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This place, though at one time the most considerable in the Isle, never had the privilege of a market or fair. It has, however, two feasts, one on the 6th day of July, called Haxey Midsummer, and the other on the 6th of January, called Haxey Hood. The Midsummer festival has nothing to distinguish it from other similar meetings; but that held on the 6th of January has a sport or game peculiar to the place. The hood is a piece of sacking, rolled tightly up and well corded, and which weighs about six pounds. This is taken into an open field, on the north side of the Church, about two o'clock in the afternoon, to be contended for by the youths assembled for that purpose. When the hood is about to be thrown up, the plough bullocks, or boggins, as they are called, dressed in scarlet jackets, are placed amongst the crowd at certain distances. Their persons are sacred; and if amidst the general row the hood falls into the hands of one of them the sport begins again. The object of the person who seizes the hood is to carry off the prize to some public house in the town, where he is rewarded with such liquor as he chooses to call for. This pastime is said to have been instituted by the Mowbrays; and that the person who furnished the hood, did so as a tenure by which he held some land under the Lord. How far this tradition may be founded on fact I am not able to say ; but no person now acknowledges to hold any land by that tenure.

The Abbot of Newburgh was subinfeuded of a small manor in this parish, which is called Haxey Hall Garth; and they had also a grant of free warren therein*. This manor, in the reign of Henry VIII, was given, with the impropriation of the Rectory, to the Archbishop of York; and his Lessees now hold the Courts when there is any business to transact. The fines for copyhold lands are the same as those in the Manor Court of Epworth, and there is nothing remarkable in the customs.

* Inquisitiones ad quod damnum, temp. Edw. III.

THE

THE CHURCH

IS one of those structures which form the great ecclesiastical ornament of the county of Lincoln. It belongs to a class far inferior, it must be allowed, to Louth, Boston, Grantham, or Heckington; but as much superior to country Churches in general, as those stately fabrics to which I have alluded are to the Churches in the more considerable towns. The whole length of the nave and chancel is one hundred and forty-four feet, and the breadth of the nave and aisles is ninety-six feet. The weathercock on the top of the steeple is ninety-eight feet from the ground.

This Church was first founded by the Mowbrays; and, as appears from the architecture of some of the pillars in the aisles, about the time of King Stephen, A. D. 1140; but since then, like most other Churches, the outer walls have been re-built, and the tower, which is a beautiful piece of masonry, is of that style of architecture which belongs to the time of Henry VIII. The nave is lighted by a very handsome clearstory, of seven spacious windows on each side. There is a small transept on the north side, and a large chapel on the north side of the Chancel, from which it is separated only by an arch similar to those in the nave. There is also another small chapel, which has been converted into a vestry.

Near the vestry, on the north side, under a low arch, formed in the wall of the Church, is the sepulchral monument of a priest, wearing the chesible, &c. deorsively laid, probably the first Rector or incumbent, as the figure represents an ecclesiastic; for such tombs were generally assigned to them, or when a layman, to the founder, or some early benefactor. In the year 1817 the grave beneath was opened: it was about four feet in depth, and had been plastered at the bottom and sides. The body seems to have been buried without a coffin, and another coat of plaster drawn over. The bones were

entire.

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