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Riding the black ram
Backwards on the ram, and say the rhyme.
Stand where it happened
- What's there
- Small rural village
- Legend from
- Manorial custom
- Tone
- Light-hearted
A widow rides backwards on a black ram into the manor court to win back her land.
Royal Berkshire History records a curious legal custom from Enborne and Chaddleworth. A copyhold widow who lost her husband's land by misbehaving could get it back by riding into the manor court backwards on a large black ram. She had to recite a rhyme confessing her fault and asking the steward to give her the land again. The steward was then obliged to do so. The custom is long gone, and there is no evidence in the fetched text of when it was last done.
One sourceOnly one written account of this legend has been found so far.