The Tue e day lay opened early and active Crowds flocked into town Shop Shop keepers keepers opened wide and dispensed ed generous hospi hospi- Good cheer good food good goodale goodale goodle ale le shone in all faces The plough plough- a common farm was was decked with brilliant fabrics The young people lined up along gaily colored ropes attached to the clevis Ills HIs Us Honor the Mayor at the handles like Ike a steamboat pilot for it was often a chase like thE wind up street find and down pell pelt me mell II Ills His official subordinates followed then th the people of the he town young and old and the farmers far far- t mers mera from the neighboring country Like the Circus Parade They dragged the plough and the Mayor and all the old folks through the streets he streets singing shouting and beg beg- I from door to o door for clothes food or whatever else eise was to be given giyen away Alms Alias and presents were given Iven for distribution among the poor The company was led by a a. fool or clown a a. witch several se pral dancers a fiddler fid fid fid- tiler or several called minstrels and anda a strong man a cart to carry the the- presents gathered on the thenay way nay When Wilen the procession had covered every street th the plough was dragged Into the church and placed before an altar All hands then withdrew to a broad open space near the tile docks when a play was held on an improvised stage This play was called Creation am and the company of performers consisted of priests clerks and others who took the parts of God the Father God the Son the first woman the firstman first firs firstman man the serpent the devil Noah Adam and other historical and scrip tural characters This play was regarded rel re re- l as most sacred and the grea great L crowds witnessing it were duly impressed im- im im pressed by Its solemnity L The details of the play are not given but the Idea of Gods God's blessing In tb th the r shape of light air sun suns sun water earth grain and fruit appears dominant The nearest approach to the festival In Inthis Inthis this country Is our Thanksgiving Day It 13 Is evident from a statement o othe ot of the expenses Incident to the festival all of which were borne by the town |