Peter Millington (Auth.)
The Cropwell Ploughboy's Costume of 1893
Traditional Drama Forum, Jan.2002, No.4, URL: http://www.folkplay.info/TD_Forum_4_Cropwell.htm

Paper concerning a Ploughboys costume from the Plough-Monday play from Cropwell, Notts. A costume, made by a performer, was sent by Mrs. L. Chaworth Musters of Wiverton Hall to T.F.Ordish, who exhibited it during a lecture to the Folk-Lore Society in 1983. Letters from Mrs. Chaworth Musters to Ordish, and from her informant H.Howell of Cropwell Butler are quoted. From these, there is are discrepancies between the their descriptions of the costume sent to Ordish, and the costume he eventually bequeathed to the Folk-Lore Society - photos of which are given. It seems likely that this costume is a contemporary reconstruction.

This costume is sometimes attributed to the character Hopper Joe, but this is not clear cut from the correspondence on which this attribution is based.^ The need to include the "Ploughboys Song" in the Ordish Collection with the Cropwell text is also discussed. This was written down by Wm. Parnham of Tithby on the 19th Jan.1893

Locations:	Cropwell, Notts. (SK6-3-); Cropwell Butler, Notts. (SK6837); Tithby, Notts. (SK6936); Wiverton Hall, Notts. (SK7136)
Years:	Col. 1893
Subjects:	Ploughboys; Costume; Plough-Monday; Play; Ordish,T.F. (1893); Chaworth-Musters,L. (1890); "Ploughboys Song"; Song
People:	Mrs. Lavinia Chaworth-Musters (Col.); Thomas Fairman Ordish (Col.); H. Howell (Perf.); Wm. Parnham (Perf.)
Archives:	Ref.: TD00792