An Old Sussex Harvest Custom - Hastings Handbook August 2007


In his book Highways & Byways of Sussex (1921) E..V. Lucas relates an interesting account of an old Sussex harvest ceremony that he came across in the Sussex Archæological Collections, recorded by a Hastings alderman of past times, and we are glad to reproduce it here: "At the head of the table one of the men occupied the position of chairman; in front of him stood a clean wooden pail filled with beer. At his right sat four or five men who led the singing, grave as judges, in fact the appearance of the whole assembly was one of the greatest solemnity, except for a moment or two when some unlucky wight failed to 'turn the cup over,' and was compelled to undergo the penalty in that case made and provided. This done, all went on as solemnly as before. The ceremony, if I may call it so, was this: The chairman filled a tall horn cup with beer from the pail. The man next to him on the left stood up, and holding a hat with both hands by the brim, crown upwards, received the cup on the crown of the hat, not touching it with either hand. He then lifted the cup to his lips by raising the hat, and slowly drank off the contents. As soon as he began to drink, the chorus struck up this chant: I've bin to Plymouth and I've bin to Dover. I have bin rambling, boys, all the wurld over— Over and over and over and over, Drink up yur liquor and turn yur cup over; Over and over and over and over, The liquor's drink'd up and the cup is turned over.	"The man drinking was expected to time his draught so as to empty his cup at the end of the fourth line; then, still holding the hat by the brim, throw the cup into the air, and quickly reverse the hat to catch the cup in it as it fell. If he failed in this, the fellow workmen, who were closely watching him, made an important alteration in the last line of their chant, which in that case ran thus: The liquor's drink'd up and the cup aint turned over. "The cup was then refilled and the unfortunate drinker was compelled to go through the same ceremony again. Every one at the table took the cup and 'turned it over' in succession, the chief shepherd keeping the pail constantly supplied with beer. The parlour guests were of course invited to turn the cup over with the guests of the kitchen, and went through the ordeal with more or less of success. For my own part, I confess that I failed to catch the cup in the hat at the first trial and had to try again; the chairman, however, mercifully gave me only a small quantity of beer the second time." We wonder if anyone still practices this venerable Sussex custom today? *Disclaimer: The Hastings Handbook does not endorse drinking to excess, whether by traditional methods or modern, and cannot be held responsible for the consequences if you do.

In his book Highways & Byways of Sussex (1921) E..V. Lucas relates an interesting account of an old Sussex harvest ceremony that he came across in the Sussex Archæological Collections, recorded by a Hastings alderman of past times, and we are glad to reproduce it here:

"At the head of the table one of the men occupied the position of chairman; in front of him stood a clean wooden pail filled with beer. At his right sat four or five men who led the singing, grave as judges, in fact the appearance of the whole assembly was one of the greatest solemnity, except for a moment or two when some unlucky wight failed to 'turn the cup over,' and was compelled to undergo the penalty in that case made and provided. This done, all went on as solemnly as before. The ceremony, if I may call it so, was this:

The chairman filled a tall horn cup with beer from the pail. The man next to him on the left stood up, and holding a hat with both hands by the brim, crown upwards, received the cup on the crown of the hat, not touching it with either hand. He then lifted the cup to his lips by raising the hat, and slowly drank off the contents. As soon as he began to drink, the chorus struck up this chant:

I've bin to Plymouth and I've bin to Dover.
I have bin rambling, boys, all the wurld over— Over and over and over and over, Drink up yur liquor and turn yur cup over; Over and over and over and over, The liquor's drink'd up and the cup is turned over.

"The man drinking was expected to time his draught so as to empty his cup at the end of the fourth line; then, still holding the hat by the brim, throw the cup into the air, and quickly reverse the hat to catch the cup in it as it fell. If he failed in this, the fellow workmen, who were closely watching him, made an important alteration in the last line of their chant, which in that case ran thus:

The liquor's drink'd up and the cup aint turned over.

"The cup was then refilled and the unfortunate drinker was compelled to go through the same ceremony again. Every one at the table took the cup and 'turned it over' in succession, the chief shepherd keeping the pail constantly supplied with beer. The parlour guests were of course invited to turn the cup over with the guests of the kitchen, and went through the ordeal with more or less of success.

For my own part, I confess that I failed to catch the cup in the hat at the first trial and had to try again; the chairman, however, mercifully gave me only a small quantity of beer the second time."

We wonder if anyone still practices this venerable Sussex custom today?

*Disclaimer: The Hastings Handbook does not endorse drinking to excess, whether by traditional methods or modern, and cannot be held responsible for the consequences if you do.