CHESHIRE-L Archives

Archiver > CHESHIRE > 2002-08 > 1028982593


From: "Liz Parkinson" <>
Subject: RE: [CHS] Non Gen,Old Sayings
Date: Sat, 10 Aug 2002 12:29:53 +0000


The custom of jumping over a brush three times - backwards as I recall - is
described in the book Roots by Alex Haley when he is talking about his
ancestor who came over as a slave - I cant remember the names of the people
now, but it was the guy who actually came over on the slave ship from
Gambia, so we are way before 1874.

Liz P


>From: "roughyed" <>
>To:
>Subject: RE: [CHS] Non Gen,Old Sayings Date: Sat, 10 Aug 2002 10:46:44
>+0100
>
>Verbatim from Oldham Pastimes by Dennis Ball
>
>In modern times we often hear the term "living over the brush" which means
>a
>couple are living together outside the state of matrimony.
>Not many people are aware that this customoringinated in chadderton
>(Oldham)
>A report, from the Oldham Chronicle in 1874 states that an Oldham youth met
>a girl from lancaster at middleton Junction railway station .They went to
>the Cemetery Hotel in middleton Road,Chadderton, where they
>hadbreakfast.Afterwards they went to Butler Green where they met some
>friends who held up a brush handle over which the couple jumped .as they
>did
>so, each said, For better or worse we take each other for life.
>The man at the time was working on a local railway extension.It is not
>recorded whether they eventually married or not.
>
>For my part it would seem that they where only doing something that had
>been
>done before ...but who knows!
>
>Cheshire interests BARNSHAW, BESWICK,AULT,ROBINSON before 1820 Macclesfield
>& Stockport area
>Anybody researching or linking to these names would love to sahre info.
>Cheers
>Alan
>
>
>-----Original Message-----
>From: Christine Charles [mailto:]
>Sent: 10 August 2002 05:23
>To:
>Subject: Re: [CHS] Non Gen,Old Sayings
>
>
>Hi
>I went to an information day at my FHS & was told about "to marry over the
>broom"
>It was an old saying when couples married without the blessing of the
>church
>or
>the law.
>Anyone know any more details of this practise and its prevalance?One lady
>there
>had heard about it as well but also didnt quite know its meaning
>Christine
>
>
>
>==== CHESHIRE Mailing List ====
>The Cheshire List subscriptions, archives, etc.
>http://lists.rootsweb.com/index/intl/ENG/CHESHIRE.html




_________________________________________________________________
Join the worlds largest e-mail service with MSN Hotmail.
http://www.hotmail.com

This thread: