THE OX AND THE ASS.

According to Mr. Brand, "a superstitious notion prevails in the western parts of Devonshire, that at twelve o'clock at night on Christmas-eve, the oxen in their stalls are always found on their knees, as in an attitude of devotion; and that (which is still more singular) since the alteration of the style, they continue to do this only on the eve of old Christmas-day. An honest countryman, living on the edge of St. Stephen's Down, near Launceston, Cornwall, informed me, October 28, 1790, that he once, with some others, made a trial of the truth of the above, and watching several oxen in their stalls at the above time, at twelve o'clock at night, they observed the two oldest oxen only fall upon their knees, and, as he expressed it in the idiom of the country, make 'a cruel moan like christian creatures.' I could not but with great difficulty keep my countenance: he saw, and seemed angry that I gave so little credit to his tale, and walking off in a pettish humour, seemed to 'marvel at my unbelief.' There is an old print of the Nativity, in which the oxen in the stable, near the virgin and the child, are represented upon their knees, as in a suppliant posture. This graphic representation has probably given rise to the above superstitious notion on this head." Mr. Brand refers to "an old print," as if he had only observed one with this representation; whereas, they abound, and to the present day the ox and the ass are in the wood-cuts of the nativity on our common Christmas carols. Sannazarius, a Latin poet of the fifteenth century, in his poem De Partu Virginis, which he was several years in revising, and which chiefly contributed to the celebrity of his name among the Italians, represents that the virgin wrapped up the new-born infant, and put him into her bosom; that the cattle cherished him with their breath, an ox fell on his knees, and an ass did the same. He declares them both happy, promises they shall be honoured at all the altars in Rome, and apostrophizes the virgin on occasion of the respect the ox and ass have shown her. To a quarto edition of this Latin poem, with an Italian translation by Gori, printed at Florence in 1740, there is a print inscribed "Sacrum monumentum in antiquo vitro Romæ in Musea Victorio," from whence the preceding engraving is presented, as a curious illustration of the obviously ancient mode of delineating the subject.

Every-Day Book, Volume II (1825)

 Penzance May Celebrations

A native of Penzance, in Cornwall, relates to the editor of the Every-Day Book, that it is an annual custom there, on May-eve, for a number of young men and women to assemble at a public-house, and sit up till the clock strikes twelve, when they go round the town with violins, drums, and other instruments, and by sound of music call upon others who had previously settled to join them. As soon as the party is formed, they proceed to different farmhouses, within four or five miles of the neighbourhood, where they are expected as regularly as May morning comes; and they there partake of a beverage called junket, made of raw milk and rennet, or running, as it is there called, sweetened with sugar, and a little cream added. After this, they take tea, and "heavy country cake," composed of flour, cream, sugar, and currants; next, rum and milk, and then a dance. After thus regaling, they gather the May. While some are breaking down the boughs, others sit and make the "May music." This is done by cutting a circle through the bark at a certain distance from the bottom of the May branches; then, by gently and regularly tapping the bark all round, from the cut circle to the end, the bark becomes loosened, and slips away whole from the wood; and a hole being cut in the pipe, it is easily formed to emit a sound when blown through, and becomes a whistle. The gathering and the "May music" being finished, they then "bring home the May," by five or six o'clock in the morning, with the band playing, and their whistles blowing. After dancing throughout the town, they go to their respective employments. Although May-day should fall on a Sunday, they observe the same practice in all respects, with the omission of dancing in the town.

On the first Sunday after May-day, it is a custom with families at Penzance to visit Rose-hill, Poltier, and other adjacent villages, by way of recreation. These pleasure-parties usually consist of two or three families together. They carry flour and other materials with them to make the "heavy cake," just described, at the pleasant farm-dairies, which are always open for their reception. Nor do they forget to take tea, sugar, rum, and other comfortable things for their refreshment, which, by paying a trifle for baking, and for the niceties awaiting their consumption, contents the farmers for the house-room and pleasure they afford their welcome visitants. Here the young ones find delicious "junkets," with "sour milk," or curd cut in diamonds, which is eaten with sugar and cream. New made cake, refreshing tea, and exhilarating punch, satisfy the stomach, cheer the spirits, and assist the walk home in the evening. These pleasure-takings are never made before May-day; but the first Sunday that succeeds it, and the leisure of every other afternoon, is open to the frugal enjoyment; and among neighbourly families and kind friends, the enjoyment is frequent.

Every-Day Book, Volume II (1826)

To enliven the subject a little, we may recur to recent or existing usages at this period of the year. It may be stated then on the authority of Mr. Brand's collections, that the Eton scholars formerly had bonfires on St. John's day; that bonfires are still made on Midsummer eve in several villages of Gloucester, and also in the northern parts of England and in Wales; to which Mr. Brand adds, that there was one formerly at Whiteborough, a tumulus on St. Stephen's down near Launceston, in Cornwall. A large summer pole was fixed in the centre, round which the fuel was heaped up. It had a large bush on the top of it. Round this were parties of wrestlers contending for small prizes. An honest countryman, who had often been present at these merriments, informed Mr. Brand, that at one of them an evil spirit had appeared in the shape of a black dog, since which none could wrestle, even in jest, without receiving hurt: in consequence of which the wrestling was, in a great measure, laid aside. The rustics there believe that giants are buried in these tumuli, and nothing would tempt them to be so sacrilegious [sic] as to disturb their bones.

"Brand's popular antiquities of Great Britain. Faiths and folklore; a dictionary of national beliefs, superstitions and popular customs, past and current, with their classical and foreign analogues, described and illustrated" 1924

Taking Football (Soccer) Around the World

The Mexican national game of football was first played in Mexico by Cornish miners at Pachuca in 1900, a fact that is celebrated each year. The first soccer club in the country, the Pachuca Athletic Club, was also founded in that year. A little known and scarcely believed fact in a country so devoted to 'futbol', the national sport. The first team consisted of Charles Dawe, John Dawe, James Bennetts, John Bennetts, William Blamey, Richard Sobey, William Bragg, William Thomas, Percy Bunt, Lionel Bunt, Albert Pangelly and William Pengelly. A decidedly 'Cornish' team.

Taken from http://www.cornish-mexico.org/mexicosoctoday.htm

The Red Devils Win First Soccer Match From West New York.

The Palisades Park Football Club opened its soccer season Labor day against the West New York State Football club of the New York State League before a large crowd, possibly one of the largest that has turned out to any sporting event that has ever taken place in this town. Mayor Todd started the season by making the first kick off. The lineup of the Red Devils were: Goal F S Mather, right back: J Hayes, left back: L Stone, right half: T Rodda, centre half : W. H. Collins, left half : S. Brown, outside half : T. E. Kirkham, inside right : F. Whitfield, centre forward : W. C. Duncan, inside left : H Owens, outside left : W Jacka. The Red Devils who are mostly Cornishmen, opened up the second half with a wonderful display of speed and dash, and swept the visitors off their feet, and if they continue this style of game they will never suffer defeat. The final score was 7 -3 in favour of the Red Devils. This Sunday the Red Devils play the Cyclone Football Club of Union hill, and if both teams play up to the names they have given themselves it ought to be some game - Red Devils against the Cyclones. Any Cornishmen around New York who wish to join the Red devils or who wish to see a good game of Football can obtain information from Manager Thomas Hosking, Box 404, Palisades Park New Jersey.

Transcribed from the Cornishman Newspaper 21st November 1921

Mining in Redruth and Gwennap

As the mining operations below have been so extensive, the surface of the district is covered with rubbish, and its general aspect is most barren and uninviting.  The following tolerably accurate and very graphic description of it, and of the habits and employment of its population, is from the pen of Sir Francis Bond Head, Bart., and with it we shall conclude: -

"To one unaccustomed to a mining country, the view from Cairn Marth, which is a rocky eminence of 757 feet, is full of novelty.  Over a surface which is neither mountainous nor flat, but diversified from sea to sea by a constant series of low and undulating hills and vales, the farmer and the miner seem to be occupying the country in something like the confusion of warfare.  The situations of the Consolidated Mines, the United Mines, the Poldice Mine, &c,&c, are marked out by spots a mile in length, by half a mile in breadth, covered with what are termed "the deads" of the mine, sadly, poisonous rubbish thrown up in rugged heaps, which, at this distance, give the place the appearance of an encampment of soldiers' tents.  This lifeless mass follows a course of the main lode (which generally runs east to west); and from it, in different directions, minor branches of the same barren rubbish diverge through the fertile country, like the streams of lava from a volcano.  The miner, being obliged to have a shaft for air at every hundred yards, and the Stannary laws allowing him freely to pursue his game, his hidden path is commonly to be traced by a series of heaps of "deads", which rise up among the green fields, and among the grazing cattle, like the workings of a mole.  Steam engines and shims (large capstans worked by two or four horses) are scattered about; and in the neighbourhood of the old, as well as of the new workings, are sprinkled, one by one, a number of small white-washed miners' cottages which, based neither on a road, nor near a road, wear, to the eye of the stranger, the appearance of having been dropped down apropos to nothing."

"Early in the morning the scene becomes animated.  From the scattered cottages, as far as the eye can reach, men, women and children of all ages begin to creep out; and it is curious to observe them all converging like bees to the small hole at which they are to enter their mines.  On their arrival, the women and children, whose duty it is to dress or clean the ore, repair to the rough sheds under which they work, while the men, having stripped and put on their underground clothes (which are of course flannel dresses) one after another descended the several shafts of the mine by perpendicular ladders to their respective levels or galleries.  As soon as they have all disappeared, a most remarkable stillness prevails; scarcely a human being is to be seen.  The tall chimneys of the steam-engines emit no smoke; and nothing is seen in motion but the great "bobs" or levers of those gigantic machines."

As soon as the men emerge to grass, they repair to the engine-house, where they generally leave their underground clothes to dry, wash themselves in the warm water of the engine-pool ,and put on their clothes, which are always exceedingly decent. By this time the maidens and little boys have also washed their faces, and the whole party migrate across the fields in groups, and in different directions, to their respective homes.   Generally speaking, they now look so clean and fresh, and seem so happy, that one would scarcely fancy they had worked all day in darkness and confinement.  The old men, however, tired with their work, and sick of the follies and vagarities of the outside and inside of this mining world, plod their way in sober silence, probably thinking of their supper.  The younger men proceed talking and laughing, and where the grass is good, they will sometimes stop and wrestle.   The big boys generally advance by playing at leap-frog; while urchins run as before to gain time to stand on their heads; while the "maidens", sometimes pleased and sometimes offended with what happens, smile or scream as circumstances may require.   As the different members of the group approach their respective cottages, their number of course diminish, and when the individual who lives farthest from the mine, like the solitary survivor of a large family, performs the last few yards of his journey by himself." 

From November  15, 1839 -  West Briton and Cornwall Advertiser

The following comes from the West Briton 18 November 1842

The TRESAVEAN MAN ENGINE A CURE FOR THE LIVER COMPLAINT
"There was never a better machine than that at Tresavean mine, invented for the miner," said an old and venerable man, a short time ago, "it will do wonders. Old Doctor ___ of Truro, used to say that the average age of our miners scarcely exceeded 29 years, and he attributed it entirely to climbing up from the deep mines; and in that opinion I perfectly agree. Nor do I doubt but the miners will now live very much longer than they have been used to. Besides this, see what it will do for the liver complaint. Now, when I was young, and the mines were not so deep, I scarcely heard of such a disorder; nor is it known any where hardly but in Cornwall. I will tell you how the disorder is brought on; when the men climb up so far, you observe the whole frame is in confusion, and the heart beats so violently up against the liver as in time to beat a hole into it, and follow in course the liver complaint." At this expression the old man's auditor burst into a fit of laughter, which much incensed him; and he turned on the heel and said - "you young gentleman may laugh at what you call foolish, but what we old people know true by experience; and I say again I believe MR. MICHAEL LOAM'S Man Machine will do more good for the liver complaint than all the pills in Truro."

Thanks to West Briton Archives

Thanks to West Briton Archives

Burials at the Quaker Burial Ground, Brea, Sennen

A  Mystery From the Times of London, June 1805.

The Times, Saturday, Jun 01, 1805; pg 2.

"The performance at the Penzance Theatre on Monday night, were interrupted in consequence of it being publicly announced to the audience that Lord Nelson had fallen in with the Combined Fleets and captured ten sails of the line and four frigates, and one gun-brig, with 8,000 troops on board. The spectators threw up their caps and sang 'God Save the King,' and 'Rule Britannia,' as might have been expected. The information was said to have been obtained from the boat belonging to the Plover sloop of war, which was seen working into the Bay on the following evening, as was said to be charged with dispatches for Government. We wish we could say that their was the slightest foundation for the honest exultation of the loyal inhabitants of Penzance. The Plover is on the Newfoundland Station."