Smoke Farthings at Whitsun (Pentecost)
In mediaeval times there was an annual
farthing tax on households which had a chimney, which was paid towards the
upkeep of the local cathedral. On Whit Monday people walked in a procession to
the local cathedral, or if that was far away to the main church in the
vicinity, and they paid what was known as the Whitsun Farthing. Amersham in
Buckinghamshire was one of the designated local churches for people to process
to, but the inhabitants in nearby Chesham resented going all the way to
Amersham. In 1454 they petitioned the Bishop of Lincoln to allow them to hold
their procession to the parish church in Chesham instead. This was agreed
provided they contributed 16 pence annually to the upkeep of the cathedral.
After the Reformation the tradition was to collect farthing donations at a
special Whitsun service for the upkeep of church buildings generally. This
ancient tradition continued in Amersham and Chesham until 1960. In 1957 Christ
Church Waterside in Chesham, collected 14,640 farthings; and Amersham parish
collected 15,092 farthings. After 1961 when farthings were no longer legal
tender the tradition died with it.
There are also references to Whit
Farthings for Worcester Cathedral in 1656 and Southwell Cathedral in London in 1906.
