Jolly Boys

The Jolly Boys were revived in Witherslack in Holy Week before Easter in 1943. (1) Before that they were remembered in a fragmentary way until the Great War. (1914- 1918). The old men remembered how well received they were at the farms and given eggs, mince pies and money, silver as well as copper. The performance seems to have taken them not just all over Westmorland but Lancashire North of the Sands as well as further afield. At the beginning of the second world war many evacuees were sent to Witherslack, mostly from Liverpool and South Shields.

Originally Tosspot comes first to clear the way. He carried a stout stick with which he thumps the ground all around. He wore a top hat and his hump is made of a bundle of shavings. St. George has a large helmet decorated with long streamers of coloured paper. He also wore a sash 'a la militaire' his upper lip is decorated with a burnt cork moustache and carries a sword of wood or hoop iron. The Turkish Knight is somewhat similarly equipped but his hand and face are completely blackened. Dr. Brown wears a disguise suited to his profession a large and extremely old-fashioned hat is usually regarded as essential. Molly Masket is dressed as an old woman and carries the basket containing eggs and other contributions. Other characters only take part in the final chorus, such as Lord Nelson and Jolly Jack Tar.

THE PLAY

The hunchback seizes his staff and beating the floor with it, dances round till a sufficiently large circle is cleared for all the actors and says: -

Stir up the fire and strike a light

and see this bloody act tonight,

If you don't believe a word I say,

Step in St. George and clear the way

In steps St George

A noble champion bold!

With my right hand and, glittering sword

I've won three crowns' of gold

'Twas I who fought the fiery dragon

And brought him down by, slaughter

And by these means I won the Queen

The King of Egypt’s daughter

The Turkish Knight steps in forward and begins: -

In steps I, bold Turk,

Black Morocco King

My sword and buckler by my side,

And through the woods I ring

I'll stab thee in thy vital gorge,

I'm brave and that is what makes us good,

And through thy dearest body,

George, I’ll draw they precious, blood.

The challenge is accepted and the fight begins, but not without many more verses. The Turk is slain, and a Doctor is called for, after boasting about his travels, St George challenges the Doctor to revive the Turk 'Here Jack, just take a little out of my bottle, and let it run down thy throttle, and if thou be not quite slain, rise up, Jack, and fight again'. The Turk awakes saying he will have St. George in another round.

This annual celebration of life was universal, fight, death and resurrection being the common factors. Then the whole company join in the following chorus, clasping hands and prancing round singing,

Here’s two or three jolly boys all in one mind

We've come a pace egging and hope you'll prove kind.

We hope you’ll prove kind with your eggs and strong beer.

And we 'll come no more nigh you, until next year: (1)

There were seven people in it with the presenter, Winnie Butler, (sitting in the front row) (see photo), an evacuee billeted with the Wilson family of Fern Hill Witherslack. From the photograph Norman Marshall (an evacuee billeted with the Wallings at Halecat), was St. George, Alan Pearson was Bold Slasher, and his sister Joan played the part of Johnny Jack. Sheila Thornburrow was Tosspot and Jean Walker was Old Miser. Words and music were written by Mrs. Brunskill of Crosthwaite. They performed the play all round the village and collected £12 for the Red Cross.

Another girl who played it in later life was Mary Clifton (nee Benson) and it continued for a number of years. Another source of it is in Lancashire folk lore' (3) which included clog dances, and songs, and it was started on the Saturday before Easter and considered bad luck to continue after noon on Good Friday.

1. From an Unpublished Version of the Pace-Eggers Play by Edward Meryon Wilson. From an offprint of Folk Lore, March 1938.

2. '50 Years Ago' May 1993 from the Westmorland Gazette.

3. The Internet HTML at emrs.chm.bris.ak.uk How Bury Pace-Eggers Started.