jan 1, 1679 - ratton bread

Description:

‘Ratton’ was the regional word for a rat. It derives from Old French <i>ratoun</i> and its use dates from <i>c.</i>1300 (OED). The animal was considered a pest which needed to be controlled: 1510 <i>like wise vestimentes ... are gretly fawtie, some worne full of holles some ettyn w</i>[ith]<i> rattons</i>, York (SS35/263); 1576 <i>a ratton fell</i>, Scriven (SS26/260). Ratton bread was a poisonous paste used for that purpose: 1395-6 <i>It. pro sperstane et ratonbrede empt. ijs ijd, </i>Whitby Abbey (SS72/623); 1532 <i>Ser Wylliam Gascoignes servaunte had lad raton brede in the house</i>, Wombwell (YRS70/124); 1679 <i>searching his pockets they found ratten bread and he confessed he intended to poyson himself,</i> Northowram (OH2/266). In minor Yorkshire place-names the word was characteristically linked with water-courses, for example Ratten Clough, Ratten Gill, Ratten Gutter and Ratton Syke (PNWR8/148).

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