The Scouring of the White Horse

by Thomas Hughes

Overview

The great success of the festival (or “pastime,” as it is called in the neighbourhood) which was held on White Horse Hill on the 17th and 18th of September, 1857, to celebrate the “Scouring of the Horse,” according to immemorial custom, led the Committee of Management to think that our fellow-county-men at least, if not our countrymen generally, would be glad to have some little printed memorial, which should comprise not only an account of the doings on the Hill on the late occasion, but should also endeavour to gather up the scattered legends and traditions of the country side, and any authentic historical notices relating to the old monument, of which we west-countrymen are all so fond and proud.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9788822854230
Publisher:	Publisher s11838
Publication date:	10/10/2016
Sold by:	StreetLib SRL
Format:	eBook
File size:	3 MB

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APPENDIX. Note I. The earliest authentic historical notices of the White Horse are, so far as I am aware,— 1st. A Cartulary of the Abbey of Abingdon, now in the British Museum, of the time of Henry II., the exact date of it being, it is believed, A. D. 1171. It runs as follows—" Consuetudinis apud Anglos tune " erat, ut monachi qui vellent pecuniarum patriinoniorum qui forent " susceptibiles, ipsisque fruentes quomodo placeret dispensarent. Unde "et in Abbendonia duo, Leofricus et Godricus Cild appellati, quorum " unus Godricus, Spersholt juxta locum qui vulgo mons Albi Equi uuncu- "patur, alter Leofricus Hwitceorce super flumen Tamisie maneria sita ; patrimonial! jure obtinebant," andc. JJdly. Another Cartulary of the same Abbey, of the reign of Kichard I. which runs as follows:—" Prope montem ubi ad Album "Equum scanditur, ab antique temporc Ecclesia ista manerium Offentum " appellatum in dominio possidet, juxta quod villa X hidarum adjacet ex "jure Ecclesiso quam Speresholt nominavit," andc. 3dly. An entry on the Close Kolls, 42 Ed. III. or A.d. 1368-9— "Gerard de 1'Isle tient en la vale de White Horse one fee," andc. SeeArchseologia, vol. xxxi. p. 290. Letter from William Thorns, Esq. to J. Y. Ackerman, Esq. Secretary. Coming down to comparatively modern times, it is curious that so little notice should have been taken of the White Horse by our antiquaries. Wise in his Letter to Dr. Mead (1738), which has been already quoted from in the text, regrets this, and then adds, " Leland's journey " does not seem to have carried him this way, nor does Camden here go " out of the other's track; though he mentions upon another occasion, and " by the bye, The WhiteHorse; but in such a manner, that I could wish, for " his own sake, he had passed it over in silence with ...