Riding The Stang

[Mick]

Here is another one i found while doing my family tree

This custom was still observed in Accrington upto 1857 when a wife has beaten her husband.
The neighbours put a small boy on a "stang or pole" and carry him through the streets in the neighbourhood where the beating took place,
Every now and again the procession stops and the boy recites this doggeral,to the accompaniment of pans and kettles struck by the crowd
"Ting,tong to the sign o the pan !
She has beat her good man
It was neither for boiled or roast,
But she up with her fist an
Knocked down mester post!

IT was notorious in Accrington that a six foot collier ,sturdy and strong in proportion to his height,
was constantly thrashed by his wife, who was a diminutive person with the temper of a spitfire.
One day a friend reproached him saying he wondered he allowed her to beat him,
and that it was making a scandal.
"Aw don't care," replied the goodnatured giant "it pleases her,an' it don't hurt me !"

[Margaret Pilkington]

Many years ago when I was on night duty, the ward I was working on overlooked the old casualty department at BRI.......one Saturday they brought a big man into Cas with a broken nose and multiple cuts and bruises....It was well after the pubs had shut. After he was treated he swaggered out into the Casualty Yard, within minutes there was a screaming like you never heard before.....this little woman was waiting for him in the shadows and proceeded to finish off beating seven bells out of him......the police were called and the chap was admitted to one of the wards for his own safety. The racket woke up all my ladies.....and I spent the next half an hour making them tea and trying to find out what had gone on.
I hope my little story doesn't count as being off thread. It IS history...it happened about 30 years ago!

[katex]

Always wanted to play Kate (OK nowt to do with namesake) in 'The Taming of the Shrew'. Think at the end of it us women would love to be put in our place by a strong man ... this lot obvious whimps