{"id":7767,"date":"2025-08-12T23:52:36","date_gmt":"2025-08-12T22:52:36","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.chr.org.uk\/anddidthosefeet\/?p=7767"},"modified":"2026-03-16T15:11:25","modified_gmt":"2026-03-16T15:11:25","slug":"old-lammas-day-handfasting-august-12th","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/chr.org.uk\/anddidthosefeet\/old-lammas-day-handfasting-august-12th\/","title":{"rendered":"Old Lammas Day & Handfasting August 12th"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Before 1752 and the introduction of the Gregorian Calendar this was Lammas Day (see my post (here).<\/a> <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Charles Kightly in his ‘Perpetual Almanac of Folklaw’ quotes an 18th Century description of the Scottish practice of trial marriages:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

‘At the Lammas Fair, it was the custom for unmarried persons of both sexes to choose a companion, according to their liking, with whom they were to live till that time next year.  This was called Hand-fasting, or hand in fist.  If they were pleased with each other, then they continued together for life: if not, they separated, and we’re free to make another choice. ‘<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Old Statistical Account 1794, Parish of ‘Eskdalemuir’<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Previously, I posted about the selling of wives at country fairs as depicted in Thomas Hardy’s Mayor of Casterbridge.  Look here<\/a> to see it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n

Handfasting & Shakespeare<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n

Handfasting was an established part of what my grandmother would call courting.  There are many sources of information about it but the most interesting one I have come across is the one Shakespeare was involved with.  This is described in detail in Charles Nicholl’s book ‘The Lodger’.  This investigates Shakespeare’s time living in lodgings in Silver Street, between the Guildhall and the Aldersgate in the City of London.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He was called as a witness to a marriage between the daughter of his landlord and their apprentice.  The son-in-law accused his father-in-law of not paying the agreed dowry.   Shakespeare was called because he had been instrumental in bringing the young ones together and seems to have presided over their handfasting.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It was recognised that a marriage could be contracted by a pledge in front of witnesses while holding hands. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Church insisted that a Church marriage should be held before sex could be enjoyed.  But popular opinion was that it was permissable and often after the Handfasting ceremony the couple would be sent to bed with ceremony.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

George Wilkins a fellow lodger and playwright used handfasting in a play of his.  Shakespeare used the custom as a central part of the plot in Measure for Measure.  As You Like It also pivots around a betrothal.  These plays were written about the time Shakespeare was involved in his own betrothal drama.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

For much more detail read the excellent book by Charles Nicholl who also wrote a wonderful book in Christopher Marlowe called ‘The Reckoning’<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Finally, Charles Kightly also alerted me to this method of choosing a wife (please don’t try this at home):<\/p>\n\n\n\n

So William Roper came one morning pretty early to Sir Thomas More with a proposal to marry one of his daughters… who were then both together abed in their father’s chamber asleep. He carries Sir William into his chamber and takes the sheet by the corner and suddenly whips it off. They lay on their backs and their smocks up as high as their armpits. This awakened them and immediately they turned on their bellies. Quoth Roper I have seen both sides and so gave a pat on the buttock he made choice of, saying Thou art mine.  Here was all the trouble of the wooing.’<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Quoted in John Aubrey ‘Brief Lives’. Late 17th century.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Perseid Shower at its peak today<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Perseid meteor shower coming to its peak.  But they arrive every year. This year from July 17th to Aug 24th.  As this roughly coincides with St Lawrence’s Day<\/a> on August 10th they are also known as the Tears of St Lawrence.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

https:\/\/www.timeout.com\/london\/news\/perseids-2025-how-to-see-the-biggest-meteor-shower-of-the-year-in-london-this-week-072125<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

On This Day<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

1981 – IBM PC launched<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Before 1752 and the introduction of the Gregorian Calendar this was Lammas Day (see my post (here).  Charles Kightly in his ‘Perpetual Almanac of Folklaw’ quotes an 18th Century description of the Scottish practice of trial marriages: ‘At the Lammas Fair, it was the custom for unmarried persons of both sexes to choose a companion, … <\/p>\n

Continue reading “Old Lammas Day & Handfasting August 12th”<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2},"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false},"categories":[112],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-7767","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-almanac-of-the-past"],"yoast_head":"\nOld Lammas Day & Handfasting August 12th - And Did Those Feet<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/chr.org.uk\/anddidthosefeet\/old-lammas-day-handfasting-august-12th\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_GB\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Old Lammas Day & Handfasting August 12th - 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