A 100 years on: Mothering Sunday at Coddington near Newark
A brief report of the service
By R B Parish
“Thank you God for the love of our mothers;
Thank you God for their care and concern;
Thank you God for the joys they have shared with us;
Thank you God for the pains they have borne for us;
Thank you God for all that they give us:
Through Jesus Christ our Lord.Amen”
On Sunday the 10th March, the parish church of Coddington celebrated the 100th anniversary of the re-foundation of Mothering Sunday by Constance Smith. The history of its revival can be read here, but I thought it was worth recording the custom as it was enacted within the church of its rebirth, 100 years after its revival was first mooted.
The church was packed with some of the congregation even having to sit in the bell tower, or on some of the older pews to the side! The service included ‘Our Sorry Prayers’, hymns ‘This is the day’ and ‘Tell out my soul’ and a bible reading ‘John 10 25-27’. The talk used the children to find the words around the church and used these to discuss the important qualities of mothers (as well as saying dads could be the same!)
The church service led by the Rev William Thackrey and the curate Rev. David Anderson and notable features of the service was the delightful touching tribute to mothers made by the children of Coddington primary school, and then their clyping of the church. This is done in a number of churches, including some Nottinghamshire churches, although usually this is done outside, the horrendous wintry weather meant it was more sensible to clyp the inside of the church. The origins of this custom are obscure but it is associated with Mothering Sunday in Staplehurst in Kent. Some authorities have tried to link the custom to pagan origins but certainly the idea of embracing the mother church is wholly appropriate to the theme of the celebration. Whilst clyping a special hymn ‘We love the place O Lord’ was sung to recognise the importance of the church. The children in this circle then processed through the vestry and into the chancel where the vicar and curate awaited holding trays of primroses; free gifts for their mothers. With a final hymn and blessing the congregation were given a bookmark commemorating Constance Smith and Simnel cake. This is of course an old food traditionally associated with the custom of Mothering Sunday. Its creation put down to an argument between Sim and Nell how to cook it; one boiling and one baking.
Overall the ceremony was an uplifting and joyful celebration of the importance of motherhood.
The author is preparing a book on calendar customs and folklore any correspondence on the matter greatly received rossparish@hotmail.com