ENGLAND: THE OTHER WITHIN

Ellen Ettlinger's interest in well-dressing.

Alison Petch,
Researcher 'The Other Within' project

Amongst Ettlinger's pamphlets (held now by the Balfour Library, Pitt Rivers Museum) was a box [Red IV] which contained several pamphlets and small booklets on well-dressing in Derbyshire. Inside one of these pamphlets, 'Tissington Well Dressing: A brief history and details of the services', was a series of colour photographs, a letter and a duplicated sheet. It became clear from reading these that the photographs had been taken by a friend of Ettlinger's and sent to her, perhaps to thank her for suggesting a visit to Tissington. Ingegärd Vallin of the Boras Museum in Sweden [1] was one of her many folk-lore loving friends from the continent, as you will see from her account she visited Tissington in 1971:

'Boras 29.7.1971 Mrs Ellen Ettlinger / 14 Park Close / Oxford Dear Mrs Ettlinger! It has taken me some time to get copies of my pictures from Tissington. But now I send some and return the books You let me borrow for our visit. We did pass Tissington on our way to Bakewell and saw them prepare the flower pictures. They sit in garages or workshops near to the wells. How they do is all described in The Well Dressing Guide ['The Well dressing guide' by Crichton Porteous, one of the pamphlets in Balfour Library]. We could not stay until they were complete and put up - certainly not until rather late in the evening, as it takes much time to fasten the petals. There were lots of flowers in the village-gardens and I suppose they could get most of the flowers there. At Ascension Day we arrived in Tissington about 10 o'clock to have time to see the wells before all people had come. I think that was wise. Then we attended the sermon at 11, and from the church a Procession walked round to all the 5 wells. In front of each well there was a fence of green branches to keep the place free. The whole was a very nice ceremony, with lots of people and cars but no noise or loud music. The Bishop just went to the first well: Hall Well, there he stopped to talk to the children and other people. It was the most wonderful weather and lots of people sat down for picnics everywhere in the grass. Later we visited Haddon Hall and Chatsworth. They were both very interesting: the old interiors, the tapestries and the magnificent park at Chatsworth. We had fine weather on our way to Wales via Llangollen. We walked round the mountains for some hours, but next day was rainy. However vi [sic] saw Caernaveron [sic] Castle and something of the beautiful landscape. On our way back we passed Tewksbury and stopped at Hereford with the fine cathedral. And we returned home quite happy with our journey. I hope you feel better and may go to Tissington next year to see the well-dressing! Do walk just enough and don't work too hard. Best wishes from Tyra and Yours sincerely Ingegard V. PS I have not been able to find out anything about greeting a white horse. But I have not had much time either. We have just returned from a week in northern Scandinavia: Lulea and Tromsö to see the midsummer nights sun. I.V.'

Ettlinger was obviously interested in well-dressing because she collected several pamphlets about it, now all in the Balfour Library:

'The Well dressing guide' Crichton Porteous
'A short history of Tissington and its parish church'
'Tissington well dressing: A brief history and details of the service'

She must have visited Tissington itself though as she mentions in one of her papers that she had visited the church, 'Last year [1966] I saw the Norman font at Tissington, in Derbyshire ...' [Ettlinger, 'Folklore in Buckinghamshire Churches', Folklore vol 78 no. 4 (Winter, 1967): 275] She also visited the Oak Apple Day 'garlanding' celebrations in Castleton, Derbyshire in 1958.

These photographs are now accessioned into the photographic collections of the Pitt Rivers Museum [1998.464.1-17]

The duplicated part of the sheet reads:

''Tissington Well Dressing Committee Well dressing 1971' from the Secretary Rev. T.G. Usher Thorpe Rectory, Ashbourne. dated 6.1.71

The traditional ceremony of Well Dressing takes place every year at Tissington on ASCENSION DAY, which in 1971 falls on the 20th May. On that day there will be a Celebration of Holy Communion in the Parish Church of St Mary at 8.00 am. Mattins will be sung at 11.00 am when the Preacher will be the Bishop of Stafford, the Rt Revd R.G. Clitherow MA. Accommodation in the church is limited and no seats can be reserved but it is hoped to relay the service to visitors in the churchyard. Mattins end about 11.45 am. The procession around the five wells and the Blessing of the Wells follows immediately. This procession is over in about an hour. There will be a short ten minute Epilogue in the church at 8.30 pm and this Epilogue will be held at the same time on the following Friday, Saturday and Sunday. The other services on the Sunday will be Holy Communion at 8.00 am, Mattins 11.00 am and Evensong 6.30 pm. Visitors are cordially invited to these services. Mattins and Evensong will not be longer than an hour in duration and do come quietly in even if the service has already commenced. It is fully appreciated that there may be difficulties in getting there on time! The period during which the wells remain dressed depends upon the weather but they can be relied upon to remain over the weekend and are normally allowed to remain until the following Wednesday evening when they are dismantled immediately after tea. Of the five wells, four are visible from the road so that the elderly and infirm may see them from car or bus, but it must be understood that at peak periods of traffic the police may operate a one-way system or even close the village to wheeled transport for a time. Collecting boxes are placed near the wells and the Committee has been able to make useful and regular grants to many charities including the local church, the Children's Society, the British Red Cross Society etc etc 16 in all last year! Further information about the Well Dressing may be found in the "The Well Dressing Guide" by Crichton Porteous [copy with Ettlinger pamphlets, Balfour Library red box PIV] (4/- 20 post paid) or our booklet ('Tissington Well Dressing' 1/4 6 1/2p post paid) [copy with Ettlinger pamphlets, Balfour Library red box PIV] which also contains the printed Form of Service used in Church. These booklets may be obtained by sending a remittance to the Tissington Well Dressing Committee at the above address. Light refreshments may be obtained at the Village Hall until teatime on the Sunday after Ascension Day but enquiries for booking parties should be made well in advance to ...[details practical arrangements for visitors] Tissington is a small village of about 140 inhabitants and its facilities are strained to the utmost at Well Dressing times.'

A handwritten note at the foot reads:

'Dear Mrs Ettlinger, Thank you for your letter which reminded me that I must get the 1971 Well Dressing Detail ready, so here it is straight from the Duplicator and should contain all the information you require. I know nothing new about the Font. Yours sincerely .... [illegible, probably ends Usher]'

Return to Ettlinger home page

More information about well-dressing in Derbyshire

Notes

[1] Ingegärd Vallin was director of the Borås Museum between 1940 and 1974. She was an archaeologist, and very interested in textiles. My thanks to Catarina Ingemarsson, Intendent / curator, Borås Museum / TextilMuseet for this information.