Medieval Christmas at Lincoln

In medieval England, Christmas was not just a single day but a massive Twelve Day festival that balanced solemn religious devotion with wild, "world-turned-upside-down" revelry. After the four-week fast of Advent, people from all social classes stopped working from December 25th until Epiphany on January 6th.

The Twelve Days of "Misrule"

Medieval celebrations were famous for role reversals, where the social hierarchy was temporarily flipped.

The Lord of Misrule: A commoner or servant was often appointed to "rule" over the festivities, leading the drinking and games.

Boy Bishops (known in Latin as the Episcopus Puerorum): In Lincoln Cathedral and many others, a choirboy would be elected "bishop" wearing full vestments and performing all church duties except the Mass.  

The Boy Bishop was typically elected on St. Nicholas Day (December 6) and "reigned" until Holy Innocents' Day (28 December). During this time he wore a miniature set of episcopal robes, including a mitre and a ring, provided by the cathedral.  He and his "canons" (the other choir boys) performed almost all the services, except for the Mass itself.  He led processions through the city of Lincoln, where he would bless the people and collect money for the cathedral’s poor or for the choristers' own fund.  At Lincoln, as at other major cathedrals like Salisbury, the Boy Bishop would symbolically take the real Bishop’s seat during the Magnificat when the choir sang the line: "He hath put down the mighty from their seat and hath exalted the humble and meek."

Boy Bishop and his Canons

The tradition was abolished in Lincoln and across England by Henry VIII in 1541, as he viewed the "childish observations" as mocking the dignity of the church. While it was briefly revived under the Catholic Queen Mary I (1553–1558), it was permanently suppressed by Elizabeth I.  Unlike Salisbury or Hereford, which have revived versions of the ceremony today, Lincoln Cathedral does not currently maintain a formal Boy Bishop tradition, though it remains a key part of its medieval history.

The Records at Lincoln

Detailed records from the 14th and 16th centuries confirm the tradition:

The Statutes (1308-1309): Cathedral documents from this era specify the exact requirements for the ceremony. For example, they record that on the Feast of St. John, the Boy Bishop was to be given a high-quality wax candle weighing half a pound, while the other choristers were given smaller candles.

Records from the final years before the Reformation show that the Boy Bishop at Lincoln was still actively celebrating Vespers on the vigil of Holy Innocents' Day (December 28).

Beyond the Boy Bishop, Lincoln Cathedral was a major site for the broader Feast of Fools (Festum Fatuorum), a more raucous and adult version of the "misrule" tradition. While the Boy Bishop was for children, the Feast of Fools was the time for the subdeacons—the lower-ranking adult clergy—to let loose.

A Tale of Two Feasts

The food you ate depended heavily on your status, but everyone indulged after the long Advent fast.

For the nobility the centerpiece was often a Boar’s Head, decorated with rosemary and bay. They also served exotic "show" dishes like roasted swan or peacock, sometimes sewn back into its own feathers to look alive.

Most peasant families ate goose or specialised "Christmas pies." A popular dish was frumenty (a thick wheat porridge boiled with milk, eggs, and spices).

Unlike today’s sweet version, medieval mince or "shrid" pies were filled with shredded meat (mutton or beef), suet, dried fruits, and spices like cinnamon and nutmeg to represent the gifts of the Magi.

Traditions and Greenery

While they didn't have Christmas trees (a Victorian import), medieval homes and churches were heavily decorated with holly, ivy, and bay.

A massive Yule log was brought in on Christmas Eve and kept burning for the full twelve days. It was considered bad luck if the fire went out.

Wassailing,  is an ancient British winter tradition, rooted in Anglo-Saxon "Waes Hael" (be healthy), that blesses orchards for a good harvest and celebrates good health through singing, drinking spiced cider, and making loud noises to scare away evil spirits from the trees, typically around Twelfth Night.

Caroling: Originally, carols were communal circle dances accompanied by singing, performed both in the streets and in the churchyards.

Gift Giving

Surprisingly, Christmas Day was not the main day for presents. In medieval England, New Year’s Day was the traditional time for exchanging gifts.

Lords were expected to give "Christmas boxes" to their tenants and servants (the origin of Boxing Day), which often contained money, leftover food, or clothing.

Peasants, in turn, were often required to give their lord a "gift" of a couple of hens or a specific amount of grain as part of their rent.

In fact, Lincoln provides some of the most specific historical evidence for the practice in England. The tradition was a central part of the cathedral's "Twelve Days of Christmas" celebrations and was even codified in the cathedral's official statutes.

Here are the specific "foolish" traditions that took place in and around medieval Lincoln:

The Feast of the Circumcision (January 1st)

This was the primary day for the Feast of Fools. 

Just as the choristers took over on Holy Innocents' Day, the subdeacons took the seats of the Dean and Canons  on New Year's Day, electing a mock bishop/pope, parodying services, and indulging in revelry, allowing a yearly release of "foolishness" to preserve order.

Some records suggest the performance of the Orientis Partibus (The Song of the Donkey), where a live donkey was sometimes led into the cathedral to honor the Flight into Egypt. The congregation would respond to the priest’s prayers by braying ("Hee-haw!") instead of saying "Amen."

The "King of the Bean"

In the wealthy households around the Cathedral Close and the city, the Twelfth Night (January 5th) feast was the grand finale.

 During the feast, a bean was hidden in a cake or loaf of bread.  Whoever found it in their slice became the "King of the Bean." If a woman found it, she became the Queen (or appointed a King). For the rest of the night, the real head of the house had to wait on the "King" and do whatever they commanded, no matter how ridiculous.

The Clash with Bishop Robert Grosseteste

Lincoln is famous in church history for the fierce opposition of its 13th-century bishop, Robert Grosseteste. He was one of the first major reformers to try to ban the Feast of Fools.  In a famous letter to the Dean and Chapter of Lincoln, he called the festival a "house of joking, scurrility, and trifling" and a profanation of the sacred space.  Despite his efforts, the tradition was so beloved by the local clergy and townspeople that it survived in various forms for another 200 years.

Satirical Carvings: Humour in Stone

If you visit Lincoln Cathedral today, you can still see physical evidence of this medieval "foolishness" in the Misericords (the flip-up wooden seats in the choir stalls):

• Sarcastic Apes: You can find 14th-century carvings of apes performing a mock funeral and even an ape "physician" examining a patient.

• The Lincoln Imp: While legendary, the Imp itself is a reflection of the medieval belief that the sacred and the grotesque (the "foolish") lived side-by-side.

The Lincoln Mystery Plays

Medieval Christmas in Lincoln wasn't just inside the Cathedral; it spilled into the streets through "Mystery Plays."

• These were massive theatrical productions performed on wagons.

• The Second Shepherds' Play: A famous part of the cycle featured a "foolish" shepherd named Mak who steals a sheep and tries to hide it in a cradle, pretending it’s a newborn baby. This slapstick comedy was performed right alongside the serious story of the Nativity.

Strange Characters of the Lincoln Mystery Plays

While the "N-Town" cycle of plays is the set most associated with medieval Lincoln, these performances were far from a standard Sunday school lesson. They featured "strange" characters that were often personifications of human vices or abstract concepts.

Character	Role / "Strangeness"
Raise-Slander & Backbiter	Known as "The Detractors," these two characters were personified gossips who went around town spreading rumors, specifically accusing Mary of being unfaithful to Joseph.
Belyall (Belial)	A primary devil who often acted as the "stage manager" for the scenes in Hell. He was frequently depicted with fireworks or loud "thunder" effects to scare and delight the audience.
The Four Daughters of God	In a play called The Parliament of Heaven, the characters Mercy, Truth, Justice, and Peace argue before God about whether humanity should be saved. It’s a courtroom drama in the middle of a Nativity cycle.
The Midwives (Zelomy & Salome)	Unlike modern Nativity scenes, medieval plays often included two midwives. Salome was famously a "doubting" character whose hand withered when she refused to believe in the Virgin Birth (it was later healed).
The "Hell-Mouth"	Not a person, but a character in its own right. It was a massive, painted mechanical head of a beast with snapping jaws. Actors playing devils would drag "sinners" into its smoking throat during the Doomsday plays.

A Quick Correction: The Case of Mak the Sheep-Stealer

You might hear people mention Mak the Sheep-Stealer in relation to Lincoln. While Mak is the most famous "funny" character in English Mystery Plays (he tries to hide a stolen sheep in a cradle and pretend it's a baby), he technically belongs to the Wakefield (Towneley) Cycle. However, because the plays were performed by traveling troupes, these stories often overlapped, and modern revivals in Lincoln frequently include these famous comic interludes.

The Squire, the Lady, the Lord, and the Horse

Talk about a love triangle that ended in ruin! Forget the soaps, because the real-life drama involving wealthy squires, a stunning beauty, and a reckless gambler has all the twists, turns, and staggering sums you could ask for.

---

Meet Henry Chaplin, the quintessential English squire. At just 21, he inherited the magnificent Blankney Hall and a colossal twenty-five thousand acres. Rich, friendly, and close pals with the Prince of Wales, he was the catch of 1864. At 24, he snagged an engagement to the most dazzling woman of the day, Lady Florence Paget—a stunner nicknamed "The Pocket Venus."

The Participants

Enter the rival: Henry Weysford Charles Plantagenet, Fourth Marquis of Hastings. Also young and obscenely wealthy, Hastings was a magnet for trouble. He wasn't into hunting and polite society; he was obsessed with horse racing and extreme gambling. He loved the notorious reputation of a "perfect cocker"—a man who gambled sensationally and never flinched, even when losing a fortune. Languid, arrogant, and radiating a controlled recklessness, Hastings was catnip for excitement-seeking women.

The Pocket Venus, however, was spoiled, wilful, and craved adrenaline. Chaplin's passion for quiet hounds and hunting was too slow. Hastings, the "perfect cocker," who could lose a fortune on the turn of a card without a flicker of emotion, offered the high-stakes thrill she desired.

The Shocking Elopement 

While she was still engaged to Chaplin, Lady Florence was in secret contact with the flamboyant Marquis. The climax? A daring public snatch!

Hastings drove a hansom cab to Oxford Street, picked up Lady Florence outside Marshall and Snelgrove’s department store, and whisked her straight to St George’s Hanover Square. They were married immediately by special licence!

Society was aghast. Chaplin earned all the sympathy, while Hastings simply celebrated winning his newest "success symbol." Unfortunately for him, the marriage was a disaster from the jump. Hastings' tastes ran to low life and he began drinking heavily, his frail constitution quickly deteriorating. He became the model for Sir Harry Scattercash in Mr Sponge’s Sporting Tour—a pale, wan young man with a strong tendency to delirium tremens.

Chaplin’s Revenge: A Horse Named Hermit

Meanwhile, the scorned Chaplin took the humiliation hard. After a special prayer was said for him at Blankney to help him forget, he bolted—first to Scotland for deer-stalking, then to India for a year of tiger shooting.

He returned, but not quite healed. His pain morphed into a fierce, almost subconscious need for rivalry. A relative wrote that Chaplin was suddenly "buying horses as if he was drunk and backing them as if he was mad."

At an auction, Chaplin's manager bought a colt named Hermit for 1,000 guineas. The underbidder? Hastings. When he found out the buyer was Chaplin, his irrational malice—already intense—boiled over. Hastings now hated Chaplin and his horse, Hermit, blaming them both for his rapidly fading fortunes, failing health, and dissolving marriage.

The Million-Pound Gamble and the Broken Blood Vessel

As the Derby approached, Hermit became a favourite. Hastings, whose hatred now bordered on mania, swore Hermit could not win and decided to use the horse to financially ruin Chaplin. He began to lay against Hermit with every shilling he could find, borrowing heavily from moneylenders. He even struck private bets with Chaplin, totalling £20,000. By the day of the race, Hastings stood to lose a staggering £120,000 if Hermit won.

Then, disaster for Chaplin! A week before the Derby, Hermit stumbled in a gallop and broke a blood vessel. Blood streamed from his nostrils. Chaplin wanted to scratch him, but his team persuaded him to take the chance.

The news was out. Hermit's odds plummeted from a favourite to a ridiculous 1000-15 starting price.

Chaplin, having recovered his nerve, met Hastings near the parade ring and, with incredible magnanimity, advised his rival to cover his bets. Hastings’ disdainful reply? "Thank you, Henry, I shall not trouble."

The Snowy Finish That Broke a Man 

It was a miserable day at Epsom, with flurries of snow and ten false starts. Hermit was nowhere to be seen until the final run. Then, out of the pack, he surged forward! Hermit just caught the leader, Marksman, and won by a neck!

That single neck cost Hastings the massive £120,000. The money came from selling off estates, plunging him hopelessly into the clutches of moneylenders. He was humiliated when he had to beg Chaplin for time to settle the personal bet.

A year later, at just 26, the Fourth Marquis of Hastings died, ravaged by disease brought on by his excesses, broke, and his entire fortune lost in his frantic, failed attempt to recoup his losses over that one race.

In his final days, he declared: "Hermit fairly broke my heart. But I didn’t show it, did I?"—a final, tragic nod to the "perfect cocker" he desperately wished to be.

---

What a tale of love, rivalry, and ruin, all sealed by a single horse race!

Driven by History: The Complete Story of Lincolnshire Motor Co. Ltd. in Lincoln

 

Driven by History: The Complete Story of Lincolnshire Motor Co. Ltd. in Lincoln

For nearly a century, the lineage of Lincoln’s main Ford dealership has mirrored the history of the city itself. From the post-WWI era to the modern commercial landscape of Wragby Road, this is the story of how a small garage evolved into a regional powerhouse.

The Founding Years: From Melville Street to High Street

The lineage of this major dealership began shortly after WWI, around 1919, when Matthew Percy Gibbins established M. P. Gibbins & Co Ltd. Operating from 28 Melville Street, Gibbins specialised in selling new Ford cars and commercial vehicles to a city just beginning to embrace the motor age.

M P Gibbins sold the full range of Ford vehicles made in Manchester

However, the founder’s time at the helm was brief. In December 1923, Gibbins sold the business, and it was promptly renamed Lincolnia Motor Co Ltd. Matthew Gibbins subsequently moved to Uxbridge and then emigrated to South Africa in 1924, where he tragically passed away four years later at the age of 38.

Under its new directors, Cyril Nelson, J. W. Ashley, and Frederick Higgs, the company wasted no time in seeking higher visibility. In May 1924, Lincolnia Motor Co Ltd relocated to prominent new premises at 369 High Street, on the corner of Chaplin Street. Lincolnia were regular exhibitors at various shows and country fairs, this is their stand at the Lincolnshire Show in 1925

Lincolnia expanded in to selling commercial vehicles, this advert is from 1927

The business continued to evolve through the 1920s and 30s, navigating changes in leadership. Notably, the General Manager William Taylor left in June 1930 to join fellow Ford dealers F. Pountney & Co Ltd in Skegness. By April 1933, the role was taken up by Mr. E. P. Surety, a highly qualified engineer who would guide the company operations for several years.

The Great Merger of 1937

The most significant corporate shift occurred on the eve of the Second World War. On October 14, 1937, it was announced that Lincolnia Motor Co Ltd had merged with the larger regional dealer, Lincolnshire Motor Co Ltd of Grimsby.

Interestingly, right up until the merger, Lincolnia was operating as a distinct entity; just a month prior, on September 10, 1937, they were advertising an independent company visit to the London Motor Show. The merger brought the Lincoln operation under the wing of a powerful regional group led by Managing Director C. A. Byron Turner J.P., creating a formidable Ford franchise well-positioned to survive the war years.

The Architectural Icon and the Hartford Era (1959–1970s)

The post-war years were defined by ambition. In 1959, the company opened its famous showroom on Brayford Wharf. Designed by Sam Scorer, the building’s hyperbolic paraboloid roof became an instant city landmark.

However, the most pivotal moment for the modern business came on 1st January 1968. On this date, the Hartwell Group of Oxford acquired the entire company—including the Lincoln, Grimsby, and Scunthorpe branches—under their Ford trading name, Hartford Motors.

It was this new ownership that drove the massive development on Wragby Road. While a small satellite sales site had existed there since the early 60s, Hartford Motors invested heavily to consolidate operations. In 1969, they opened the huge, purpose-built complex on the 6.5-acre site. The grand opening, attended by a record number of Ford executives, was effectively the debut of the Hartford Motors era in Lincoln.

With the move complete, the Brayford Wharf showroom was sold to the County Council in 1974, and the company’s focus shifted entirely to the Wragby Road super-site.

The End of the Road (1980s)

In the years following the takeover, the dealership traded as Hartford Motors (later rebranded simply as Hartwell). However, the prime location of the Wragby Road site eventually attracted a different kind of commerce. Around 1980–1982, the site was sold and cleared to make way for the original Tesco Superstore, bringing an end to over 60 years of Ford history on that lineage of land.

---

Timeline Summary

Date	Company Name	Key Event
c. 1919	M. P. Gibbins & Co Ltd	Founded at Melville Street.
Dec 1923	Lincolnia Motor Co Ltd	Business sold and renamed.
May 1924	Lincolnia Motor Co Ltd	Moved to 369 High Street.
Oct 14, 1937	Lincolnshire Motor Co Ltd	Merger: Acquired by the Grimsby-based group.
1959	Lincolnshire Motor Co Ltd	Brayford Wharf showroom opens.
Jan 1, 1968	Hartford Motors	Acquisition: Taken over by the Hartwell Group (trading as Hartford Motors).
1969	Hartford Motors	Wragby Road consolidated complex officially opens.
1974	Hartford Motors	Brayford site sold to Council.
c. 1980–82	Hartwell / Tesco	Site sold; original Tesco Superstore built.