Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1889-10-25
Old English Crosses.

When Kiog Alfred ruled Eogland there
were 40 surveyors whom the farmers of that
county could call TO their aid when they
desired to stake cff tract Of land. Even
to keep the correct parish boundaries there
was no scientific method. Yet the bounda
ries were kept, and that in most odd man
ner.
Every seven years general holiday was
declared for the purpose Of beating the
pounds" the festival being known as
"Whippug the Boys" All the male popu-
lation came together and with the church
warden at their head they walked around
the boundary of the parish in single file.
At certain points boy was whipped or
bumped against wall to make him remem'
Der the spot. Seven years from that day he
in turn whipped another boy, thus preserv-
ing the corner stones of the boundary.
These corner stones were at first plain
rocks, selected on account of their size, but
later on they grew TO great size and were
ofteu beautifully carved, being put up at
great expense.
Whenever any important point, such as
the centre of q town, the corner of great
lords estate, or the site of famous battle
was to be marked, the crosses erected were
many feet high and often very beautifully
wrought Of carved stone.
Nearly every town had its cross 10 the
centre it, and as the trading was done In
the open square about it, the piles soon
came to be called Market crosses, and from
that began to be used for many curious pur-
poses.
There were no newspapers of course In
those dave. Indeed there was not much
news, but once in awhile the King had Ger
tain things which be wished his subjects to
know, and 90, since it was in such public
place, the notice was posted upon the cross.
In early English times, too, there we're
friars, or priests, who went about from town
TO town preaching to people wherever they
could get them together to listen. As there
we're many in the market place, the friars
made it rule to go on market days, mount
the steps of the cross, and talk to the sellers
and buyers upon the necessity of honest deal
ing.
There were crosses for weeping or doing
penance, for wrong doing and others for
sanctuary. The latter was an important
function. In those days might made right.
Nearly every body himself punished ofenses
agains himself Now if one is attacked he
calls for legal protection then he under
took, by the aid of his friends. to inAict the
punishment himself.
At such times it was the right of the man
attacked to tlse to the church, in which his
pursuers dare not ccme and take him. The
churches were often not open and so there
were boundaries outside the church into
which if the pursued man came he was safe,
and these boundaries were marked by
crosses.
The most famous 10 ell Eogand ia Char
ing Cross, not that it was bandsomer or cost
more than the others, but because 1t was,
and still is. the centre of the great city Of
London. That is to say, it is the point from
which all dis ances are reckoned, from which
yearly oil liues of omnbuses run, and the
like.
Other famous crosses, around which scenes
more or less historic and often bloody and
brutal have taken place, are Abindon, Sails
bury, Geddington and Chichester Crosses.
There s beautiful cross at Oxford, mod
ern one, in memory of some early bishops
who were burned at the stake.
Almost everybody has heard of Billings.
gate. 1t was nG market cross-for Billings-
gate is market, and not solely volley of
bad words. I suppose the latter idea arose
from the character of the people who fre.
quent tDe famous market. DillnRsRate ID
in the East End of London, not far from
that fateful Tower Hill, where 30 many
executions on the block have taken place.
Only fish is sold in the market, aud a wet,
diaagreebe, bad smelling and bad looking
place it is. But then, you can buy any sort
of fish there that the world affords. And
not only can you buy these fish there, but
you may also have them cooked, Billings.
gate style. which is supposed to be the per-
fection of fish cookery, and eat them on the
spot-if one has the stomach to enjoy meal
in such place.