|
|
OLD TIME PRANKS
In the last issue of 'Local Past' I mentioned an interesting hand-written book deposited among the Bidford parish papers at Warwick Record Office (DR 880/10) The identity of the lady writer is still unknown but one or two further clues have emerged. She writes that her father rang his first peal on Nov.5th 1886 when he was 19 (celebration of Gunpowder, Treason and Plot?). He also sang in the choir from 1886 for 26 years. The writer added notes to her book as late as the Perhaps someone can identify her and her house?
Her father was musical and it appears from the account below that her great grandfather was squire of the Bidford Morris men (For information on these, see 'Local Past' Summer, 1981). She writes about an amusing incident concerning Harry Hands, who, when acting as 'great grandfather's fool in the Morris Team', used a stick with a bladder at one end and a cow's tail at the other. Harry obviously enjoyed larking about as the following ep isode shows. While a Baptist service was in progress in the chapel cottages (Winters), where worship took place before the chapel was built about 1860, Harry climbed the chimney stack and put a bolt of straw on top with the intention of smoking the worshippers out. In his efforts to make the straw go down, he jumped too hard and fell down with the straw just as the minister was preaching 'And there came the sound as of a rushing, mighty wind'. As he fell, Harry shouted 'Look out! The Devil's a-coming'. The congregation to a man fled out petrified and Harry followed them unnoticed, so no-one knew what happened.
The anonymous writer also recounts a similar incident. Jack Lord, a chimney sweep, was sleeping in the 'tallett' (hayloft) of a barn where services were held. A vagrant was also sleeping there. They were awakened by a service in progress. The minister was fervently praying 'Lord, Lord, come down and bless this meeting'. The vagrant then called to Jack Lord and said, 'Eh, Jack, they're calling thee. Thee'dst better go down!' Jack jumped down into the manger and the sound so terrified the congregation that they all flew out, save one old crippled woman, who pleaded deperately, 'Don't bother about me, Lord, I'm only a hanger-on ' So you see, non-conformists were being persecuted in Bidford as late as the 19th century.
Alcester & Distrcit Local History Society