Oak Apple Day, Royal Oak Day or Arbour Day which fell on 29th May was from the late seventeenth century until the mid-nineteenth century one of the most important holidays of the year.

The day commemorated the Restoration of King Charles II in 1660 and was so called ‘Oak Apple Day’ due to his memorable escape from capture by the Roundheads after the battle of Worcester, by hiding up in an oak tree at Boscobel in Staffordshire on 6th September 1651.

Consequently the oak became a symbol of Royalist sympathisers and upon Oak Apple Day it was customary to shows ones support for the King by wearing a sprig of oak leaves with some oak apples attached.

Anybody not decorated was viewed as a nonconforming anti-Royalist and was beaten with stinging nettles and ‘bonneted’, that is to have their hat pulled violently over their eyes.

They were furthered abused by the name calling of “Shit-Sack”. In fact in some areas of the country.

Oak Apple Day was known as ‘Shit-Sack Day’ or ‘Shick-Sack Day’ – it was also customary to decorate statues and ones own front door with a branch of oak leaves. Those that ignored this practice were once again frowned upon.

The Oak Apple loyalists of east Dorset would visit any undecorated house and place a wreath of stinging nettles on the door and sing –

‘Shit Sack, penny a rag

Bang his head in Cromwell’s bag

All done up in a bundle’.

Great Wishford, Wiltshire Oak Apple Day – people associate the village with Oak Apple Day on May 29th – the occasion marks an ancient decree that allows residents to collect wood from Grovely Woods – a trip to Salisbury with dancing in the Cathedral Close – and brass band music back in the village.

Roger Deakin, in his ‘Wildwood – A Journey Through Trees’ explains the history of Great Wishford’s 1603 charter of rights to collect wood in the Royal Forest of Groveley – and the annual May celebration of Oak Apple Day.

This requires the whole village ‘to go in a dance’ to Salisbury Cathedral.

The villagers legally protected their wood rights at court in 1292, 1318, 1332 and 1825 from landowners eager to use the wood for hunting. The Earl of Pembroke had the manor and wood enclosed in 1809, creating more restrictions that worsened the impact of the 1820s economic depression.

More disputes followed, leading in 1892 to the formation of the Oak Apple Club in the village, under the Labour banner ‘Unity is Strength’, to represent wood rights and customs and perpetuate the May celebrations. These involve pagan fertility and other rituals at the parish church and Salisbury Cathedral.

The acorn and oak tree motifs were part of the socialist and anarchist movements’ defence of liberties. Further disputes occurred in 1931 and 1933 and it wasn’t until 1987 that a new accord was reached allowing the villagers their full rights. The annual Oak Apple Day continues and is an apt reminder of legal victory.