“Its’ t’biggest Mountain in oll Yorkshire”

Roseberry made an appearance in a play once, in a farce of two acts called ‘The Registry-Office’ by Stockton-on-Tees born Joseph Reed¹Reed, Joseph. The register-office: A farce of two acts. Acted at the Theatre-Royal in Drury-Lane. The second edition. By J. Reed. Printed for T. Davies, in Russel-Street, Covent-Garden, MDCCLXI. [1761]. Eighteenth Century Collections Online, link.gale.com/apps/doc/CB0126958638/GDCS? u=ed_itw&sid=GDCS&xid=94fda271&pg=14. Accessed 14 Apr. 2021.. It was staged at the Theatre Royal in Drury Lane in 1761 and received the attentions of the Lord Chamberlain’s office because of its profanity and double entendres²“Roseberry Topping”. Great Ayton Community Archaeology Project. 2006. ISBN 978-0-9554153-0-2.

An 18th-century ‘Registry Office’ was a sort of private employment agency. The owner, Gulwell, found positions of employment for his clients in return for a small fee. He was a bit of a rogue who greatly inflated the desirability of prospective employments.

One of his clients was a Margery Moorpoot, a young and innocent Yorkshire lass.

Enter MARGERY.
Margery. Sur, an I may be so bold, I’se come to ax an ye’ve sped about t’ Woman Servant, at ye advertis’d for ?

Gulwell. I have not – Come nearer, young Woman.

Margery. Let me steck’t Deer first, an ye please.

Gulwell. What Countrywoman are you ?

Margery. I’se Yorkshire, by my truly ! – I was bred an bworn at Little Yatton, aside Roseberry Topping.

Gulwell. Roseberry Topping! Where is that, my pretty Maid ?

Margery. Certainly God! ye knaw Roseberry? I thought ony Fule had knawn Roseberry – Its’t’ biggest Mountain in oll Yorkshire – It’s aboun a Mile an a hofe high; an as coad as Ice at’ top on’t i’t hettest Summer’s Day – that it is.

I must admit I haven’t read the full play. The vernacular language is a bit difficult. Margery goes on to tell how she fled ‘Canny Yatton‘ to escape the attentions of the village squire:

Marry, Sur, I was forc’d, as yan may say, to leav’t! – The Squire wad not let me be – By my truly, Sur, he was efter me Mworn, Noon, an Neeght – If I wad but ha consented to his wicked Ways, I might a had Gould by Gopins; that I might – Lo ye, Squire, says I, you’re mista’en o me! I’se nane o thea fort o Cattle – I’se a vartuous young Woman, I’ll affeer ye – Ye’re others Fwoke’s Fwoke – Wad ye be sike a Tayftrell as to ruin me ?- But oil wadn’t do: he kept following an following, an teizing an teizing me-At lang run I tell’d my ald Dame, an she advised me to gang to London to be out of his way; that she did, like an onnist Woman as she was – I went to my Cousin Isbell; an says I to her, Isbell says I, come will you goway to London ? – An tell’d her the hale Affair atween me an the Squire – Odsbeed! says she, my Lass, I’ll gang wi thee ti’t Warld’s End – An away we come in good yearnest.

Gulwell talks her into accepting a position as a housekeeper for an unmarried farmer in Buckinghamshire even though she initially is fearful. You’ll be pleased to know that (spoiler alert here) Gulwell gets his comeuppance in the end.

• 1
  Reed, Joseph. The register-office: A farce of two acts. Acted at the Theatre-Royal in Drury-Lane. The second edition. By J. Reed. Printed for T. Davies, in Russel-Street, Covent-Garden, MDCCLXI. [1761]. Eighteenth Century Collections Online, link.gale.com/apps/doc/CB0126958638/GDCS? u=ed_itw&sid=GDCS&xid=94fda271&pg=14. Accessed 14 Apr. 2021.
• 2
  “Roseberry Topping”. Great Ayton Community Archaeology Project. 2006. ISBN 978-0-9554153-0-2