Nottinghamshire
On Royal Oak Day branches of that tree are carried in procession, and decorate many of the signs of public houses in Nottingham and elsewhere.—Jour. of the Arch. Assoc., 1853, vol. viii. p. 234.
On this day the Notts juveniles not only wear the usual piece of oak-twig, but each young loyalist is armed with a nettle, with which instrument of torture are coerced those unfortunates who are unprovided with “royal oak,” as it is called. Some who are unable to procure it endeavour to avoid the penalty by wearing “dog oak” (maple), but the punishment is always more severe on discovery of the imposition.—N. & Q. 1st S. vol. viii. p. 490.