Hallowe’en

RAMBLING RECOLLECTIONS OF MY SCHOOLS AND SCHOOL DAYS ARTICLE V

TO THE EDITOR OF THE NORTHERN ENSIGN 4 November 1880

Written by Alexander Gunn and published in the Northern Ensign on 4 November 1880 – Part C

 

Hallowe'en

"Hallowe’en was a time to which we were in the habit of looking forward with great interest, and long before it arrived, it formed the chief theme of our conversation". 

"There was one old man in the place, Donald Budge, who had great pride in his “kail yard,” as he used to grow very large specimens. On Hallowe’en night he was in the habit of taking up his position in the garden armed with a heavy bludgeon, to defend his property, and woe-betide the unfortunate that came within his reach. We were aware of this, and either paid a visit to his garden unusually early or unusually late. We were more bent on his garden than on any of the others, just because he was so bent on protecting it". 

James Guthrie, A Hind's Daughter, 1883

"Our habit was to pull a couple of cabbages each, the best we could find, and go to a house, open the door cautiously, and fling the cabbage in the direction of the fire, which stood in the middle of the floor, with a view of scattering the fire through the house. In some cases where the door was barricaded, we mounted the roof, and let the cabbage drop down through the wide opening on the roof into the fire below. A rush would be then made to the door, with the view of inflicting punishment on the imprudent disturbers of the peace; but lo and behold, when the inside barricade was removed, the door was found to be fastened from the outside, and out the enraged party could not get till the coast was clear".

"Next there would be a gathering of lads and lasses in some house, and the remainder of the night spent in casting glasses and burning nuts, and not much harm down or intended after all. The cabbages pulled were gathered up and given to the cattle, and the whole business was forgotten in a few days, till the year came round again, when the same thing was enacted".

My Comments

What a hilarious description of Hallowe’en at Badbea - likely to have been the night of 31 October. Poor old Donald Budge was ready for the ‘lads and lasses’ but it seems like they got the better of him. 

I can’t find a record of Donald Budge at Badbea so he must have moved or died by the 1841 census but it is always interesting to know the name of another early resident of the Badbea hamlet.