The Sun.
London, England, 1865-01-11 00:00:00

Throwing the Hood.

This ancient game was played at Haxey on the 6th, in
which the Haxeyites, West-woodsiders, and Graislanders
took part. The day being favourable there was a very
large number of spectators to witness the sport.
After an exciting game the Graislanders proved victo-
rious, having secured both hoods. This local game is a
very old one, and there are no written records as to its
origin, but the oral traditions give it as having originated
with the De Mowberry family, so far back as the 13th
or early in the 14th century, and that it arose in the fol-
lowing manner :—Sfr John de Mowberry at that time
was owner of the greater portion of the parish of Haxey,
and on the 6th January, whilst his wife was going out
for a ride on horseback, accompanied by a groom, a gust
of wind blew off her large black silk hood, which in those
days was considered an indispensable winter head dress
for ladies of rank. Near to the place there were 13 men
who saw the predicament in which her ladyship was
placed, and they at once started in pursuit of the hood,
striving with all their might which should have the
honour of restoring it to its owner. The wind was very
fitful, and the chase long and exciting, but however,
after much tumbling and jostling, the most powerful
man in the company succeeded in catching the hood,
with which he returned to her ladyship in triumph.
The man who had caught the hood, though physically
strong enough, being a real son of Anak, had not
the moral strength to look at her ladyship's brilliant
laughing eyes, and gave the hood to another man, who
straightway presented it to her. The chase so pleased her
ladyship that she promised to give them each a broad piece
of land for themselves and successors for ever, if they could
invent and continue a similar game to be played every 6th
of January. She also gave them the name of " plough
boggins." The name of plough is presumed to have been
given from the manner in which they turned up the soil
whilst struggling to get the hood, but the meaning of the
word " boggins" is not clearly understood, though it geems
very much to have tickled her ladyship's fancy, for every
time the hood changed hands she cried out with delight to
her servant, " See, John, its boggind' again." She also
gave them titles, or names, that of " My Lord," to the man
who gave her the hood, and to him who having first caught
but gave it up to another instead of its rightful owner, she
gave that of "fool ;" but to one unlucky and clumsy fellow,
whose nose bore unmistakeable signs of having done duty
as a ploughshare, she gave " His lordship's ploughboy ;"
the remainder to be called " His lordship's servants." They
were all to be dressed in red jackets except the " fool," who
wears a suitable cap. At one o'clock on the 6th of every
January, they meet at the Cross, near Haxey Church, when
his "lordship" orders the "fool" to pull off his cap and in-
form the "ladies and gentlemen" that the sport is about to
commence, and they must all play fair, upright, and down
straight, and not either kill themselves or one another.
" His lordship" then takes the hood into the centre of the
field, ordering his men to different points of the compass,
and the "fool" to throw up the hood. The game then be-
gins in earnest, each party throwing to one another until
they get it to the other side of the field, when it is called
" boggind," and it is the duty of "the boggin" to secure it,
but if he fails therein " his lordship," who throws it up the
middle again, when game second begins, and so continues
until dark, when "his lordship" calls his men away. The
game is then continued until one of the contending parties
succeed by throwing, running, or by main force, in getting
it into the public-house belonging to their party, and when
it is once fairly within doors the game is considered over.
The hood is then spitted and roasted before the fire, being
at the same time well basted with ale, and, when properly
cooked, every one that likes can have a slice of it. The
landlord generally gives one or two bottles of spirits to the
victors. The game must be seen in order to be thoroughly
appreciated, for at times the fun runs fast and furious, and
produces one of the most exhilarating sights of modern
times, the players being generally active and good-
humoured young men, who enjoy their tumbles and other
misfortunes in a spirit of playfulness rather joyous to be-
hold. What has become of the land given in support of
this game "for ever" our deponeth saith not, but at the
present time the "boggins" are reduced to the necessity of
singing their carols, and soliciting alms from the public of
the parish in order to carry out their own pleasures and the
lady's wishes.—Eastern Morning News.