The Rushbearing

The Pilot and Rochdale Reporter for August 1847 had this article on Rushbearing:

This annual festival occuring at this time of our publication leads us to pen a short notice of the origin and present state of the ceremony.
Up to the 16th century the floors of dwellings were not commonly formed of wood, flags or brick but of a mixture of clay, lime or sand. This flooring was not very convenient so to increase the comfort it was universally the custom to cover the floor with rushes. Rushes were plentyful as generally the land was undrained and poorly cultivated. This practice was an inconvenient and filthy one and which could only be tolerated where the people were low in the scale of civilization, for every kind of filth was harboured by the rushes which lay all winter.
The practice was gradually discontinued but did not extend to the churches, clay floors were in use to a much later date. By degrees a number of persons joined in the labour of carrying or bearing the rushes into the church and when carrying them in, the company would adorn them with flowers eventually parading them through the town.
The introduction of pews cushioned and carpeted has done away with the necessity of rushes and around the same period carts were invented and as a novelty they were introduced to assist in the show.