Image ID: 14982

Ran-Tanning'

Torksey Street ?
Rampton
England

Closely resembling a riot was the process known as 'ran-tanning', a method of expressing indignation for which the area of North Nottinghamshire and Lincolnshire was rather notorious, particularly in the Fenlands. If a person had committed some act of which the other villagers disapproved, they would congregate near his house, making a terrible noise by beating with sticks, tins, cans, buckets and kettles, playing mouth organs, booing, shouting and singing and on occasions would light a bonfire and burn an effigy of the person who had incurred their displeasure. This was carried on for a number of nights in succession. 'Ran-tanning' was perhaps the only survival of mob-law which existed in this country. The 'ran-tanning' incident shown in this picture is believed to be of a German cobbler living just off the Green who was married to an Englishwoman. He is alleged to have placed the fingers of one of his children in the fire after she supposedly stole something. The child was badly burnt and the villagers were very angry. He had to lock himself in the house. (information on this incident supplied by an older member of the village, April 1979).

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Keywordscrowdmobriotran-tanningcarteffigytrumpetaccordionpanbucketchildrenposedgroupcaptreesstreetlawcustomtradition

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