Correspondence
Folk Play at Nunney in Somerset
 Nunney Mummers, 2008. (The 2nd revival.) |
Chris Wildridge, of Bathampton Morris Men, contacted us with this reference.
A friend of mine, John Sturgess, in the late 1970's / early 1980's, having been involved with the Bathampton play, decided to perform a mummer's play in the village. At the time he was the village post master.
He recounted the following. Shortly after announcing that a play would be performed one of the older villagers, a Mr Hillier [he can't recall his Christian name, there were many Hilliers in the village] came into the post office and said [in paraphrase], I hear you're starting a mummer's play. John says he thought, I'm in for it now, treading on toes being a 'relative' newcomer.
Mr Hillier [age unknown, but elderly] then said [in paraphrase] that he recalled his father performing in a play in Nunney when he was a child [so early in the twentieth century] and he recalled, 'In comes I, little Johnny Jack, with my wife and family on my back'.
Chris Wildridge