Posted by: Blog Administrator
on Feb 29, 2012
Tagged in:
Wiltshire Heritage Museum ,
Taunton ,
St James' Church ,
Sir Thomas Long ,
Perkin Warbeck ,
Knight ,
heraldic ,
helmet ,
gauntlets ,
funeral armour ,
Durham University ,
Draycot ,
Diana McCormack ,
Darrell ,
crest ,
conservation ,
Cerne
My name is Diana McCormack and I have been on work placement with the Wiltshire Conservation Service since September, as the second year of a Masters degree for Durham University, and will continue until June. While on placement, I have been given several projects to work on, involving the assessment, research and treatment of objects in need of conservation.
Conservator at work
One of these projects is to conserve some pieces of funeral armour from St James’ Church in Draycot Cerne, where they hung above the tomb of a knight named Sir Thomas Long. Long was an MP for Westbury and sometime High Sheriff of Wiltshire, who lived from 1449 – 1508, and owned a large estate around South Wraxall and across north Wiltshire. The armour is now in the care of the Wiltshire Heritage Museum in Devizes, and recently came to the labs at the Wiltshire & Swindon History Centre for conservation work.
The tomb of Sir Thomas
As part of the research into these objects I was given the opportunity to visit the church of St James at Draycot Cerne, near Chippenham, Wiltshire. The keeper of the keys was kind enough to give me a guided tour and describe to me how the armour had been displayed above Sir Thomas’ tomb, which stands in the sunken chancel next the altar.
Posted by: Blog Administrator
on Dec 10, 2010
Tagged in:
www.candyverney.co.uk ,
writing ,
winter ,
Wiltshire Community History ,
Wiltshire ,
William Morris ,
website ,
village ,
version ,
Turkish ,
Swindon Advertiser ,
St. Michael’s Without ,
St. George ,
Sisema ,
Shrewton ,
Scotland ,
Saturday 18 December ,
recorded ,
public houses ,
poorly paid ,
plays ,
performed ,
Peaceful Gudgeon Mummers Play ,
pagan ,
North Wilts ,
narrator ,
Mummers’ play ,
Mummers’ ,
money ,
Medieval ,
Limpley Stoke ,
Knight ,
King George ,
income ,
http://history.wiltshire.gov.uk/community/folk_pla ,
hero ,
gentry ,
founder ,
fool ,
food ,
Folk ,
First World War ,
Father Christmas ,
farmers ,
Drug & Homeless Initiative ,
drink ,
doctor ,
Custom ,
Christmas ,
Christian ,
characters ,
Broad Street ,
bookseller ,
Bath ,
Arts ,
Alton Barnes ,
agricultural labourers ,
adversary ,
adapted
Mummers’ plays were an important part of Christmas for many agricultural labourers in the 19th and early 20th centuries. These seem to be first recorded in the mid 18th century and although there are medieval precedents the connections between the two are uncertain. The later ones provided an opportunity for poorly paid labourers to make some extra income by taking their play around the houses of local farmers and gentry where they would normally receive food, drink and some money.
The characters included a hero, often St. George or King George, his adversary, often a Turkish Knight, a doctor, a fool and a narrator, often Father Christmas in later versions, and a character who collects the money at the conclusion. Normally the Turkish Knight is killed by St. George and revived or resurrected by the doctor. There are many elements in the plays, both pagan and Christian and the plays and the names of characters may have changed from generation to generation.
The Salisbury Mummers, c. 1932
Ref: P7940
The plays, normally each village would have its own version, were kept alive by ordinary people who had an interest in being able to supplement their wages once a year. Many did not survive the First World War although in Wiltshire mumming plays were still being performed at Alton Barnes in 1930 and at Shrewton in 1936.
This year an adapted version of the Limpley Stoke Mummers’ play is being performed as the Peaceful Gudgeon Mummers Play on Saturday 18 December at 7.00 p.m. at St. Michael’s Without, Broad Street, Bath. Please 'read more' to find out more'...
