New Holland Mummers [1880] R.Greig Collection (1971, J.Mouncey) 88ta02mj.xml mastermummers.org Joe Mouncey New Holland Mummers Ruairidh Greig Collection Collected c.1971

Originally prepared for textual analysis during his PhD research on the 'Origins and Development of English Folk Plays' by Peter Millington (2002).

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Original spelling and typography is retained, except that superscripts, long s and ligatured forms are not encoded.

Line identifiers are those used for line types in the Folk Play Scripts Explorer.

 New Holland Lincolnshire England TA0823 Perf. c.1880 [Not given] Mummers Quack Doctor: Hero/Combat No. 1 No. 2 Devil Doubt No. 3 Beelzebub No.4 Jack Rix No. 5 Soldier No.6 Doctor Notes with the text:

"Collected by Mr. Jack Martin from Mr. Joe Mouncey."

"Jack Martin organized the performance of the Plough Jags play that was presented in Barrow on Humber as part of the Festival of Britain celebrations in 1951"

Peter Millington's Notes:

The whereabouts of the original collected manuscript is currently unclear (Oct.2001). E.C.Cawte et al (1967, p.52) list two sources - Mrs.E.H.Rudkin's collection, and M.W.Barley (1953), and give a performance date of c.1880. However, the text in Barley's collection is annotated "...collected since 1940 by J. Martin from Mr.J.Mouncey", and makes no mention of Ethel Rudkin. This is significant, because (a) Rudkin was his main folklore mentor, and (b) he is assiduous in acknowledging her material elsewhere. It is possible therefore that this text was communicated directly to Barley by Martin. In any case a copy of this play is among Barley's papers held by the Manuscripts Department, University of Nottingham, Ref.Ba2/29.

A note with a copy of this text in the Alex Helm Collection reads, "Mrs. Mouncey gave me this version about 1938." This date conflicts with Barley's date, which is confusing.

Note from Ruairidh Greig (26th Jan.2003):

"The version of the play I sent you was given to me personally by Jack Martin at his home in Barrow on Humber in about 1971."

 15-Apr-2001 Ruairidh Greig Transcribed 30-Oct-2001 Peter Millington Entered 02-Jul-2004 Peter Millington Source and Notes updated 15-Jan-2021 Peter Millington TEI-encoded No. 1. Kind Sir, please will you have the mummers? No. 2. with brush. In comes I, little devil doubt, if you don't give us money, I'll sweep you all out It's money we want, it's money we crave, if you don't give us money, I'll sweep you to the grave. No. 3. with a bladder tied to a stick. In comes I beelzebub, on my shoulder I carry a club, In my hand a witleather frying pan, I think myself a jolly young man No.4. In comes I, Jack Rix, full of fun and tricks. Beelzebub belabours him with his bladder and knocks him to the floor. No. 5. In comes I, the soldier, Who fought the firey dragon to the slaughter, By those means I won the King of Egypt's daughter. No.6 In comes I, the doctor! What can you cure? The itch, palsy and gout, Pains within and pains without. He gives Jack Rix a dose from a bottle and says, Rise up, you have life within, If you can dance, I can sing. CHORUS. All I can milk and plough and drive a cow, I can reap and sow, If in a race, I take first place, My name is buttercup Joe. Beelzebub holds out his cap to receive what the people care to give in money. They would often pass round mince pies and a glass of home-made wine, or plum-bread and cheese. The mummers would then wish them:- A merry Christmas and a happy New Year, A pocket full of money and a cellar full of beer, A good fat pig, a new lay ? cow, Plenty of money and nowt to do. They then pass on to the next house to seek- admission.