Page:Folk-lore - A Quarterly Review. Volume 9, 1898.djvu/416

382 bemiring more especially women, but also any strangers or respectable-looking people. The surrounding shops, and indeed most of the shops in the town, were closed for the afternoon and evening, and all decent folk, rich or poor, kept out of the way.

Throughout this century, at any rate, it has been universally believed that the Black Lad represents "the wicked Knight of Assheton," Sir Ralph de Assheton. He has, however, never yet been successfully identified. The tradition has been that he was a great oppressor of the tenantry—in this all agree. Some give details: he kept his prisoners in dungeons beneath the two old round towers (pulled down only a few years ago), with serpents and toads; he used to put people—sometimes women—in barrels spiked inside, and roll them from the top of the steep hill on which the Hall stood overlooking the river, down the ascent to it known as Ann's Brow. "Ann's Brow"—i.e. the path or ascent to the Hall—lay between the Hall and "Spring Pasture," which was on the east (?) slope of the hill. Some say that he was chiefly hated because of his stern dealings with farmers who allowed a certain yellow weed to grow on their land.

The main idea that the Black Lad represented someone to be well hated led to his being made in the likeness of the Czar in the Crimean year; that, however, was an exception and a very late one.

The steward of the estate, who has been in the office between 60 and 70 years, says that during the whole of that time to his knowledge ten shillings have always been given on the afternoon of Easter Monday to the men who bring the head in proof that the rites have been properly celebrated.

Some say that the head used to be always kept at the Hall.

The older people remember the tradition being current that a field was set apart for the keep of the horse that carried the Black Lad. Some of them say it was "Gallow's Field;" down near the River Tame, others that it was "Spring Pasture." Both fields were close to the Hall.

The Black Lad was always taken first to the Hall.

The water let out was from the marl-pit belonging to the estate.