Photo courtesy of David Eadon
Barry Patterson, a local blog writer and performer from Coventry, who attends the event near Ryton-on-Dunsmore, shared the story of this age old tradition:
The Wroth silver is an annual event held on November 11th, known as ‘Martinmas Eve’, just before dawn. Dating back to Saxon times, ‘Wroth Silver’ was an ancient land tax paid to the Earl and his men by small towns and villages for protection. It is in the Doomsday Book as an old English tradition, possibly the oldest continuously recorded British ceremony.
Nowadays of course, it’s not protection the reason for which the ceremony is held and small change is thrown, but local enthusiasts from the Knightlow Hundred have kept the rite going. They gather in a field next to the A45 near Ryton, on a mound surrounding an old stone which holds the socket where Knightlow Cross once watched over the way. As each town name is called out, someone from that community shouts: “Wroth Silver!” & throws some change into the hole. This is collected & presented to The Duke of Buccleugh’s Land Agent, who presides over the scene, accompanied by the Lord Mayor of Rugby.
Local man David Eadon, very much the guardian of this ancient custom, has now attended it annually for over eighty years!
The whole thing is over pretty quickly & then everyone retires to The Queen’s Head in Bretford, where have a big breakfast, toast the H.M. Queen & the Duke with hot milk & rum & have speeches.
Every attendee receives a long clay pipe, though in this day & age, without anything to put into it!
To learn more about the history of this unique local event, click here
Barry has had the honour of being the poet laureate of the event & every year composes a poem to celebrate the day. This year marked his sixth year doing so. His poem, written to be read aloud, can be read below:
Throw a Penny in the Hollow of the Stone for Wroth Silver 2019 by Barry Patterson.
We don’t really know where it all began
Throw a penny in the hollow of the stone
Some protection racket in Saxon times
Throw a penny in the hollow of the stone
But we honour all those who came before
Throw a penny in the hollow of the stone
When life was hard for the people of the land
Throw a penny in the hollow of the stone
Now Knightlow Cross is long long gone
Throw a penny in the hollow of the stone
& how many feet have been turned this way
Throw a penny in the hollow of the stone
In a thousand years of gathering
Throw a penny in the hollow of the stone
A thousand breakfasts on a Winter’s day
Throw a penny in the hollow of the stone
A thousand pipes clenched in our teeth
Throw a penny in the hollow of the stone
As back to the pub we make our way
Throw a penny in the hollow of the stone.
In the 21st century we still pay our due
Throw a penny in the hollow of the stone
To those we bless & those we curse
Throw a penny in the hollow of the stone
While the great & the good in their folly are maligned
Throw a penny in the hollow of the stone
To the burden of their will we are still consigned
Throw a penny in the hollow of the stone
Not much has changed on this island of ours
Throw a penny in the hollow of the stone
Its the rich what gets the pleasure & the poor what gets to pay
Throw a penny in the hollow of the stone
& we become the forebears of the world that will be
Throw a penny in the hollow of the stone
The unwitting progenitors of future ceremonies
Throw a penny in the hollow of the stone
For someone will come to count our cows
Throw a penny in the hollow of the stone
& we’ll pull on our boots & pull up our hoods
Throw a penny in the hollow of the stone
We’ll be out on the road before the sun comes up
Throw a penny in the hollow of the stone
To stand before dawn on Martinmas Eve
Throw a penny in the hollow of the stone
& when the name of our town is called
Throw a penny in the hollow of the stone
We’ll clamber up the mound to pay Wroth Silver
WITH a penny in the hollow of the stone!
You can read Barry’s previous poems by visiting his blog here.