Drawing Lots for Love! St. Valentine's Day Traditions.

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Love is certainly in the air at Lymehurst Cottage (home of the Academy)!

In preparation for several salons and soirées on love and marriage that I aim to present (and perhaps host at the Academy), I have for some time been delving deep into romance during the ‘long eighteenth century’ (with regard to my work, usually covering the late 17^th - early 19^th centuries). I will perhaps provide one or two of these events in summer this year (those that concentrate upon the Regency period); and others (those on the Georgian Era more generally) at around this time next year.

These events will investigate a variety of topics relating to love and marriage in these eras – with particular regard to Derby and the surrounding area – examining a range of sources (including archaeological evidence and artefact collections; art and illustrations; print culture and newspapers; novels and poems; advice manuals; memoirs and diaries). In exploring attitudes towards love and marriage, they will consider the social, cultural, economic, and political settings of changing opinions and behaviour; and what material remains tell us something about how people expressed and felt romantic affection in the past. Events held on and / or around Saint Valentine’s Day will look at associated traditions of the day.

As today is Valentine’s Day, I shall provide a very brief a preview of work-in-progress. I am inevitably drawn to antiquarian interest, so present a topical excerpt from an eighteenth century theological (hagiographic) work. I follow this with something a little more down to earth: late eighteenth-century newspaper correspondence regarding the tradition of prospective suitors drawing lots for their Valentine!

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In his Lives of the Fathers, Martyrs, and Principal Saints (published in the late 1750s), English Catholic priest Alban Butler (1710-1773) refers to early 17th century Swiss Valentine customs while writing of Saint Francis of Sales, Bishop of Geneva:[i]

He [Francis of Sales] severely forbade the custom of Valentines or giving boys, in writing, the names of girls to be admired and attended on by them; and, to abolish it, he changed it into giving billets with the names of certain saints for them to honor and imitate in a particular manner.

In the Derby Mercury newspaper, we read of traditions that seem to indicate continuing secular development of such 'Valentines' after the 17th century, in the form of drawing lots; clearly, not everyone agreed with perpetuating this 'ancient custom'!:

 

Derby Mercury, 7 March 1782 (above); 20 March 1782 (below)

As with other ostensibly ‘ancient’ customs (e.g., see the Halloween post), I cannot but ponder the extent to which antiquarian pursuits influenced the ‘revival’ of this practice – a topic that I continue to investigate. However, in this case the latter newspaper correspondent does not appear to be familiar with the move from secular (romantic) to ecclesiastical (saintly veneration) ‘billets’ in the early modern period referred to within Rev. Butler’s work.

I will again here return to the theme of love & marriage; but for now, I must return to the archives.

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 Notes

[i] Alban Butler & Bernard Kelly (Ed.) n.d. The Lives of the Fathers, Martyrs, and Principal Saints, Vol. I. London: Virtue & Company Ltd., p.125.

Journal: January 17th (Old Twelfth Day)

The Christmas season not only provides an antiquarian treasury; it is my favourite time of year. And even by the old calendar (according to which I might celebrate Twelfth Day Eve tonight), I must, with a sigh, admit that it is finally once more at an end. Perhaps few are aware of the mid eighteenth-century calendrical transformations that allow such a contrived extension of festivities?!

Some (mostly, but not only, in the South-West) do still keep up ‘Old Twelvy’ traditions, by Wassailing orchards on January 17th. But I regret that such celebrations are now a minority pastime; and I expect that many would now see resistance to the transition from the Julian to Gregorian Calendar in 1752 through such observances as merely superstitious opposition to change.

The 'loss' of eleven days was surely most unsettling: we might imagine how many today would react to the prospect of retiring to bed on September 2nd, and arising the next day on September 14th!

How might we now also respond to a corresponding transference of New Year’s Day to another date in the calendar? Transmission of the turning year from March 25th, to January 1st, clearly caused more perplexity for contemporaries, than it continues does for modern-day historians (resulting in the need to convert ‘old dates’ – o.d. – into ‘new’ – n.d.; the requirement to add a year to those that fall between Jan. 1st and Mar. 25th before the change can be most confusing)!

I look forward to finding further comments and incidents relating to this episode in English history, with particular regard to Derby and the County. Hitherto, I have encountered only occasional references to this change within the local newspaper, the Derby Mercury.[i] But at this time, this publication (the only newspaper of the town) primarily reported news of national interest; and I would like to know more about affects upon everyday life!

I may collate more information within a future journal entry, and perhaps integrate this within a public talk.

Notes 

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[i] E.g. in the previous year, regarding the Parliamentary Bill: Derby Mercury, 15 March 1751 (o.d.!).

Journal: January 9th. Reflections on Twelfth Night

Now that my Twelfth Night guests have departed, I might briefly reflect upon the delightful time that was had by all on the 6th – the festivities even more splendid than on Christmas Day or New Year’s Eve!

We were fortune to purchase one of Johnson’s prize Twelfth cakes – such magnificence: sweet icing, rich and juicy fruit, delicate figures decorating the top, and what a size! Perhaps I shall bake my own Twelfth cake next year?

Derby Mercury report (12th January, 1804) on Twelfth Night Masquerade Ball

Although grander households (and increasingly, commercial establishment) throw masquerade balls on this night (of which we know from newspaper reports, and only rarely from invitation!), we contented ourselves with more modest masques. We had purchased a set of Twelfth Night character cards from Johnson’s; Dr Leach (of course!) King, and I the Queen (as would only be fitting!), our guests assuming the role of other courtiers – so much gaiety! I might even create my own set of cards for next year’s party, with characters better suited to the temperaments of our guests!

My antiquarian interests inform me of majestic and noble traditions (surely following the lead of their betters, also the poor and middling sorts!) of gambling on Twelfth Night, although I see no such sports mentioned in the press in these early years of the nineteenth century. Notwithstanding, we follow old court traditions by playing at dice and cards – although our stakes were surely much more meagre than those of wealthier citizens, and more generous than those of our more humble neighbours.

We ended the evening with the forfeits contrived earlier by those forgetting to remain in the character that they had drawn. However, (as my 21st century self has noted previously) we decided to forego Ravel's suggestions and instead fulfilled less boisterous, and more seemly, penalties.

I can now look forward to what this year might bring, and hope that it will be as happy for my family and companions (and I trust, my servants and forthcoming pupils) as it has been in recent months.

Journal: January 8th. A country walk

I had expected my guests to have departed by now, although they have decided to stay a little longer; of independent means (their income from rents), they might make such decisions without cares. I therefore have little time today to describe our Twelfth Night celebrations. 

Despite this business, we found time to take a walk this morning, strolling through land that skirts the ancient Mundy estate, which lies a short from here.[i] We caught sight of the Hall - a fine brick building of mid eighteenth century date, situated within delightful parkland. I have interest in this edifice, which (as often occurred in the construction of country houses of this time) required the relocation of Markeaton village (formerly close to the previous medieval hall). But the new buildings are not without charm. I hope to ultimately provide tours around the estate.

Markeaton Hall, 1829[ii]

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[i] See Jones' Views of the Seats, Mansions, Castles, Etc. of Noblemen and Gentlemen in England Accompanied with Historical Descriptions of the Mansions, Lists of Pictures, Statues, &c. and Genealogical Sketches of the Families, of Their Possessors Forming Part of the General Series of Jones' Great Britain Illustrated, and Comprised of the following counties, viz. Bed Berks Bucks , Cheshire, Cumberland, Derbyshire, Durham, Hertfordshire, Huntingdonshire, Kent, Lancashire, Leicestershire, Lincoln, Norfolk, Northamptonshire. London: Jones & Co., 1829.

[ii] Ibid.

Journal of a Lady Antiquary: January 6th (Twelfth Day)

 Twelfth Night cake (from late 18th century book of ballads, The Twelfth Cake. A Juvenile Amusement, Reginald Spofforth) 

With preparations yet to complete for tonight’s Twelfth Night celebrations, journeyed into Derby this afternoon to make some essential purchases; but also with hopes of catching a glimpse of the great Twelfth cakes. The crowds around the pastry cooks were large, and it was with relief that I heard no cries of ‘thief’ among the multitudes; London newspaper reports (published in the local press - until the later 19th century, confined to the Derby Mercury) had made me wary of the pickpockets such gatherings attract.[i] I was also gratified to see that another Twelfth Day custom of the Capital (news of which I encountered in a book of days) seems not to have taken hold in our more practical town: that sport of errant youth, the nailing of the gowns and coat tails of lady and gentlemen onlookers to the shop front, and to one another![ii]

Twelfth Day: clothes nailed to pasty-shop windows. William Hone (1835) The Every Day Book vol. 1 

But, returning to the confectionery! I have heard of colossal cakes of the past – such as the 45-pound cake, with 45 decorations (I suspect that the number 45 is a reference to the 1745 Jacobite uprising), said to be sent to the radical John Wilkes in 1769![iii] I hope that the cake due to be delivered this evening is substantial, but not to this extent!

The competition for the best Twelfth Cake, baked by local pastry-cooks, and viewed by numerous townsfolk, has become popular in Derby, as elsewhere. I took interest in the above newspaper article (Derby Mercury, January 8th 1823) that describes their various and elaborate designs.

The advertisement shown above (on the front page of the Derby Mercury) demonstrates that Twelfth Night was good for the confectionery business! (In this case the cake show, as with other festivities, was held on the 7th, due to the 6th falling on the Sabbath.)

I must now return to preparations, and to welcome my guests (who are due to arrive imminently); I hope to write a favourable report of the party, after they have departed on the 8th!

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[i] Derby Mercury, 4th January 1787.

[ii] William Hone (1835) The Every Day Book vol. 1

[iii] Derby Mercury, 13 January 1769.