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A Yorkshire Almanac Comprising 365 Historical Extracts, Red-letter Days and Customs, and Astronomical and Meteorological Data

12 June 1578: Edwin Sandys, Archbishop of York, cracks down on fun

Pieter Brueghel the Younger’s ‘Feast of St. George with the dance around the maypole’

Pieter Brueghel the Younger’s ‘Feast of St. George with the dance around the maypole’ (Brueghel the Younger 1620ish).

Edwin Sandys. 1578. Injunctions of Edwin, Archbishop of York. Online: Records of Early English Drama. Apparently Sandys’ injunctions were published in 1578, but I can’t find an online edition. Get it:

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Excerpt

25 Item, that the said churchwardens shall not suffer any lords of misrule, May games, or Morris dances, with like disorders, to come into the church or churchyard, in time of common prayer, nor at any other time, neither shall suffer any pedlars, or other whatsoever, to set out or utter any wares, or open any shops in time of common prayer, nor shall suffer any victualling, tippling houses, or taverns, to be frequented in time of divine service, but shall present the offenders therein by name immediately, upon every such offence committed.

To facilitate reading, the spelling and punctuation of elderly excerpts have generally been modernised, and distracting excision scars concealed. My selections, translations, and editions are copyright.

Abbreviations

Comment

Comment

See also the struggles of Edmund Grindal, Sandys’ predecessor, e.g. from OED:

E. Grindal Iniunctions Prouince of Yorke §19. sig. C.iij The Minister & churchwardens shall not suffer any Lordes of misrule, or Sommer Lordes..to come vnreuerently into any Church [etc.].

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Original

25 Item, that the said Churchwardens shall not suffer any Lordes of misrule, Maygames, or morice daunces, with like disorders to come into the Churche or Churchyarde, in time of Common prayer, nor at anie other time, neither shall suffer any pedlers, or other whatsoeuer, to set out or vtter any wares, or open any shoppes in time of Common prayer, nor shall suffer any Uittayling, Tippling houses, or Tauerns, to be frequented in time of deuine seruice, but shall presente the offenders therein by name immediately, upon euery such offence committed…

93 words.

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