THE NORTH RIDING PROJECT

Those who are curious to know about the death of their fellow-parishioners must keep watch in the church-porch on St. Mark’s Eve for an hour on each side of midnight for three successive years.  On the third year they will see the forms of those doomed to die within the twelvemonth passing one by one into the church.  If the watcher fall asleep during his vigil he will die himself during the year.

Henderson/Folk-lore

An old woman who lived in Fryup, and whose chief celebrity depended upon the allegation that she kept the “Mark’s e’en watch,” and was able in consequence to foreshow the deaths of the coming year, one St. Mark’s day, when she was questioned on the subject after her vigil, announced her own death as among the foredoomed ones, and assigned her reason for saying so. “And,” she added, “when I dee, for dee I s’all, mind ye carry me to my grave by t’church-road, and not all the way round by t’ au’d castle and Ainthrop. And mind ye, if ye de’ant, I’ll come again.” 

Atkinson/Parish

Should you have no dream that night, you will be single and miserable all your life. If you dream of thunder and lightning, your life will be one of great difficulty and sorrow.

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