Societies called Guilds existed in early times (late
middle ages) in this
country and were made up of people for the cause of trade, charity and
religion. In country places the commonest guilds would be that which is
connected with agriculture The Plow Guilds
at Cawston had a long association with the church and the Plough Inn at Sygate,
formerly the Plow Light
(now the Old Plough) which would have been the Guildhall and
where the Plow Guild met. On Plough Monday, which is the first Monday
after the twelfth night in January, a plough was taken from the Inn, round
the village to collect their largesse and drawing the Plough to the Church
and under the west gallery called the Plow Rood for the plough to be
blessed and pray for ale, corn and the blessing on their labours, from the
largesse
collected followed the distributing of alms to the poor, rustic games,
feasting and rejoicing.
This is the
inscription over the West Gallery of the Church
God spede the plow and send us corn enow
Our purpose for to make at crow of cok of the plowgate of Sygate
Be merry and glede Wat Good ale yis work mad
On the Plow Rood was placed an image of
perhaps St. Agnes in Cawston, and before it was kept a constantly burning
light in honour of the saint, the holes in which the candles were placed
are still visible in the West Gallery. The Plough Inn was originally
called the Plow Light after the lights kept burning on the Plow Rood in the Church.
The plough Inn closed in May 1950, the Plough sign, which
is on the north wall of the church was kindly given to the Church by
Steward & Patteson Ltd which is on the north wall of the church.
