with much prominence; having done this they made their escape as fast as possible."
This custom is known in Dorset and Wilts as "Lent Crocking."—6th March, 1920.
Clipping the Tower.
Mr. Norris goes on to say, "After thus noisily enjoying themselves the same young parties used to meet in the market-place, join hands, and after 'threading the needle' adjourn to the Churchyard close by, and endeavour to encircle the church, still holding hands. This over, whether they succeeded or not, their day was ended, and in the words of my aged informant 'they maäde haäste whoam an tackled inta bed, quite atired out!'"
A writer in the Church Family Newspaper for February 27th, 1903, stated that not many years before it was a custom at Beckington, Somersetshire, for the children on Shrove Tuesday to meet in the Churchyard and blow trumpets. Then all joined hands, and formed a ring round the outside of the church and the trumpets were again blown. We believe, however, that this custom had gone entirely out of use at Beckington for many years prior to 1903, if it ever existed there. One of our correspondents made enquiries in that year from the Vicar of Beckington, who stated that he had, at that time, resided in the parish over thirty years, and had never even heard of such a custom having been practised there.
Custom of Burning of the Hill among the Lead Mines in Somersetshire.
In the lead mines of Mendip Hills, no other qualification is necessary to entitle a man to work as a miner than that he be an Englishman. But he may be disfranchised of this right by having stolen any of the ore or working tools of his comrades; for it is the custom here to leave both the ore and tools all night upon the hills, sometimes in the open-air, and sometimes in a slight unguarded hut; nor is there much apprehension that they should be taken away. But should any miner be guilty of a theft of this kind, and be convicted by his fellow-labourers,
