The Derby Tup
A mummer's play from Barnburgh
The (Barnburgh) Derby Tup
History
- The play was being performed in 1870-1880 and continued continuous performance until the 1950’s.
- Traditionally it was performed from November until Christmas
- Bob Stables clearly remembers it being regularly performed in the 1920’s and 1930’s.
- After the war (WW2) it was only performed on one day per year (New Year’s Eve) around the local streets and around Goldthorpe.
- The last performance of the play was at Coach and Horses in the 1950’s and the head was mounted on a base and was then kept at Green Farm.
- The tup’s head was originally made of wood with an articulated jaw but was replaced latterly with the preserved head of a real Derbyshire tup. The head was mounted on a pole and carried like a hobby horse. The man was covered with a sack or, if available, a sheepskin.
- The players were (latterly) only 4 in number, The tup, the butcher and an old man (the butchers mate who collects the Tup’s blood) and an old woman (a man dressed as a woman).
- The players had dirty faces to denote tthat they were farmers BUT NOT black faces.
- The performers were accompanied by a “band”
- There was rivalry between the Barnburgh players and those from High Melton. There was a George and Dragon play in Goldthorpe.
There is no known copy of the words to the play but Tim’s informants explained that the song was sung and the players acted out the story which was sung
The lyrics here are taken from a recording of Howard Bullock of Barnburgh, recorded on 14/04/1977 and from the pen of Sep (Septimus – the seventh son) Hopkinson in 1982
Characters
T’Owd Lass – Man dressed as an old woman carrying a mixing bowl & wooden spoon
Tup – Wooden head covered with sheepskins. All body clothed in sheepskin or leather. Head on a short pole & lower jaw moving to make a clatter. Real sheep’s horns
Farmer – Old farmer’s coat, straw on clothes & in mouth. Sheep crook
Bill the Butcher – Apron, hat, knife & steel
The Old Man - Rolling Tolling Tippling Tom – The master of ceremonies and appropriately dressed
The Play
ENTER OLD MAN (ROLLING TOLLING TIPPLING TOM), THE BUTCHER AND T’OWD LASS
Old Man: In comes I, Rolling Tolling Tippling Tom
Played the fool and many a one
Many a one and many a score
Ought to play three times as many more
STEP FORWARD T’OWD LASS
And wi me stands our old lass
Short o’ money & short o’ brass
Gather round and come close up
And I’ll tell t’story o’ Derby Tup
Butcher sharpens knife to music and then passes the knife to T’owd Lass
FARMER STEPS FORWARD AND STARTS TO SING (ALL JOIN IN THE CHORUS)
As I was going to Derby upon the market day,
I met the finest tup, sir, that ever was fed on hay.
Chorus Bay-lee, bay-lee, laddie fol-oo-ra-lay.
ENTER THE TUP – CAVORTING AND NUZZLING THE AUDIENCE
AT EACH NEW VERSE THE TUP ILLUSTRATES THE WORDS
- This tup was fat behind, sir, this tup was fat before,
This tup stood eleven yards wide, sir, and I think he stood no more.
2.The horns that grew on his head, sir, they grew so mighty high, That every time he nodded his head he nodded against the sky.
3. The very first tooth he had in his head would make a good huntsman’s horn, The very next tooth to that, sir, would hold up a bushel of corn.
4. The wool that grew on his back, sir, it grew so mighty high, That eagles built their nests, sir, and I heard the young ones cry.
5. The wool that grew on his belly, sir, it draggled along the ground, That every foot that he put down, it covered an acre of ground.
6. The wool that grew on his tail, sir, it grew so long and soft, They sent it down to Derby and it made six yards of cloth.
7. The butcher that killed this tup, sir, in danger of his life, He called unto his servant to reach him a longer knife.
THE FARMER AND THE OLD MAN CHASE AND FINALLY CATCH HOLD OF THE TUP WHO STANDS TEMPORARILY PASSIVE
Farmer: Is there a butcher in the town
Bill the Butcher: Well….. Our Bob’s a Blacksmith
Farmer: Bother your bob: I want a butcher
Butcher Oh well….. I’m a butcher
Farmer: Well why didn’t you say. Can’st tha to kill this eer Tup
Butcher: (TO T’OWD LASS) Can tha bring t’knife ower ‘eer so as I can stick this ‘ere Tup
TURNING TO THE FARMER
Wheer’s tha want him sticking?
In’t eerd or in’t arse?
Farmer: In’t eerd of course
Butcher: Well, I’m going to stick im in’t arse
TUP TRIES TO ESCAPE LOOKING THREATENINGLY AT THE BUTCHER
Butcher: Nah, I’ll stick ‘im in’t eerd
BUTCHER INSTANTLY CUTS THE TUP’S THROAT & THE TUP COLLAPSES ON THE FLOOR WITH APPROPRIATE TUP DYING NOISES
THE FARMER STARTS AGAIN TO SING
The blood that ran from this tup, sir, it run doon Derby Moor,
And turned the biggest watermill that’s ever been seen before.
T’OWD LASS COMES IN WITH HER BOWL TO CATCH THE TUP’S BLOOD
8. And all the young lads in Derby came begging for his eyes, To kick up and down old Derby’s streets for they were football size.
9. And all the young lasses in Derby came begging for his ears, To make a pair of panniers to hawk apples and pears
10. And all the old women in Derby came begging for his bones, To suck the marrow out o’ them to nourish their old bones.
11. And now me song is ended and I cannot sing no more, So please will you give me a Christmas box and let me on me way.
T’OWD LASS GOES AROUND WITH THE COLLECTING BOWL (USED TO COLLECT THE BLOOD)
Collection notes
Original informants:
Howard Bullock – recorded by Ruairidh Greig on 14/04/1977 in Barnburgh
Sep Hopkinson of Barnburgh & locals at the Harlington interviewed on 09/02/1982 by Tim Binns
Stuart Hobson, Cyril Marshall, Howard Bullock and Mr Porterhouse (performers after the second World War) interviewed 17/08/1982 by Tim Binns
Mrs Mabel Needhan (nee Stone) whose uncle, Horace Staples used to perform the play c.1870 – 1880 and Bob Stables (born 1920) interviewed 14/04/1982 by Rev. Jim McKinney
Mr Fawcett 26/10/2020 – from Andrew Fawcett