A Righte Merrie Christmasse: The Story of Christ-TideAshton, John
History
A Righte Merrie Christmasse: The Story of Christ-Tide
Ashton, John
Christmas -- History
"Mr. Anthony Hinton, one of the Officers of the Earle of Pembroke, did
inoculate, not long before the late civill warres (ten yeares or
more), a bud of Glastonbury Thorne, on a thorne, at his farm house, at
Wilton, which blossoms at Christmas, as the other did. My mother has
had branches of them for a flower-pott, several Christmasses, which I
have seen. Elias Ashmole, Esq., in his notes upon _Theatrum Chymicum_,
saies that in the churchyard of Glastonbury grew a walnutt tree that
did putt out young leaves at Christmas, as doth the King's Oake in the
New Forest. In Parham Park, in Suffolk (Mr. Boutele's), is a pretty
ancient thorne, that blossomes like that at Glastonbury; the people
flock hither to see it on Christmas Day. But in the rode that leades
from Worcester to Droitwiche is a black thorne hedge at Clayes, half
a mile long or more, that blossoms about Christmas day, for a week or
more together. Dr. Ezerel Tong sayd that about Rumly-Marsh, in Kent,
are thornes naturally like that near Glastonbury. The Soldiers did
cutt downe that near Glastonbury; the stump remaines."
Several trees which are descended by cuttings from the Holy Thorn
still exist in and about Glastonbury. One of them, of somewhat scanty
and straggling growth, occupies the site of the original thorn, on the
summit of Weary-all Hill. Another, a much finer tree, compact and
healthy, stands on private premises, near the entrance of a house that
faces the abbot's kitchen. These descendants of the Holy Thorn inherit
the famous peculiarity of that tree.
The _Gentleman's Magazine_ for 1753, has the following in its
"Historical Chronicle" for January. "_Quainton in Buckinghamshire,
Dec. 24._ Above 2000 people came here this night, with lanthorns and
candles, to view a black thorn which grows in the neighbourhood, and
which was remembered (this year only) to be a slip from the famous
_Glastonbury_ Thorn, that it always budded on the 24th, was full blown
the next day, and went all off at night; but the people, finding no
appearance of a bud, 'twas agreed by all that Decemb. 25, N.S., could
not be the right _Christmas Day_,[50] and, accordingly, refused going
to Church, and treating their friends on that day, as usual: at length
the affair became so serious that the ministers of the neighbouring
villages, in order to appease the people, thought it prudent to give
notice that the old _Christmas Day_ should be kept holy as before.
[Footnote 50: This was the first Christmas day, New Style: the change
taking place Sept. 2, 1752, which became Sept. 14.]
"_Glastonbury._ A vast concourse of people attended the noted thorns
on _Christmas Eve_, New Stile; but, to their great disappointment,
there was no appearance of its blowing, which made them watch it
narrowly the 5th of _Jan._, the _Christmas-day_, Old Stile, when it
blow'd as usual."
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Elsewhere in the archive
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account