Flamborough

GHOSTS, TABOOS, AND SUPERSTITIONS

No self respecting village is without its own ghost - and Flamborough had at least two - not to mention a third (headless in the best tradition), who haunts Tramner Hill and the valley below the Thornwick Hotel. But as I have no information as to when or how often the lady fares forth we will pass on to Jenny Gallows.

Jenny is said to have committed suicide by throwing herself into a chalk pit - some say the one in Castle Garth just off Garter Lane. And if you crave a little excitement you have only to run round this pit nine times for something to happen. Either you will hear the fairies down below, or Jenny herself will arise, dressed all in white just as you are beginning the last lap and
address you as follows:


Ah'll tee on me bonnet An’ put on me shoo An’ if thoos not off Ah'll suan catch thoo.

Finally we have the inevitable White Lady. I
suppose a black one would not really be a success unless she had some chains to clank. On a dark night you might miss her altogether. This particular lady was to be found in the dyke, and thereby hangs a true and sad tale.

Around the turn of the century a Bempton girl and her sweetheart from Flamborough went to the dyke looking for the Lady. Whether they found her I don't know, but the poor girl caught a chill and died within the month. She was buried in Flamborough churchyard, borne to her grave by women, with a maiden carrying a pair of white paper gloves as was the custom, at the head of the procession.

Traditionally, women and landsmen were carried to church by their own sex, the coffin borne underhand and close to the ground, while fishermen and seamen lost at sea were carried shoulder high by their fellows.

 

THE THREE WITCHES


Milkey or Milcha Lawrence, the first of our trio was a formidable character who chewed tobacco and often accompanied the men to sea. She also had the curious habit of sitting in church on St. Mark's Eve when, as she maintained, she could see all her neighbours who would die during the following year, pass before her in procession before the altar. One wonders whether she kept a list and how keen her neighbours were to consult it, or just what the Vicar thought of the exercise. Unfortunately Milkey was not very sociable according to one old fisherman who remarked that "shoo fled past ye an'niwer spak ti ye".
Of her two weird sisters we know even less, for Mary Gibson and Betty Greaser only operated at home. But when Betty died her cottage was found to be hung all round the beams and wainscot with pitchers, eggs, and broken crockery - proof positive it was reckoned, of her devilish activities.

This account is very far from complete, but many of the old customs and beliefs were not peculiar to Flamborough and, as in other parts of the county have long been forgotten.

The Flamborough fisherman had his own selection of rituals, superstitions, and taboos, some shared with all seamen and others more local. They all however played a significant part in his life and no local history which ignored them would be complete.

One of the strictest taboos concerned the humble goat, any mention of which in working hours was considered most unlucky and could be relied on to rouse the gentlest fisherman to offensive action. The same applied to a pig, fox, cat, hare, or rabbit, the reason being that there is nothing easier to bewitch than a boat and that a witch can just as easily assume any of these animal forms. To name them was an open invitation to her to bewitch not only your boat and gear but you as well.

Whistling at sea cannot of course be allowed either. For if you insist on making a sound like a distant gale then the gale will surely come. If it should really be necessary to whistle up a breeze this must be done very softly, only by the Master, and only when he is facing in the direction from which the breeze is to come. Women in particular should stick to their household chores and not wander around casually whistling up winds which might come from the wrong quarter and be highly dangerous to all concerned.
It was also unlucky to meet a priest or a woman on the way to the fishing, for the priest worshipped a different god or goddess from the one who looked after your boat, and the woman, if attractive might make your female protector very jealous indeed, with similar unpleasant results.

In Flamborough Village and Headland, the story is told of an enterprising poultry and game dealer who went into a fisherman's cottage to ask if he wanted to buy any rabbits. Receiving an emphatic "Neea", the poulterer hopefully suggested a hare instead. On which the fisherman lost his temper completely and roared out, "Noo thoo's gan far eeneaf, TAK THI 'OOK' " (Clear off).

taken from: A History of Flamborough by Frank Brearley

The Right Side of the Dyke: Flamborough 1900-1945 in Its Own Wordsfor a hugely in-depth look at Flamborough try: The Right Side of the Dyke: Flamborough 1900-1945 in Its Own Words by Margaret Smith and Rita Sellars.