Now! Then! 2024! - Yorkshire On This Day

A Yorkshire Almanac Comprising 366 Historical Extracts, Red-letter Days and Customs, and Astronomical and Meteorological Data

31 May 1526: Properties for the Corpus Christi performance of the (moribund) mystery play of York’s Mistry of Mercers

Maud Sellers. 1918. The York Mercers and Merchant Adventurers 1356-1917. Durham: Surtees Society. Get it:

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Excerpt

Jhesu. — Ress’ [effects] of pageant masters, master Wild, present year Jorge Norman, Henry Wood, pageant masters. Bartholomew York, Nicholas Cure these parcels. 2 devil’s coat, 2 devil head, 1 wesseren [visors?], 1 chart, the cloud, 2 great angels wants 1 wing, 2 trompes, hell door, 4 angels, pageant door, 4 windows, the iron set with 4 ropes, the wheels with 1 rope, the Trinity house, 2 little angels, the 8 chiefs, 9 nails, the Trinity wants 1 chart, 3 wessezons, 1 rope, 1 angel. Wants 1 little angel and 2 nails.

Corpus Christi is on 30 May 2024.

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:

  • ER: East Riding
  • GM: Greater Manchester
  • NR: North Riding
  • NY: North Yorkshire
  • SY: South Yorkshire
  • WR: West Riding
  • WY: West Yorkshire

Comment

Comment

The editor: “The cloud would probably be the painted representation of the clouds and great glory in which the Judge would sit, forming a background to the upper part of the pageant.”

Why was the feast in decline? I’m assuming Lutheranism and the oncoming English Reformation, but I’ve done no background reading.

Easter Sunday was 1 April 1526, so Corpus Christi was 31 May.

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Original

Jhesu. — Ress’ [< Latin res? with what intent?] off pagand masters, maister Wyld, presnt yerre Jorge Norman, Henre Wood, pagand masters. Bartholomew Yorke, Necollus Cure thes parsells [items?]. ij dewells cotte, ij dewell hedde, j wesseren[?], j chartt [what kind of chart?], the cloud, ij grett angejls wants j wing, ij trommpys[mechanical deceits?], hell dure, iiij angelli, pagand dure, iiij wendows, the iren sett with iiij ropps [a frame for the stage?], the weels with j rope, the trenettie hus, ij lyttell angelles, the viij chyffs [chiefs, but what kind of chiefs?], ix nalles [], the trenette wants j chartt, iij wessezons [?], j rope, j angell. Wants j lyttell angell and ij nalls.

114 words.

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