This ancient custom was left us by the Saxons. Time, that makes
alteration only in other customs, has totally inverted this.
When a church was erected, it was immediately called after a saint, put
under his protection, and the day belonging to that saint kept in the
church as an high festival. In the evening preceding the day, the
inhabitants, with lights, approached the church, and kept a continual
devotion during the whole night; hence the name _wake_: After which
they entered into festivity.
But now the devotional part is forgot, the church is deserted, and the
festivity turned into riot, drunkenness, and mischief.
Without searching into the mouldy records of time, for evidence to
support our assertion, we may safely pronounce the wake the lowest of
all low amusements, and compleatly suited to the lowest of tempers.
Wakes have been deemed a public concern, and legislature, more than
once, been obliged to interpose for the sake of that order which private
conduct could never boast.
In the reign of Henry the Sixth, every consideration, whether of a
public or a private nature, gave way to the wake: The harvest in
particular was neglected. An order therefore issued, confining the wakes
to the first Sunday in October, consequently the whole nation run mad
at once.
Wakes in Birmingham are not ancient: Why St. Martin's, then the only
church, was neglected, is uncertain.
Although we have no wakes for the town, there are three kept in its
borders, called Deritend, Chapel, and Bell wakes. The two first are in
the spring of existence, the last in the falling leaf of autumn.
Deritend wake probably took its rise at the erection of her chapel, in
1382.
Chapel wake, in 1750, from St. Bartholomew's chapel, is held in the
meridian of Coleshill-street; was hatched and fostered by the publicans,
for the benefit of the spiggot.
Amongst other important amusements, was that of bull-baiting, till the
year 1773, when the commissioners of lamps, in the amendment of their
act, wisely broke the chain, and procured a reprieve for the
unfortunate animal.
Another was the horse-race, 'till a few years ago a person being killed,
rather slackened the entertainment. What singular genius introduced the
horse-race into a crowded street, I am yet to learn.
In the evening the passenger cannot proceed without danger; in the
morning, he may discover which houses are public, without other
intelligence than the copious streams that have issued from the wall.
The blind may also distinguish the same thing, by the strong scent
of the tap.
Bell wake is the junior by one year, originating from the same cause, in
1751, in consequence of ten bells being hung up in St Philip's
steeple.--'Till within these few years, we were at this wake struck with
a singular exhibition, that of a number of boys running a race through
the streets naked. Some of the inhabitants, seeing so fair a mark for
chastisement, applied the rod with success, put a period to the sport,
and obliged the young runners to run under cover.