"Grandfather" Clocks, and especially those which have been in a family
for two or three generations, are regarded as capable of foretelling
deaths in a family. If one falls down, stops without any apparent cause,
or strikes several times more that it ought to do without stopping, then
these events are certain signs of death.
A well known barrister told me he had bought an old Grandfather clock,
and his man had entire charge of it. One morning the man found the clock
had fallen down during the night and he was very much disturbed about it
and said there would be a death soon, and within a week the man's father
died.
In another case a man said he was cleaning a clock which his father had
made, and the owner told him what a good clock it was, but, said she,
"It was completely master of your father for a time. He came to clean it
one day, and after a few weeks it stopped, and he went again and
attended to it, but it was no use, so was given up as a bad job. The
owner was certain a death would soon occur, and shortly after her
husband's mother died. When she heard of the death she set the pendulum
swinging, and it had never stopped since, except to be cleaned."
It is very seldom that other kinds of clocks are credited with these
powers although at Werrington there was, in a cottage, a small wooden
Dutch clock called in this neighbourhood a "Sheep's head" clock. It was
hanging on the wall and had not been going for some years, the weights
and pendulum had been lost and the lines were wrapped round the clock.
One Sunday morning before the woman and her husband had risen from bed,
but were both wide awake, they distinctly heard this clock strike "one"
and by the next mail they received notice that their son, a soldier on
Foreign service, had died that Sunday morning, and at one o'clock.
There are several things worn as charms and amulets, which are
attributed with various powers, and one favourite is a "Lucky bone"
which is worn for good luck. This bone is taken from a sheep's head, and
is in the form of a T.
A stone with a hole through it, is worn and highly valued for its Good
Luck.
The stones that have only one large hole, are hung on bed heads, and in
stables.
Horse shoes, when found, are very lucky and should be nailed over the
threshold, or over the hearth. I have seen some at Cotterstock Hall,
Alwalton Hall, and other houses, attached to the door. They are also
nailed over stable doors. If there are any nails in the shoe, when found
by a single person, then, as many nails as there are, so many years will
it be before the marriage of that person.
Thorney men, seeing a small portion of a horse shoe lying in the road,
pick it up and throw it over their shoulder, so that no ill-luck may
befall them.
A knuckle bone or a cramp bone carried in the pocket prevents cramp.
A potato, chestnut or a nutmeg carried in the pocket prevents
rheumatism.
A piece of wicken is worn as a cure for the ague.
A mole's foot or a load stone, in the pocket, is a protection against
witches.
Although lamps and gas have generally supplanted candles, in the country
where candles are still used, the spark on the wick is considered to
denote the coming of a letter, and the melted tallow or composition
forming a winding sheet denotes a death.
When a candle burns blue or dim, a spirit is said to be in the room.
It is very unlucky to return to the house for anything after leaving it,
although the spell is broken if the person sits down before coming out
of the house again.
Two people, meeting on a staircase, is a sign of an approaching wedding.
When walking together, two lovers must not pass on different sides of
turnstiles, road posts, or lamp posts, or they will certainly quarrel.
It is bad luck, when two persons are walking together, to separate and
one to turn back against a gate; but if one of them sits down for a
time, whilst the other walks away, the bad luck is turned.
To spill salt is a sign of sorrow or anger; but if the spilt salt is
gathered up in a spoon and thrown over the left shoulder the luck is
turned.
An old shoe thrown after anyone starting on a new undertaking is
considered to carry good luck; especially if it goes over the head and
does not hit the person.
Flies are more troublesome before rain.
Gnats playing up and down in the open air near sunset is a sign of heat.
If in the shade, warm and mild showers, but if they join in stinging
those who pass them it presages cold weather and rain.