The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1908-01-06
SOME QUEER JOBS
IN OLD ENGLAND
Off1CehOlderS Who Have Moth
ing to Do
ANCIENT OFFICES SERVICE
Recent Appointment of Kings Verder
Recalls Some Old Customs
That Are Still Ad-
hered To.
ANCIENT OFFICES SERVICE
From the Baltimore Sun.

From the Baltimore Sun.
The recent appointment by King Ed
ward of England of a Kings verder
for the Forest of Dean, who was Sc
lected at court presided over by the
high sheriff of Gloucestershire, is in
teresting as showing how some of the
ancient offices held under the British
crown still survive. The position. of
course, is sinecure like that of the
stewardship of the Chiltern Hundreds.
The latter is nominal office which
every member of Parliament must &C
cept If he wishes to resign. The salary
reaches the noble sum of SIS per an
mum. H..
Many of the ancient crown offices
have been abolished, but in former
days they We're plentiful enough. One
of the most curious, perhaps, was that
of Uncorker of Ocean Bottles.
The appointment was first made in
the reign of Queen Elizabeth, and
arose in a singular manner. Remark
able as it may seem, the first intima-
tion that the Dutch had taken pos
session of Nova Zembia reached Eng
land by means of bottle post
A fisherman one day picked up a
tarred bottle on the sands near Deal
Lord High Admiral of England. When
opened 1t was found to contain
parch ment bearing the news. This was
shown to Queen Elijah eth. She at
once gave orders that all sealed bot
ties cast up by the were to be dis
patched forthwith to the Lord High
Admiral, whose property they were
to become under the designation of
sea prizes" To impress this order
v,,fnd dc If Sch foII dWa
on the seacoast she added character
istic rider. Neglect to comply with it
meant the gibbet.
! The office of uncorker of ocean bot
ties was thus created This official
alone had the right to open any bottle
cast ashore on the coast of England.
The first to hold he position was one
Thomas Tonfield. In subsequent re-
port 1t was shown that In one year he
had opened 81 bottles TASKS, flagons
and other ocean messengers, contain
ing all sorts of news of disaster at sea-
The official "uncorker," 1t may be
mentioned, continued to flourish tand
incidentally to draw his salary for
a matter of 200 years. The office was
finally abolished by George Ill
The office of Whipping Boy. at one
time an establish ed institution at the
English court, was probably not near
appointments. The duty of the youth
who held this position was to act as
a sort of understudy to q prince In the
matter of whippings. He received the
chastisement which rightly ought to
have been administered to the King s
son. One can imagine the glee of
royal youngster as he looked on and
saw mis- deputy soundly spanked for
his own misdeeds. On the other hand
-. ~ h ln n a
mans estate, was often remembered
and compensated with a more lucra-
tive office.
AT the present day Great Britain has
a baby admiral in the person of the
Marquis of Donegal Though of ten
der years he holds this exalted rank,
and is more proud of it than OF his
patent of nobility. He is hereditary
Lord High Admiral of Tough Neagh,
in ireland, an office under the crown
which has been handed down from IA
sther to son.
In Scotland there is a picturesque
office known as the Marshal of Gentle
Archers. The holder is commander or
the ancient Bodyguard of Archers, who
still appear in Lincoln green, and are
armed with the old-time bow.
Up to quite recent years there was
a crown official known as the Royal
Rat Catcher. The position was Gre
ated by Charles II, in one of his merry
moments, the duties being to keep the
Kings palaces clear of rats. The Royal
Rat Catcher was certainly to be en-
wed by others of ais tribe, considering
that he drew the comfortable salary or
$3.50 a year, together with an allow
ance of $50 for terriers and $500 for
ferretS.
The office continued up to the pres
ent reign and was the source OF many
humorous questions in parliament. IL
was abolished on the accession of Ed
ward VII.
Another quaint office to be swept
away at the same time was that Oh
Kings Pndar or ale-taster. The lat
ter official had the easy and pleasant
duty of tasting the ales supplied to the
roYal table.