king in other parts of the country. Moreover, the Bishops of Durham were no less partial to the chase than their royal masters, and many lords had to provide them with hounds and hawks, and to keep their forests in the same manner as Windsor or New Forest was preserved for the king.

Dunmow was not the only place in England where fortunate couples were rewarded with a flitch of bacon after passing their first year of married life amicably. The manor of Whichnor, Stafford, was held by Sir Philip de Somervile by the service of providing a flitch of bacon and a quarter of wheat for all such happy couples. The oath which the husband was obliged to take was as follows:

"Hear ye, Sir Philip de Somervile, lord of Whichnor, maintainer and giver of this bacon, that I since I wedded my wife, and since I had her in my keeping and at my will, by a year and a day after our marriage, I would not have changed for none other, fairer or fouler, richer or poorer, or for none other descended of greater lineage, sleeping or waking, at no time. And if she were sole and I sole, I would take her to be my wife before all women of the world, of what conditions soever they be, good or evil, as help me God and His saints, and this flesh and all fleshes."

At Chingford, Essex, an estate was held by a very curious tenure. Whenever it passed into new hands the owner, with his wife, man-servant, and maid-servant, came on horseback to the parsonage and did his homage by blowing three blasts on his horn; he carried a hawk on his fist, his servant had a greyhound in a slip, both for the use of the rector on that day. He received a chicken for the hawk, a peck of oats for his horse, and a loaf of bread for his greyhound. After dinner the owner blew three blasts on his horn, and then with his party left the vicarage.

Some other tenures were secured by the presentation of one clove, horse-shoes, a horn, three grains of pepper, and other strange and unusual gifts. Wyfold Court is held by the tenure of presenting a red rose to the king whenever he should pass the house on May Day.

The Castor Whip tenure is remarkable, and the custom has only recently died away, the last whip used being in the possession of Mr. William Andrews, the Hull antiquary. On Palm Sunday a servant from the Broughton estate attended service at Castor church with a new cart-whip, and after cracking it three times in the porch marched with it to the manorial seat. When the clergyman began the second sermon he quitted his seat

with his gad-whip, having a purse containing thirty pieces of silver fixed at the end of the leash, and kneeling down on a cushion held the purse suspended over the head of the clergyman during the reading of the sermon. Then he returned to his seat, and left the purse and whip at the manor house.

Many other curious services and remarkable tenures might be mentioned; but as most of them have now become obsolete they can scarcely claim a record in a book which deals mainly with existing customs.

Although many of our old customs have died new ones have sprung into being, and may be regarded as fairly established. The observance of "Primrose Day," the birthday of Lord Beaconsfield, has now become popular, and the universal wearing of the flower on April 21st by the members of the political party to which the noble earl belonged, seems to denote that the custom will not soon die, but that it has "come to stay" for many years yet.

In

The origin of “Primrose Day" is entirely due to the energy of one gentleman, Sir George Birwood, of the India Office. spite of much discouragement he persevered in his endeavour to induce people to mark the birthday of Lord Beaconsfield by the wearing of the primrose. Letters were written to the Times; advertisements inserted in all

the leading newspapers; the florists' aid solicited; several noblemen set the example; the enthusiasm spread; until at length success was assured, and "Primrose Day" became firmly established as a popular commemoration of the distinguished politician. It is seldom that a custom has arisen so rapidly, or that the energy and enthusiasm of one gentleman have been responded to so readily by a large section of the people.

There are some misguided people who advocate the restoration of the House of Stuart to the English Throne, and with much ceremony decorate each year the statues of the Stuart monarchs, and drink the health of "him who is over the water," as in the "good old days" of the old and young Pretenders. The last anniversary of the martyrdom of the White King was celebrated with much ceremony in one of the city churches, and splendid white wreaths adorned the statue of the ill-fated monarch.

Possibly many other modern customs which can lay no claim to any high antiquity could be added, but which will ere long be firmly established amongst us as popular ceremonials.

In concluding this record we would express a hope that no important custom has been omitted. The collecting of those which we have described has been no small task, though

it has been a labour lightened by much interest, and by the ready help of those who have so willingly assisted us. We would venture to hope that those who are in a position to preserve any existing custom in their own neighbourhood will do their utmost to prevent its decay. Popular customs are a heritage which has been bequeathed to us from a remote past, and it is for us to hand down that heritage to future generations of English folk. If this result be attained, our labours will not have been in vain in endeavouring to describe the quaint manners and customs of the English people at the close of the nineteenth century.