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Title
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Mummers' play
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Writer
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Unknown
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Notes
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Note 1
F H Wiltshire - 'Christmas play as acted in the old Borough Town of Wootton Bassett.
The following version [reproduced above] was used by a number of lads of the town some forty years ago [1868]. They were coached by an old shoemaker, who said he had learnt the play as a lad in 1795. The boys were attired in paper costumes, cardboard helmets, and carried wooden swords.
The play began with St. George, who stepped valiantly forth, ...
The challenge is taken up by 'Boney' presumably Napoleon Bonaparte, who after a somewhat noisy combat, falls by the sword of St. George.
Then a herald steps out ...
Other champions, un-named, fight St. George, but all are slain.
To conclude, old Humpty Jack comes forth ...
Occasionally the lads would finish with the old 'Wassail Song', but as they were out for pence, not the flowing bowl, they omitted it, especially when visiting the clergyman and the schoolmaster; but at the churchwardens' and farmers' 'Wassail' was usually sung.
On Christmas Eve the 'Wassailers', a mixed assemblage of some thirty men and lads - many old topers - visited practically all the persons of any note in the town; and as liquor of some sort was given at nearly all houses, and in the course of their wanderings they visited at least a dozen public houses, many of them had bad heads next morning.
Their version was as follows:
Wassail! Wassail!
All over the town!
Our bread is so musty
Our cheese is so brown!
God send our master a good crop of corn,
With the wassailing bowl we drink to thee!'
Note 2
Chris Wildridge - 'The text is fragmentary and is extracted from the body of the note.'
Transcribed and edited by Chris Wildridge, 2008.
