Staffordshire
Tollett, in his Variorum Shakspeare (The Two Gentlemen of Verona, ii. 2, note) says, On All Saints’ Day the poor people in Staffordshire, and perhaps in other country places, go from parish to parish a-souling, as they call it, i.e. begging and puling (or singing small, as Bailey’s Dictionary explains puling) for soul-cakes, or any good thing to make them merry.” Brand, Pop. Antiq. (1849, vol. i. p. 393), gives the following lines as sung on the occasion:
“Soul, soul, for a soul-cake,
Pray you, good mistress, a soul-cake.”