The Palatka news and advertiser. [volume] (Palatka, Fla.) 1902-1905, 1902-07-10
THE TICHBORNE DINNER.
A Curious Custom OF the south OF
England That Had q Very
Pretty Origin.

curious customs, the searcher after sim
gular obseryances, finds many things
to interest him. Some are great ma
tional festivals with odd rites injected
into their ceremonies, others are
bizarre municipal affairs, others have
lived their life in the past and exist
but as memory to-day, Others axe viz
lage or parish customs scarce known
beyond the borders of the brief dis
trict of their observance, but none have
a prettier legend for their origin and 81
more rational celebration in the u es-
ent day than the annual charity offer
ing and charity dinner held at Itch
borne, Hampshire, England, on st.
Cronan's day, January 26, says the st.
Louis Globe Democrat.
Many years ago at time not par
ticulariy set forth in the legend, the
story runs, there lived in the manor
house of Tichborne the rough, bear
like and uncharitable Sir Roger Itch
borne. He was fond of riotous living,
card playing, hunting and rough
sports, but had not the saving grace
possessed by so many of his kind-oc-
casional CLEANS of kindness. charity
and large heartedness. Mean. crafty,
cunning and brutal, he took particular
delight in infiicting misery upon the
poor and those over whom he exercised
authority, and he was heartily hated
throughout the length and breadth of
Hampshire. His wife. the Lady Ma
bella, was his opposite in every respec CT,
and was as much loved by the people a
her husband was loathed. Kind and
gentle in disposition, her charitable
acts had been many, but the one in
which she took the keenest delight was
the giving of dole or portion of bread
to the poor of Tichborne from the steps
of the village church on St. Cronan's
day. During the closing years of her
life. however. she lost her estates, her
private fortune was swept away, and
her acts of charity were thus brought
to an untimely end. She begged her
husband for the means to at least con-
tinue her St. Cronan day charity, but
he only Knocked her tears and prayers.
During her last Illness, in moment of
rare compa ssion, however, Sir Roger
agreed to accede to her request. but
hesitated when she insisted that he
give her enough to endow it and thus
make the festival an annual occur
renee. At last he told her that he
would give her for the purpose Just so
much land as she could compass in a
walk while knot of wood was burning.
The Lady Mabella was so il. she could
scarce stand on her feet. and Sir Roger
must have chuckled when he named the
condition, but she accepted it, and was
at once carried in her bed to large
field, determined to fulfil the condi-
tons of the proposition. Despite her I
spirit she four she could not actually
walk. and therefore asked her husband
to permit her to crawl. This was
agreed to; the brand was lighted and
the courageous lady started to per-
form her task. Though the bit of wood
selected by the husband was apparent
ly perfectly dry, an old chonicle states,
it smoldered as lift were damp. and be-
fore it had finally been reduced to ashes
the wife had comprised % acres of
good iand-a tract which is still known
as the Crawl" and is pointed out with
great reverence to all visitors al Itch
borne. Fearing that the agreement
might later be violated Lady Mabella
laid curse on the family just before
she expired that il such thing should
ever come to pass the immortal home
would crumble away, the lord of the
day would have seven daughters, and
the family name become extinct. But
Sir Roger faithfully kept his agree
ment. The proceeds from the crops
raised on the 20 acres were donated to
the parish. and the distribution of the
bread purchased with it made every
st. Cronan's day. In the year 1896 the
custom was so much abused that the
of the day decided to dis
continue it. When he married his chii-
dren were all daughters, and the name
became extinct, as he was the last male
of the line. In 1903 the house was
blown down, and the daughter who
was then in possession of the estate
she had married man named Doughty,
was moved by this occurrence to estab-
lish the endowment again. but in the
form of dinner to the poor of the par
Ish instead OF general distribution
of bread to all who might apply, and in
this form the customis still observed
IL -