A family history (sort of)

Cock and Ass Inn

This comes from the notes of great grand-daddy Patsy. The humble keeper of this website decided to print this history in his own words (and formatting / grammar / spelling - but I'm not printing it with the pink text it was sent in). The only editing done was to remove last names and minor tid-bits of personal info of no interest to anyone but people in the know... and if they were in the know they certainly have no reason to be reminded on this website.

This history is in response to the Venerable Todd S's question, "Who was in the guild that I may know when you started? I don't know who the eldest are/were. The Ps? Wheels? etc."


To answer,I have to give you a bit of back history....because frankly.....my memory is a bit blurred. You see..... from 1978-1980,( the "Patsy" years.), I was attending Faire on a Faire-ever pass, I made numerous aquaintences during that period,and tend to forget,who was there before 1981,and I was an actual part of the scenery. So this is a lot of best guessess.

I know that Thea,was there from at least 1978. ( She was in Irish/St.Patricks )

Matthew P,swears he started in 1981.....but it had to be before that,because I gigged with him and some others pre-1981.....and 1981 was when I met Joe P,and I knew Matthew & Wheels,before I knew Joe,so.....

So,let's see.....

Matthew and his pal Chris S were the original Wil Pigfirker(s). And Erin was Jil Pigfirker.

Then I recall Abigail C ( Taz's Mom/ Wilma Pigfirker ),John W,( Wil Sheepswiver )Scott B ( Wil Goatgrinder ), Joe P ( Wil Goatgrinder ),Lin B ( Jemimah Bumpass...our Aunt/Wilma's sister ),Denise R ( Wilemina Glorybe Pigfirker ), Myself ( Wilf Fishfinger )and wee Taz C ( Wil Pee ), ( As basically a break off group from Helena's..... this little cluster got deemed "The Pigfirkers" and were considered a division of St.Helenas. This is also the time when "The Pigfirkers" were installed at the newly unfinished cottage at the front of the faire.)

Later came Kenny M( Wat Weaselwacker ),Gregor P( Wil "Tree" Bunnythumper ),Greg B ( Wil "The Bardlette" Pigfirker ), Tom H ( Wil Weaselwacker?..not sure of his last name offhand,he was Wat's adopted son,found by Pigs in a mud puddle. ), and Therese P ( Lady Maude Bosworth-Dupre-Lancaster ). Therese wasn't in Nobles until....I think....1983. Gregor,I think was in the fringe,until around the move to end of the world.

There are numerous "Pigfirkers",you probably never got to meet. I,for example have two sisters = Willie & Willow, we were triplets. Nearly everybody has a twin. ( Whom looks nothing like them.). There was also the Bumpass Family. ( Our cousins.). The Bumpass kids all had odd names,claiming that the names were Welsh. ( Such as Shewyl ( She Will Bumpass ),Wylshe ( Will She Bumpass ),etc. ).

Originally,our family stemmed from one family,The Appleyards. Three Children = Wilma,Jemimah and Ben. ( so the joke is "Wil-MA",mother of Wil,"Aunt Jemimah" and "Uncle Ben" ). Every child of Wilma is named Wil, in some form. There was also a "Tess Appleyard",but the notes are confusing,we all thought at one point, that was Therese's peasant character,but she never confirmed it. ( She played a peasant on occaission, pre-permanant nobles,but it was never clear if it was her Noble in a peasant guise,or a different character. )

I intend to eventually give Gwen the Family Tree.....yes,I have one,complete with births and deaths. As a rule,none of the Fathers of Wilmas children are alive. All met with bizarre accidents. Examples: Ravaged by rabid pigs,Woven to death in an industrial loom,drown in the pigs wallow,and,in the case of my father,Eaten by the Privvy Monster.

And basically......everybody else....is post-Pigfirker. ( Or "the wannabes". ).

And did we mention The Gaffer? He was an articulated skeleton,covered with latex.... he sort of looked like a "meat skeleton",or someone singed by lightening. We used to have him in the roof of the old cot,with a hammer raised in one hand,and the story was,he got struck by lightening while building the roof,and thus the house was never completed,as that's the way god wanted it.