FAMILY RIGHT

Waikato Times, Volume 120, Issue 20889, 22 August 1939, Page 6

FAMILY RIGHT

AMAZING CUSTOMS INTERESTING FACTS TICHBORNE TRADITION W’hen Lord Kingsdale or Lord Forester meets the King neither of th« peers need raise his hat. It is an old family right—a right which several monarchs have tried to abolish without success. This is one of many extremely interesting things we are told in ‘ Old English Customs and Ceremonies.” Over 700 years ago, when the King of France (challenged King John to mortal combat, two champions had to he chosen. King John nominated De Courcy Lord Kingsdale, one of the biggest men and bravest fighters in England. When the French champion saw him he refused to fight. The Forester family is descended from William Forester, a commoner, who risked his life to protect King Henry VIII while hunting. Among the honours granted to the two men was the privilege of wearing their hats in the King's presence. Visor of Helmet And talking of hats, here is a custom explained for the man-in-the-street: When you raise your hat to an acquaintance you are only repeating the gesture of one of your forefathers, who raised the visor of his helmet to show he was a friend. When the British House of Commons rises in the evening the ery | “Who goes home?” echoes through the corridors, and the members make their way singly or in mill groups into well-lighted Old Palace Yard and Parliament Square. To many of the 615 it is ju6t a traditional cry about whose origin they know nothing. Yet it was designed for their safety. , . , Prey For Footpads Formerly Westminster Palace and St. Stephen's stood well away from the nearest buildings, and from tha road, and the members had to cross dark, lonely fields. They were ideal prey for the footpads and highway robbers who infested London, and many a member was knocked down and robbed within sight of the Parliamentary buildings. Eventually, members went home in groups, accompanied by a link-boy willi a torch, and ofteu with armed servants and retainers. To marshal them into groups the ushers would shout “Who goes home? ” when the House had finished its business for the day. Again, no person may enter the King’s presence wearing gloves in ease a weapon be concealed or a poisoned ring worn. The lying-in-state of a dead sovereign was not always lor the people to pay him homage. In other days it gave citizen s Hie opportunity of proving to their satisfaction that the King had died for the reasons given and not from foul play. The Curfew Ringing the curfew—imposed by William the Conqueror as a curb on the people as well as a safeguard—is still carried out in London at the Tower, the Charterhouse, Gray's Inn, and Lincoln’s Inn. But the most famous curfew outside London is rung at Chert sev, surrey, where Blanche Heriot clung to I lie clapper of the bell to prevent it ringing and was dashed to pieces against the sides. Thus she saved the life of her lover, sentenced to die on the first note o t the curfew. The City Livery Companies all have their own customs, but there is one common to ali. English law has dozens of customs and traditions to which it sticks firmly. Most famous of all, perhaps, is the black cap of the judge when sentencing a murderer to death. 6haved Heads Formerly most judges were churchmen, and a churchman used to shave the crown of the head. As no one connected with the Church could have anything to do with the taking of human life, the judge, when sentencing a prisoner to death, placed a small square of black cloth on his head to hide the tonsure and show that for the moment he had laid aside his clerical office. People's wills have started customs, too. A Mary Gibson, who died in 1773, left money to Christ's Hospital to pay for a sermon and service c\ery August 12. The Governor of Christ’s Hospital—who was remembered in her will—has to go to Sutton. Surrey, every year and open the family vault to see that it has not been tampered with. This throws light on the bodysnatching crimes of the 18th century, for it was fear of this that led Mary Gibson to insist on the inspection. Most dramatic of all the stores-behind-the-customs is the one about the Tichborne Dole. Every year a special service Is held in Tichborne Hampshire) Church, and the priest blesses a large quantity of flour, which is afterwards distributed among the poor. The dole has been in existence for 800 years. A Sick Woman Tradition says that when Lady Tichborne was dying she asked her husband for a piece of land to establish Hie giving of Hour and money to all poor people for all time, annually 00 Hie Feast of the Annunciation. His reply was to snatch a burning stick from the fireplace and tell her she might have as much land as she could crawl round before the stick burnt itself out. She prayed to heaven for assistance, then, with a sudden rush of strength, the dying woman managed to encircle -3 acres while the stick burnt steadily without being consumed. That land is still called “The Crawls.” The Tichborne family, mindful of the curse which she put on them should they ever alter tier bequest, have kept up the distribution of the dole through Hie centuries.