A QUAINT ENGLISH PROVINCIAL CUSTOM.

Otago Witness, Issue 2425, 5 September 1900, Page 63

A QUAINT ENGLISH PROVINCIAL CUSTOM.

From time immemorial the romantic village of Tissington, on the verge of tLe Peak Country, has held its "annual "Well-dressing," and of late years many of the parishes round have followed the custom. As in the case of the Furry Dance, opinions differ about the origin of the ceremonies ; some will have it that after a terrible drought people decorated the free-flowing wells of Tissington in their thankfulness. Others — and we imagine they are right — trace the custom back to the times of the Romans, and to the lingering worship of tlieir deities. And surely, if Pan and Flora and the nymphs and naiads ever existed at all, they would linger longest in just a place as Tissington. The FitzHerberts of Tissington trace descent from the favourite squire of Duke William of ISTormandy, but in later times, strangely enough, they have not been'warriors. The present Baronet, Sir Richard .FitzHerbert, is in holy orders, and resides almost entirely on his Nottinghamshire property, Warsop, near Mansfield. # But Ascension. Day brings every Tissington-

born' person back to Tissington,, if by any ' possible "means he may get there in time for the "'Well-dressing." - - Tliere are five wells in the villas spring? of pure rock-held water, wjiich bubble oufe of the moss and fern as lavishly as they did a thousand years ago. On Ascension Day. each one of these is decorated with loving care. Great wooden framework is used to hold the moist clay into which thousands' upon thousands of flower petals ara worked, forming pictures and patterns and mottoes, according to the taste- and -skill of the village folk" who claim the honour of carrying out the decorations.' This year the chief beauty seemed to be about the- well close, by the church gale. Slender spires and arches were reared over the" water,, which fills, a broad" and -"shallow stone-kerbed basin ; and these arches were covered in tracery of many colours, petals of pansies,- of bluebells, and- tulips, of costly hothouse flowers, and tenderest green from the young-leafed woods — a dream- of masses, and patterns, and graceful lines of brilliant hue. Behind all this was a " picture " of Meses striking the rock in the wilderness.- Moses wore a robe of marsh-marigold blossoms,^ and -the nude ■ bits of- his leg and--' arm ''were worked in grains of Indian corn ( !) ; but he was a ' most sta-tely Moses notwithstanding. , The xisual service was held at mid-day. The rector, the. Rev. James FitzHerbert, following his choir, and followed by his whole congregation, issued from the church at its conclusion, and ~T>roceeded to eacb ' well. At every one of "the five a hymii ■ was sung and a brief prayer said. The ■villagers, devout and self-important,' felt that the supreme moment of the (Tissinglon) yeir come. The strangers and the distinguished guests followed reverently and a f ar. The bells clashed out, the village bind struck up. the rector doffed Jiis surplice and adjourned to the hall Ie help his cousin. Sir Richard, do the ancient honours in the ancient .style,' and the "Well-dressing" of 1900 was over. — Modern Society, June 2.