The "thorn". Another ligature that has survived is the ampersand: &, which started as a shorthand "et", the Latin for "and".
Posted on 12/04/2006 12:22:50 PM PST by FLOutdoorsman
The 500-year-old death records from Lamplugh which revealed some peculiar demises.
Forget knife-carrying hoodies, people in the mid-17th century had far more dangerous opponents to worry about... such as spirits and fairies.
Also, pitchforks, stools or even a trusty frying pan were the weapons of choice when it came to street fights, a newly unearthed burial register has shown.
The document reveals the deeply superstitious – and often brutal – side of life in Oliver Cromwell's England.
Covering deaths from 1656 to 1663 – the manuscript reveals no less than four people were 'Frighted to Death by faries' while another died after being 'Led into a horse pond by a will of the whisp'.
A further seven people died after becoming 'bewitched' – and three 'old women' were drowned after being tried for witchcraft.
While most of the deaths recorded in the Cumbrian parish of Lamplugh were due to old age, drunken duels claimed two lives in bizarre fashion.
One man died in a battle 'fought with frying pan and pitchforks' while a second brawl involving a 'three-footed stool and a brown jug' accounted for another.
Also dangerous was 'Mrs Lamplughs cordial water', which accounted for two deaths.
The manuscript is not dated or signed, but experts studied the writing and concluded it was written in the mid-1700s.
It is based on the burial register from a century earlier, which has been lost, but would have been kept by the local rector.
Archivists in Cumbria came across the document recently in their archives in Whitehaven, as part of a national campaign to highlight the treasures to be found in local history.
Archivist Anne Rowe said: 'These were insecure social times and many folk in the 17th century would have been scared of fairies and will o' the wisps.
'Many a natural death would have been put down to the evil witchcraft of a harmless old widow.'
THOSE DEATHS IN FULL:
Deaths taken out of the Register of Lamplugh from Janry ye 1 1656 to Janry ye 1 1663
* On a five bar gate, stag hunters: 4
* Two Duels, first fot [fought] with frying pan and pitchforks: 1
* Second between a 3 footed stool and a brown jug: 1
* Kild [killed] at Kelton fell raices [races]: 3
* Knocked on the head at Cockfight: 2
* Crost [crossed] in love: 1
* Broke his neck robbing a hen roost: 1
* took cold sleeping at Church: 11
* hanged for clipping and coyning: 7
* of a sprain in his shouldr by saving his dog at bul bate [bull bait]: 1
* Mrs Lamplughs cordial water: 2
* Knocked on ye head with a quart bottle: 1
* Frighted to Death by faries: 4
* Of strong October at the hall: 14
* Bewitched: 7
* Broke a vein in bawling for a knight of ye shire: 1
* Old women drowned upon trial for witchcraft: 3
* Climbing a crows nest: 1
* Led into a horse pond by a will of the whisp: 1
* Over eat himself at a house warming: 1
* Died of a fright in an Excersise of ye traind bands: 1
* By the Parsons bull: 2
* Vagrant beggars worried by Esqr Lamplughs housedog: 2
* Choked with eating barley: 4
* Old age: 57
"while another died after being 'Led into a horse pond by a will of the whisp"
I read that to mean "falling down drunk and drowned".
The "thorn". Another ligature that has survived is the ampersand: &, which started as a shorthand "et", the Latin for "and".
Clipping is cutting off slivers of a silver or gold coin, thus making it underweight and devalued. "Getting clipped" survives as an expression meaning getting cheated.
Coyning is coining, or counterfeiting money.
Huh?
Trayned Bands were semi-professional militia or mercenaries.
More than you might want to know about 'Will of the Whist'
Anonymous (1834), Ignis Fatuus. In "The Times" newspaper, 16th October 1834, p.4, column B. Reprinted from the Edinburgh Evening Courant.
Ignis Fatuus.—A fine specimen of this phenomenon was witnessed on the "Loch of Barbush," near Dunblane, on Monday evening. This loch, comprising upwards of seven acres, was used about 10 years ago as a curling pond by the Dunblane Club; but subsequently, from the excessive growth of a species of lichen and furze from its mossy bottom, this water disappeared, and the whole surface now presents the appearance of a brown dusky morass. Here, during an hour and a half, apparently dancing along the whole surface of the marsh, "Jack wi' the lantern," or rather "Will o' the Whisp," went through all the varieties of his nocturnal gambols, to the amusement of some and the wonder and terror of others, who were passing at the time. Two, three, four, and even six "glints" of blue light were frequently visible at the same instant, reeling and passing each other in the most fantastic manner imaginable. It was remarked that this phenomenon became extinct upon the fall of a heavy shower of rain, accompanied with a high wind; and that during the whole time of the phosphoric ignition the air was perfectly calm and moist.—Edinburgh Evening Courant.
"Mr. Drill? I'm your new proctologist!"
(BtD clutches chest. Please, no CPR...)
A cast iron skillet is a definite attention gitter and attitude changer. Why my wife seems to find and buy a couple each time she goes to an auction, flea market or yard sale is a puzzle to me. Unless, it is purposeful to remind me that she has a bunch of them. At one time I believed she had the market cornered but saw several for sale at a festival.
'ODS BODKINS!
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What's wrong with 21st Century math though?
Mid 17th Century (1650s) is about 350 years ago...nowhere near 500 years ago.
I used 500, only because it was in the article.
Dunno, perhaps there was a fairy influence with the math.
ping
".....people will kill each other regardless of Liberal gun control."
Ban the pan! Ban the pitchfork! Ban the jug! Ban the Faeries!
Dude, and I thought Xena's Mom was hardcore just for chuckin' the skillet at family miscreants!
October was a colloquial term for ale, presumably brewed that month.
That had to be some DAMN fine beer.
ROFLOL
Oh, I just gotta know how to earn a place on the Bahog Pynge lyste. For I do list to be pingen . . .
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