Author Topic: Wesleyballs or wesselbobs  (Read 8054 times)

Offline Sunlaws

  • RootsChat Veteran
  • *****
  • Posts: 678
  • Census information Crown Copyright, from www.nationalarchives.gov.uk
    • View Profile
Re: Wesleyballs or wesselbobs
« Reply #27 on: Saturday 26 December 20 22:20 GMT (UK) »
From the 'Glossary of the dialect of Almondbury and Huddersfield (Rev. Alfred Easther 1883)
Spetch- a patch of any kind, even a plaster on the hand
Spetch- to patch

Wassail bob (pronounced wessel bob) a garland or bouquet carried on New Year's Eve from house to house, and adorned with fruit, evergreens, artificial flowers etc. Formerly a doll gaily dressed, representing the Blessed Virgin, was placed in the midst. On Tuesday, Dec 29, 1874, a wessel bon was brought here for exhibition. It consisted of two hoops covered and ornamented with an apple, an orange, a doll (like a man) and a wax cherry. The bearers sang the song 'Here we coma a wesselling'
Bradley, Gledhill, Dodson, Norcliffe, Kaye, Matthewman- all Berry Brow/Almondbury
Webster- Northowram
Brick wall: Maria Blaymires  c 1800 Northowram

Offline Mike in Cumbria

  • RootsChat Marquessate
  • *******
  • Posts: 3,757
    • View Profile
Re: Wesleyballs or wesselbobs
« Reply #28 on: Saturday 26 December 20 23:00 GMT (UK) »

Lake/lek which as well as referring to playing games, is used to mean laid-off from work, unemployed.

Ah, but did you get spice or spogs when you were laking out?

Offline Sunlaws

  • RootsChat Veteran
  • *****
  • Posts: 678
  • Census information Crown Copyright, from www.nationalarchives.gov.uk
    • View Profile
Re: Wesleyballs or wesselbobs
« Reply #29 on: Saturday 26 December 20 23:31 GMT (UK) »
Spice, definitely. My father at the age of five was suddenly uprooted from Huddersfield as my grandfather had been drafted back into the army in 1915 and was sent to train raw recruits at Hamilton barracks near Glasgow. Little Ronnie went to the corner shop with his Saturday penny, and asked for a pennorth of spice. He was disappointed when he got home to find his paper bag contained picking spice!
Bradley, Gledhill, Dodson, Norcliffe, Kaye, Matthewman- all Berry Brow/Almondbury
Webster- Northowram
Brick wall: Maria Blaymires  c 1800 Northowram

Offline Ruskie

  • RootsChat Marquessate
  • *******
  • Posts: 26,198
  • Census information Crown Copyright, from www.nationalarchives.gov.uk
    • View Profile
Re: Wesleyballs or wesselbobs
« Reply #30 on: Sunday 27 December 20 02:43 GMT (UK) »
Spice, definitely. My father at the age of five was suddenly uprooted from Huddersfield as my grandfather had been drafted back into the army in 1915 and was sent to train raw recruits at Hamilton barracks near Glasgow. Little Ronnie went to the corner shop with his Saturday penny, and asked for a pennorth of spice. He was disappointed when he got home to find his paper bag contained picking spice!

Um, he would probably get something completely different if he asked for that at certain corner shops today .... don’t think he’d get much for his penny either:
https://www.theguardian.com/society/2017/aug/06/spice-zombie-drug-devastating-communities


Offline Mike in Cumbria

  • RootsChat Marquessate
  • *******
  • Posts: 3,757
    • View Profile
Re: Wesleyballs or wesselbobs
« Reply #31 on: Sunday 27 December 20 08:52 GMT (UK) »
Spice, definitely. My father at the age of five was suddenly uprooted from Huddersfield as my grandfather had been drafted back into the army in 1915 and was sent to train raw recruits at Hamilton barracks near Glasgow. Little Ronnie went to the corner shop with his Saturday penny, and asked for a pennorth of spice. He was disappointed when he got home to find his paper bag contained picking spice!

Um, he would probably get something completely different if he asked for that at certain corner shops today .... don’t think he’d get much for his penny either:
https://www.theguardian.com/society/2017/aug/06/spice-zombie-drug-devastating-communities
True. The only harm that spice did to our community was to our teeth.

Offline bykerlads

  • RootsChat Aristocrat
  • ******
  • Posts: 1,213
  • Census information Crown Copyright, from www.nationalarchives.gov.uk
    • View Profile
Re: Wesleyballs or wesselbobs
« Reply #32 on: Sunday 27 December 20 09:08 GMT (UK) »
Spice/ "sparse" definitely still used in 1950's Holmfirth for sweets.
"Fair" and "right" meaning very still used today.
"Starved" meaning very cold and a bit miserable as in "tha looks  fair starved through, lass"

Offline Maiden Stone

  • RootsChat Marquessate
  • *******
  • Posts: 7,226
  • Census information Crown Copyright, from www.nationalarchives.gov.uk
    • View Profile
Re: Wesleyballs or wesselbobs
« Reply #33 on: Sunday 27 December 20 12:59 GMT (UK) »

"Starved" meaning very cold and a bit miserable as in "tha looks  fair starved through, lass"
Starved in Lancashire too.
Cowban