The Parish ale or church ale was a party or festivity in an Englishparish at which ale was the chief drink. It was typically a fundraising occasion for the parish that might include music and dancing. Very common in the later Middle Ages, parish ales encountered some opposition after the English Reformation, though some survived until modern times in some form.
The word "ale", in the sense of an ale-drinking party, was part of many compound terms for types of party or festivity based on the consumption of ale or beer. Thus there was the leet-ale (held on "leet", the manorial court day); the lamb-ale (held at lamb-shearing); the Whitsun-ale (held at Whitsun), the clerk-ale, the church-ale etc. The word "bridal" originally derives from bride-ale, the wedding feast organised to raise money for the couple.[1] The bid-ale, once very common throughout England, was a benefit feast to which a general invitation was given, and all those attending were expected to make some contribution to help the object of the benefit, usually a poor person or family or some other charitable cause.[2]Morris dancing used to be common entertainment at parish ales, and a meeting of Morris dancers today is still called a Morris Ale.[3]
Significanceedit
These parish festivals were of much ecclesiastical and social importance in medieval England. The chief purpose of the church-ale (which was originally instituted to honour the church saint) and the clerk-ale, was to facilitate the collection of parish dues and to make a profit for the church from the sale of ale by the church wardens.[4] These profits kept the parish church in repair, or were distributed as alms to the poor.
The churches must owe, as we all do know, For when they be drooping and ready to fall, By a Whitsun or Church-ale up again they shall go And owe their repairing to a pot of good ale
In the gallery of the tower arch of St Agnes, Cawston in Norfolk is inscribed:
God speed the plough And give us good ale enow ... Be merry and glade, With good ale was this work made.[5]
On the beam of a screen in the church of Thorpe-le-Soken, Essex, is the following inscription in raised blackletter on a scroll held by two angels: "This cost is the bachelers made by ales thesn be ther med." The date is about 1480.
Descriptionedit
The feast was usually held in a barn near the church or in the churchyard. In Tudor times church-ales were held on Sundays; gradually the parish-ales were limited to the Whitsun season, and these still have local survivals. The colleges of the universities used to brew their own ales and hold festivals known as college-ales; some of these ales are still brewed and famous, like "chancellor" at Queen's College, and "archdeacon" at Merton College, Oxford, and "audit ale" at Trinity, Cambridge.
A short piece printed in the Manchester Times in 1870 quoted from Jefferson's Book about the Clergy:
Of the Church-ale, often called the Whitsun-ale, from being generally held at Whitsuntide, it is necessary to speak at greater length, for it is a far more important institution than the bid-ale or clerk-ale. The ordinary official givers of the church-ale were two wardens who, after collecting subscriptions in money or kind from every one of their fairly well-to-do parishioners, provided a revel that not infrequently passed the wake in costliness and diversity of amusements. The board, at which everyone received a welcome who could pay for his entertainment, was loaded with good cheer; and after the feasters had eaten and drunk to contentment, if not to excess, they took part in sport on the turf of the churchyard, or on the sward of the village green. The athletes of the parish distinguished themselves in wrestling, boxing, quoit throwing; the children cheered the mummers and the morris dancers; and round a maypole decorated with ribbons, the lads and lasses plied their nimble feet to the music of the fifes, bagpipes, drums and fiddles. When they had wearied themselves by exercise, the revellers returned to the replenished board; and not seldom the feast, designed to begin and end in a day, was protracted into a demoralising debauch of a week's or even a month's duration. The Manchester Times [6]
Whitsun - traditional English day of fairs/festivals
Frühschoppen - beer-drinking session for the church-goers in Germany and Austria
Referencesedit
^Monger, George (2005). Marriage Customs of the World: From Henna to Honeymoons. ABC-CLIO Ltd. pp. 37. ISBN1576079872.
^Brewer, Ebenezer Cobham (2001). Wordsworth Dictionary of Phrase and Fable. Wordsworth Editions Ltd. p. 132. ISBN1840223103.
^"The History of The Marlboro Morris Ale – Marlboro Morris Ale". Retrieved 2024-03-06.
^ abThiselton Dyer, Thomas Firminger (20 May 2009). "XXIX". Church-lore gleanings. BiblioLife, LLC. p. 322. ISBN978-1-110-16573-5. Retrieved 16 April 2010.
^St Agnes, Cawston, norfolfchurches.co.uk, retrieved 30 June 2010
^Anon (26 February 1870). "Church Ales". The Manchester Times. Manchester, UK.
January 01, 1970
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The Parish ale or church ale was a party or festivity in an English parish at which ale was the chief drink It was typically a fundraising occasion for the parish that might include music and dancing Very common in the later Middle Ages parish ales encountered some opposition after the English Reformation though some survived until modern times in some form Contents 1 Types 2 Significance 3 Description 4 See also 5 ReferencesTypes editThe word ale in the sense of an ale drinking party was part of many compound terms for types of party or festivity based on the consumption of ale or beer Thus there was the leet ale held on leet the manorial court day the lamb ale held at lamb shearing the Whitsun ale held at Whitsun the clerk ale the church ale etc The word bridal originally derives from bride ale the wedding feast organised to raise money for the couple 1 The bid ale once very common throughout England was a benefit feast to which a general invitation was given and all those attending were expected to make some contribution to help the object of the benefit usually a poor person or family or some other charitable cause 2 Morris dancing used to be common entertainment at parish ales and a meeting of Morris dancers today is still called a Morris Ale 3 Significance editThese parish festivals were of much ecclesiastical and social importance in medieval England The chief purpose of the church ale which was originally instituted to honour the church saint and the clerk ale was to facilitate the collection of parish dues and to make a profit for the church from the sale of ale by the church wardens 4 These profits kept the parish church in repair or were distributed as alms to the poor The churches must owe as we all do know For when they be drooping and ready to fall By a Whitsun or Church ale up again they shall goAnd owe their repairing to a pot of good ale Exaltation of Ale by Francis Beaumont 4 In the gallery of the tower arch of St Agnes Cawston in Norfolk is inscribed God speed the ploughAnd give us good ale enow Be merry and glade With good ale was this work made 5 On the beam of a screen in the church of Thorpe le Soken Essex is the following inscription in raised blackletter on a scroll held by two angels This cost is the bachelers made by ales thesn be ther med The date is about 1480 Description editThe feast was usually held in a barn near the church or in the churchyard In Tudor times church ales were held on Sundays gradually the parish ales were limited to the Whitsun season and these still have local survivals The colleges of the universities used to brew their own ales and hold festivals known as college ales some of these ales are still brewed and famous like chancellor at Queen s College and archdeacon at Merton College Oxford and audit ale at Trinity Cambridge A short piece printed in the Manchester Times in 1870 quoted from Jefferson s Book about the Clergy Of the Church ale often called the Whitsun ale from being generally held at Whitsuntide it is necessary to speak at greater length for it is a far more important institution than the bid ale or clerk ale The ordinary official givers of the church ale were two wardens who after collecting subscriptions in money or kind from every one of their fairly well to do parishioners provided a revel that not infrequently passed the wake in costliness and diversity of amusements The board at which everyone received a welcome who could pay for his entertainment was loaded with good cheer and after the feasters had eaten and drunk to contentment if not to excess they took part in sport on the turf of the churchyard or on the sward of the village green The athletes of the parish distinguished themselves in wrestling boxing quoit throwing the children cheered the mummers and the morris dancers and round a maypole decorated with ribbons the lads and lasses plied their nimble feet to the music of the fifes bagpipes drums and fiddles When they had wearied themselves by exercise the revellers returned to the replenished board and not seldom the feast designed to begin and end in a day was protracted into a demoralising debauch of a week s or even a month s duration The Manchester Times 6 See also editCarnival Charter fair Dudsday traditional Scottish festival day Kermesse Merry England Origins and themes further historical context and legacy Patronal festival Whitsun traditional English day of fairs festivals Fruhschoppen beer drinking session for the church goers in Germany and AustriaReferences edit Monger George 2005 Marriage Customs of the World From Henna to Honeymoons ABC CLIO Ltd pp 37 ISBN 1576079872 Brewer Ebenezer Cobham 2001 Wordsworth Dictionary of Phrase and Fable Wordsworth Editions Ltd p 132 ISBN 1840223103 The History of The Marlboro Morris Ale Marlboro Morris Ale Retrieved 2024 03 06 a b Thiselton Dyer Thomas Firminger 20 May 2009 XXIX Church lore gleanings BiblioLife LLC p 322 ISBN 978 1 110 16573 5 Retrieved 16 April 2010 St Agnes Cawston norfolfchurches co uk retrieved 30 June 2010 Anon 26 February 1870 Church Ales The Manchester Times Manchester UK Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Parish ale amp oldid 1212199806, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
