Sound Recording, Cheshire

Description

William England, recorded at home in Northwich; recollects his involvement in the Cheshire [? Comberbach] soul-caking tradition; talks about soul-caking during World War One and the proceeds going towards soldiers' parcels; changes to the words/characters over time; learning the play parrot-fashion; 7 or 8 mummers in the group, house visiting; turnip lantern; the soul-caking song; choice of houses, farms, pubs to approach; sings the soul-caking song; the letter-in, and entering houses; describes the play (as performed by the informant, c. 1920), each of its characters, their costumes, props and actions, and recites the words they say (King George, Black Prince, Old Woman, the Doctor, Dairy Dout, Beelzebub, Horse and Driver); talks about fighting between rival mummers' groups for the Horse's head; reference to the Spinner and Bergamot pub in Comberbach; talks also of a local travelling show, sellers of cures at a local market, his father, the village water pump and a poem written by Egerton Warburton; the village wedding tradition of roping (rope across the street to stop the bride and groom passing); practical jokes.

Metadata

Identifier y8j461ws
IRN 414686
Class Mark LAVC/SRE/A635r
Level Item
Type of Record Archives - ISAD(G)
Peristent Link http://prototype1.library.leeds.ac.uk/y8j461ws
Collection(s) Leeds Archive of Vernacular Culture
Category Archive
Parent Record Audiotape Sound Recordings
Creator(s) England, Alan
Date 12 December 1970
Size and Medium 1 x 12.7cm open reel spool, Duration: 36' 52".

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