Yorkshire Almanac 2025

Unedited excerpt

The excerpt in the book is shorter, edited and, where applicable, translated.

The King removes to Greenwich, where amongst the ranting riders at courts, one [John] Lepton of York, Esquire, and the King’s servant, made matches of horsemanship with the most in court, and to approve his skill and strength for a good wager, rode five several days together between London and York, and so back again the next. For May 20, Monday, he set out from Aldersgate at three of the clock in the morning, and came to York between five and six at night. The next morn sent him to London. At six or seven the next morn he set out to York, and came thither at eight, and so within half an hour the same time performed it, and the last day came also to Greenwich to the King by nine of the clock, as spritely and lusty as at the first day, to the wonder of all, till another do the like.

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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.

Comment

Comment

Samuel Blackerby says that Lepton, “though he won his wager, yet was a loser, never getting his winnings.” He clearly already had a reputation as a horseman, for, following discovery of the Gunpowder Plot in November 1605, “the King suspecting some commotions or risings, sent with all speed to prevent them by timely notice, by Lepton and others” (Blackerby 1689).

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Tags

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• Aldersgate (1) W/G ·
• City of London (11) W/G ·
• Great North Road (Great Britain) (7) W/G ·
• 📌Greenwich (2) W/G ·
• Gunpowder Plot (2) W/G ·
• Horse racing (9) W/G ·
• Horse (72) W/G ·
• James I (1566-1625) (6), King of England and Ireland from the union of the Scottish and English crowns on 24 March 1603 W/G ·
• London (84) W/G ·
• Speed record (1) W/G ·
• 📌York (164) W/G ·

All tags.

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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.

Comment

Comment

Samuel Blackerby says that Lepton, “though he won his wager, yet was a loser, never getting his winnings.” He clearly already had a reputation as a horseman, for, following discovery of the Gunpowder Plot in November 1605, “the King suspecting some commotions or risings, sent with all speed to prevent them by timely notice, by Lepton and others” (Blackerby 1689).

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Similar

25 January 1328: Edward III (15) marries his cousin Philippa (13) of Hainaut (Belgium) at York Minster, in order to save England from the Scots, the French, and the English

13 May 1851: The Flying Dutchman runs the Great Match against Voltigeur at the York races

27 July 1612: Jennet Preston, the only Yorkshirewoman among the Pendle witches, is found guilty at York of the murder of Thomas Lister of Westby Hall, Gisburn (Ribble Valley)

6 March 1684: The highwayman and racketeer John Nevison is captured at an alehouse near Sandal Castle, Wakefield

1 December 1773: 2½ days after leaving London, legal clerk Foster Powell walks into York, rests briefly, and starts back

13 November 1478: Edward IV orders the London merchant adventurers to allow their Yorkshire colleagues fair access to Low Countries markets for their woollen cloth

26 December 1831: The London Zoological Society accepts the Yorkshire Philosophical Society’s offer of a mischievous bear, and suggests transport south by stagecoach

11 September 1666: Nine days after the start of the Great Fire, Margaret Hodgson of Richmond tells a York court that a beggar told her yesterday of a plot to burn London

3 December 1816: A revolutionary bread riot is averted at Sheffield

30 January 1709: Charles Boswell, king of the gypsies, is buried at Rossington, Doncaster

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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.

Comment

Comment

Edward Miller:

It is remarkable that this is the first name mentioned in the present parish register… For a number of years it was a custom of the gipsies from the South to visit his tomb annually, and there perform some of their accustomed rites, one of which was to pour a flagon of ale upon the grave (Miller 1804).

But Miller thinks he’s James Bosvill, so maybe we don’t need to worry too much about the sexton’s reaction to notional ale-pouring.

WP:

James Boswell
Is buried in Rossington, near Doncaster in Yorkshire. Langdale’s “Topographical Dictionary of Yorkshire” (1822), says: “In the church yard, was a stone, the two ends of which are now remaining, where was interred the body of James Bosvill the King of the Gypsies, who died 30 January 1708. For a number of years, it was a custom of Gypsies from the south, to visit his tomb annually, and there perform some of their accustomed rites; one of which was to pour a flagon of ale upon the grave.” This is similar to the ritual of “stalling the rogue” mentioned by Thomas Harman and in The Beggars Bush and by Bampfylde Moore Carew.

A tradition was reported of annual visits to the grave of Charles Boswell near Doncaster for more than 100 years into the 1820s, including a rite of pouring a flagon of hot ale into the tomb. This may be the same person.[6][7][8] The grave is situated by the main door leading to the church, shaded by a dark oak tree. It is now covered in moss, but is still readable. The words “King Of The Gypsies” will lie there for ever more, whereas the mystery of the black cat is still unsolved. – information on the grave by A. Needham – P. Needham, of St Michaels church.

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