Rush-Bearing: An Account of the Old Custom of Strewing Rushes; Carrying Rushes to Church; The Rush-Cart; Garlands in Churches; Morris-Dancers; The Wakes; The Rush

Manchester: Brook & Chrystal, 1891. First edition. Cloth. Good. 10" by 7.5". None. A first edition of this detailed account of the old English ecclesiastical festival of Rush-bearing. First edition. Illustrated throughout with frontispiece, many in-text images, some of which are full-page and ten plates. Collated complete. A detailed account of the old English ecclesiastical festival of Rush-bearing in which rushes are collected and carried to be strewn on the floor of the parish church. The tradition was widespread in Britain from the Middle Ages and dates back to a time when most buildings had earthen floors and rushes were used as a form of renewable floor covering for cleanliness and insulation. The custom had fallen into decline by the beginning of the 19th century, as church floors were flagged with stone, but some villages in the north of England maintain this annual event. Written by Alfred Burton. In the original cloth binding. Externally, smart with rubbing and bumping to the extremities. The odd mark to the board and library pen marking to the tail of the spine. Joint starting to the head of the spine but firm. Internally, firmly bound. Pages are very bright and clean with the odd library stamp and library bookplate to the front pastedown. Bookseller's label to front pastedown. Good