St. Landry democrat., 1891-11-28
THE Fitch OF BACON.
A Queer Old English Custom Still i'll
FOgue-ktS Origin. -


Only a short time ago-within few
wceks-thc people Of Dumow gave
away three titchcs Of bacon to three
married couples because they sworo that
their married life was one Of unalIoyed
bliss. Now, when you come to look at
such proceeding from Il modern stand
| point, it seems decidedly foolish; but
when you realize that the fashion was
! instituted some six hundred years ago,
! you think there must be something in it
to have witlStood the test Of time \
certain English gentleman called Robert
! fltZWaItcr existed in the carly part of
the thirteenth century, and probably
would have been forgotten now had not
Hing John taken Il liking to him. This
tavoritc of Il tickle prince must hayo
| been dcvout man. for he bracrd up the
prlory OF Dmmow, which was falling
INTO decay, by certain expenditures Of
money. When the priorv was again
firmly re-establishcd, proclamation was
made that 'if amy pair could, after q
twclycmonth OF marriage. come forward
and make oath at Dumow that during
the whole time they had never had Il
quarrel, never regretted their marriage.
ana II again open to the engagement
would make exactly that they had
made, the reward was to be fitch or
CANNON Of bacon. 1t may be that Mr..
litzwaltcr had no hand in this offer for
history inclincS to the belief that it en-
anated wholly from the priurS. In their
ceIibate state they were won't to look
doubtfully upon the idea of coniugal hap
piness, and possibly they thought it a
joke to offer such a reward believing,
with monkish cynicism, that they would
''saye their bacon" (Whcthrr the origin
OF the last saying is due to these priors
is doubtful, but it is certain that the
phrase has been used by every writer in
connection with Dunmow Priory.) Mat
rlmony in those days must not have been
perfect, Tor there is 10 record Of any
body coming forward until 49, Indeed,
Chaucer wrote before this,
The bacon was not fet for them, [
trow,
That some men have in Essex, at Dun
now
Whatever this may mean, il points at
least to marital woe, and to Mr.. Richard
Wright belongs the honor Of furnishing
an example Of welded bliss Mr.. Wright
was a laboringman who hailed from Bad
bury, county IF Norfolk, and he got his
fitch Of bacon; this in l445 Twelve
years later Stephen, Samuel of Ayston-
parva, in Essex, took an oath in the
presence Of his neiehbors, and he too
got the fitch. How tittingv the instru-
ments of Fate are chosen is shown by the
fact that by profession he was hus-
bandman. When the iron hand of Henry
VIII. fell upon priorics and such, that at
Dunmow was not exempt, but the Gus
tom was continued by the proprietors.
One Jacob Shakcshaft made demand for
the bacon and was placed on trial before
a jury Of six maidens and six bachelors;
these he had to satisfy that the fitch in
question was deserved. Success crowned
his efforts, and he was carried through
he town in a chair with his wife; and
being OF shreWd mind it is related that
he sold slices of the bacon to the admir-
ing spectators, which numbered about
i've thousand. David Osborne, the
painter made picture of some similar
procession Of a lucky pair. But there
vas disappointment and sorrow in store
or John Glider, who in 1112 came to y
he priory gates and claimed the ba-
on, for the gates were closed and Mr..
1ilder had TO go away unsatisfed. The
ord of the manor Of Dunmow was aston
shed, not to say grievcd, at the demand
made upon him by happy pair in 1881.
lis lordship positively declined to dis
'ose of his bacon in that way, but tho
ei oh hOrs vera intnrcSta1 to S1,cl, on Nv
ent that the claimants got the prize,
fter making good their assertions. In
act, such was the skcpticism on the part
all except the parties concerned that
solemn oath was at I'LL times required
any pair who came forward as models
happiness and peace, and to make the -
ath impressive they were obliged to
wear upon two great stones lying near
le church door. In 1893 MIR. Harrison
insworth revived the custom, and as the
rd OF Dunmow and the clergy and
gentry declined to take any
lch thing under their protection, tho
own Hall was used, and two couples re-
lived each q fitch. This year the Gus
m was again observed, and three gen
emen with their wives were rendered
appy by the presentation Of Hitches.
hey were tried by the jury Of six maid
is and six bachelors, and counsel APP
Jared for both sides, lIymen winning.
ne ceremony was public one, neither
g chairing nor the swearing being
nitted, and numbers of people were
esent. A doctor and n clergyman were
o Of the bcnehciaries.- Harpcr's
eekly.