A curious Christmas custom is the practice of carol singing door-to-door, carrying “Vessel-cups” which were probably originally “Wassail-cups”. The cups became boxes holding a wax “Babe of Bethlehem” surrounded by green sprigs of box, oranges, apples, and silver and gold tinsel to represent the gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh brought as gifts by the Wise Men. The traditional carol sung is “God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen” and, for good luck to the house, the singers must be invited to cross the threshold as they sing.
“There errand was undisguisedly to collect money, but they were welcomed as bringing benediction, and as carrying with them a certain odour of sanctity, even if it was sometimes mixed with a definite smell of gin!” (Whitby Gazette Nov 23rd 1956)
In a book written around 1890, Robert Holt tells us that sometimes singly, sometimes in pairs, “dirty tatterdemalians” went from door to door carrying their decorated vessel cups. A raucous “God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen” was performed on the doorstep, and although it would have been understandable if householders declined to pay for such a poor performance, it was considered unlucky to send them away empty-handed.
The tradition seems to have continued unaltered well into the 20th century. Richard Blakeborough writes in 1911, that some of the ‘vessel-cups’ are “little works of art”. He continues “I remember up to five years ago, that Lavinia Leather travelled all the way from the other side of Leeds to sing the ‘vessel-cup’ around the Guisborough area. As my wife had known the old body for many years, we always had a call, beginning with the old lady saying:
- Fairfax-Blakeborough, writing for the Whitby Gazette in August 1973, had also encountered Lavinia Leather 85 years previously, and even after all that time remembered her as “an ancient, parchment-faced Staithes woman who said that her vessel cup had been blessed by a priest. In it lay a doll; a small pot cow and sheep; an apple; an orange and a silver star.”
However, it was recorded in the Whitby Gazette of 15th December 1919, that some individuals took advantage of the situation!
“…bands of young boys have been perambulating portions of the town and regaling the householders with renderings of carols and ‘vessel-cups’…
The Gazette reports that there were still a few’ Vessel-cup’ singers active in the Whitby area in 1944, who began their perambulations in early November. It was thought that they must have been almost the last to continue the old tradition and doubtful that they were either welcomed or understood, but householders not risking an invitation to ill-luck by turning them away!
Finally, I thought I would make my own ‘vessel-cup’ and fortunately, for my peers, I won’t be subjecting them to a rendition of ‘God rest you, merry gentlemen’! I decided to have a bottle of sea-glass tied with a gold ribbon to represent gold, frankincense and myrrh. Merry Christmas!
By Claire Marris (Archive Development Officer) & Lynn (volunteer)
SOURCES
“Whitby Past & Present” Robert H Holt. c1890
“Wit, Character, Folklore and Customs of the North Riding of Yorkshire” Richard Blakeborough 1911
“Whitby Lore and Legend” Jeffrey Shaw. 1923
Digital Whitby Gazette
All available to read in the Whitby Museum Library and Archive.