Extract from Samuel Bamford's PASSAGES IN THE LIFE OF A RADICAL about his childhood in Middleton.

Bamford was born in 1788 and died in 1872. If these events took place while he was a 'youth' as he states (ie under 21) then I make that pre 1810.


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THE next holiday was on the Fifth of November, the anniversary of the discovery of Gunpowder Plot. Most people ceased from working in the afternoon, and children went from house to house begging coal to make a bonfire, a distich of the following words being their form of application:

"The Fifth o' November, I'd hayo remember;
A stick an' a stake for King George's sake;
Pray, dame, gimmi a cob-coal,
To make a leet i' Lunnun cellar hole."

In addition to these contributions gates and fences suffered, and whatever timber was obtainable from the woods and plantations was considered fair game "for King George's sake." At night the country would be lighted up by bonfires, or as pronounced in Lancashire, "bunfoyers"; tharcake and toffy were distributed to the younger members of families, whilst the elder clubbed their pence and at night had "a joynin'" in some convenient dwelling. The lord of the manor made the young men a present of a good two-horse load of coal, with which a huge fire was lighted on The Bank near the church, and kept burning all night and most of the day following. The young fellows also joined at ale from the public-house, and with drinking, singing, and exploding of firearms, they amused themselves pretty well, especially if the weather was favourable. Such were the principal games, pastimes, and observances of the rural population of Middleton and its vicinity when I was a youth.
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