Page:Folk-lore - A Quarterly Review. Volume 20, 1909.djvu/262

 2 2 2 Collectanea.

about a situation on a Friday. She missed the train, and on her return the mother said, — "There now! I told you something of that sort would happen!" (1891.)

The same Mrs. N., who was brought up at Eccleshall and now lives at Wednesfield, has a strong objection to meeting a woman when setting out on a journey. When C. N. set out to enter service (Nov. 24, 1891), her mother went out of the house first to look if any woman was coming up the road, and, seeing one, made C. wait till she had gone by. " There now ! If I hadn't gone out, you'd have met that woman ! "

Mrs. N. also cannot bear a woman to be the first to come to a house on New Year's Day.

Joseph Austin, Sugnall, near Eccleshall, born in 1875, ^^^^ ^° go with other boys to neighbours' houses to let the New Year in. People think it unlucky for a woman to do so. He never heard the man's complexion mentioned. (March 22, 1892. He himself is dark to swarthiness.)

Richard Ellis, Eccleshall, born in 18 10, used to go with other youths to let the New Year in at Summerhill, near Newport, Salop, about 1830.

" It is lucky if a man is the first to open the door on New Year's Day. The proper thing for him to say is,

' God bless the master of this house and his family dear, And I wish you all a happy New Year.'"

(From E. H., Hanbury, Oct., 1891.) Charlotte S. Burne.

Surrey. After a wedding at Honor Oak in 1905, boiUng water was poured over the doorstep of the bridegroom's house, " to warm the threshold for the next wedding." This was done by the bridegroom's mother, who was born in Camberwell.

E. Wright.

Westmoreland.

The following customs are still strictly observed in the villages bordering the lakes Haweswater and Ullswater, and in various parts of north Westmoreland : —

Each parish is divided into what are called " biddings," so that,