Gambar halaman
PDF
ePub

this, we have, even now, Yeoman of the Guards, of the Chamber, &c., all persons of rank.

MEN MILLINERS.

In former times, the ancient sisterhood of Tire Women, or Dressers, served only in the shops where ladies purchased their gewgaws; but when the Milaners, or persons from Milan, in Italy, first introduced their fashions into this country (and from whence the term Milliner is derived), it is supposed they also furnished us with the idea of employing the male sex for the vending of various articles of millinery, as is the custom in that country. They were first introduced into England in 1345. The ancient fraternity of Tire Women became totally extinct about 1765.

GROCER.

This term, as applied to the venders of sugar, treacle, spices, &c., originally meant nothing more than a dealer by the groce, or in the gross, but which is now applied peculiarly to those who deal in the above articles. There are several other trades which bear a name, the limit or cause of which is now no more. Fosbroke says the Medicamentarii of the ancients very nearly resembled our modern Grocers.

Another writer says-the term Grocer was originally employed to distinguish a dealer in goods in gross quantities, in opposition to the mere retailer; though now extended to all who deal in either way in the "mystery of grocery," a term in this instance, by the bye, rather oddly applied. The more ancient designation, however, of this fraternity, was that of the " Pepperers," on account of pepper being the principal article in which the grocer dealt. The fraternity were first incorporated as Grocers by a charter from Edward III., in 1345, which was renewed and confirmed by several succeeding monarchs. A pepperer was still, however, not unfrequently a distinct business, and continued so till as late a period as 1559. In that year a quantity of pepper, having been taken in a Spanish carrack, was purchased from the queen at a good price, by certain exclusive dealers in that article. The grocers, however, endeavoured to undersell the pepperers, by making other importations of their own, which caused the latter to petition her Majesty, that no pepper might be imported for three years, which would enable them to keep their engagement with her Majesty; and to induce her to do so, they promised not to raise the price of pepper above 3s. in the pound.

TINKER.

The trade of a tinker yet exists, though its respectability, if it ever had any, has disappeared; but the practice which caused the

name has been long disused. A tinker was one who tink'd, because formerly the tinkers went about giving warning to their vicinity by making a tinkling noise on an old brass kettle.

OSTLER.

An innkeeper is comparatively a modern title-host, or hosteler, is the ancient one; but in the shape of ostler, it has now universally become the name of the host of the horses, not of the men -a singular proof of the active humanity with which ancient innkeepers attended to their guests, and as remarkable a proof of the additional pride of modern landlords.

BUTLER.

A Butler, who is now the superintendent of all the eating and drinking, but under the modern appellation of House Steward, in the house to which he belongs, was originally the mere bottler of the liquors-a pretty good proof of the wetness of our ancestors.

MANTUA-MAKER.

The names of places are sometimes preserved in trades, and the objects of trade, where no longer the slightest connection exists between them. Thus we have a Mantua-maker, a name at first given to persons who made a particular cloak or dress worn at Mantua, in Italy.

MILLINER.

Milliner, so called because the Milanese were the first Milliners, or, as they were called, Milaners; deriving their name from the sale of a particular dress first worn at Milan, in Italy.

CORDWAINER.

Cordwainer, or Cordovaner, or fine maker of shoes from Cordova, or Spanish leather. The Cordwainers' Company have a goat's head for their crest, and repeated in their arms.

DENTIST.

This term, by which the tooth-reviser is designated, is derived from the French word dent, i. e., tooth; and the concluding syllable is added, as in art-ist, or chym-ist, or any other word terminating with ist; merely for the sake of harmony.

COSTERMONGER.

This a corruption of Costard-monger; Ben Jonson uses it both ways, and it is noticed of his costermonger, by Mr. Archdeacon

Nares, that "he cries only pears." That gentleman rightly defines a costard-monger, or coster-monger, to be " a seller of apples;" he adds, "one who generally kept a stall." He says of Costard, that, " as a species of apple, it is enumerated with others, but it must have been a very common sort, as it gave a name to the dealers in apples."

HUXTER.

Holme, in his heraldic language, says of a huxter, "He beareth gules, a man passant, his shirt or shift turned up to his shoulder; breeches and hose azure, cap and shoes sable, bearing on his back a bread basket full of fruits and herbs, and a staff in his left hand, or." Huxter, or hutler, is a Saxon word, and implies a dealer in bread and vegetables.

PEDLAR.

This is a corruption from Paddler, i. e., one who goes from place to place-an Itinerant. Holme in his heraldic language describes the pedlar thus-"He beareth argent, a crate-carrier, with a crate upon his back, or; cloathed in russet, with a staffe in his left hand; hat and shoes, sable."

PORTER.

One who attended at the ports (originally) for the departure or arrival of vessels, being employed to carry luggage or packages to and fro; hence he was called a porter. Holme says, "He beareth vert a porter carrying a pack argent, corked sable; cloathed in tawney, cap and shoes sable. This is the badge and cognizance of all porters and carriers of burthens;" but that there may be no mistake, he adds, "they have ever a leather girdle about them, with a strong rope of two or three fouldings hanging thereat, which they have in readiness to bind the burdens to their backs when called thereto."

BARBER.

Holme derives the denomination Barber from barba, a beard, and describes him as a "cutter of hair; " he was also anciently termed a poller, because in former times to poll was to cut the hair; to trim was to cut the beard, after shaving, into form and order.

BARBER'S POLE.

The origin of the Barber's Pole is to be traced to the period when the barbers were also surgeons, under the denomination of Barber-surgeons, or Barber-chirurgeons, none other in former times being allowed to "let blood." To assist this operation, it being necessary for the patient to grasp a staff, a stick or a pole was always kept by the Barber-surgeon, together with the fillet

or bandaging used for tying the patient's arm. When the pole was not in use, the tape was tied to it, that they might be both forthcoming when wanted. On a person coming to be bled, the tape was disengaged from the pole, and bound round the arm, and the pole was put into the person's hand: after it was done, it was again tied on, and in this state the pole and the tape were often hung at the door, for a sign of notice to passengers that they might there be bled. At length, instead of hanging out the identical pole used in the operation, a pole was painted with stripes round it, in imitation of the real pole and its bandagings, and thus came the sign.

SHAVING-BRUSHES.

Before the year 1756, it was a general custom to lather with the hand; but the French barbers about that time brought in the brush. It was an old saying—“A good lather is half the shave."

RESTAURATEUR.

This term, so generally applied to tavern-keepers in France, and particularly to the cooks, took its name from a Parisian vintner, named Boulanger, the first to supply the public with soups, in the year 1765, placing over the door this verse from the Bible: -Venite ad me omnes qui stomacho laboratis, et ego Restaurabo vos! The bait took such effect, that others in the same line took his example, and the restorative powers of their aliments, added to the singularity of the invitation to partake of them, occasioned their being distinguished by an appellation which has since been indiscriminately applied.

SURGEON.

This term, as applied to medical men, is derived from Chirurgeons, who were formerly incorporated with the barbers, under the denomination of Barber-chirurgeons. In course of time, however, they separated; the "letters of blood" taking upon themselves the new made cognomen of Surgeons; and the pollers of hair, and shavers of chins, the old moiety of their original united appellation of Barbers.

CORN-FACTORS, &c.

About fourscore years back (now upwards of a century), says Harriott, in his Struggles through Life, corn-factors, meal-men, and middle-men, as now designated, and well understood, were then unknown. My grandfather was then a baker of some repute in the city, and it was from my father, and sister's brother, I learned the following history of the commencement of corn-factoring, and thence the other two. At this time, when the consumption of corn was small, compared to what it is now in the

metropolis, there was no description of people that stood between growers of corn and bakers. The farmer brought his samples to town; and taking them to Bear-Quay, near the Custom-house, met the bakers, who were the principal buyers of bread corn, and there made their bargains with each other. It is unnecessary to detail concerning other grain, which was sold in the same direct manner to the other purchasers; and it is thence that the present corn market, in Mark-Lane, is still called Bear-Quay Market.

The farmers, according to circumstances and situation, put up at different inns, &c., when they came to town; the Green Dragon and Bull Inns in Bishopsgate Street, were two among others to which farmers resorted. The landlords of these two inns, in particular, were men in good esteem, and by habit became well acquainted with the quality and value of corn; insomuch, that the farmers who used their houses, would request of them at times, when they had not sold, to take the samples to Bear-Quay on the following market-day, and sell for them; paying themselves afterwards for their trouble, &c. The farmer soon found that this made a considerable saving to him, in preference to staying in town till next market-day, or making another journey. At length, the farmer finding that the innkeeper sold the corn as well as he could, and confiding in his host, thought he might frequently save his own time, as well as the expense of the journey, by sending the samples up to the innkeeper to sell, and do the best for him; agreeing to give an allowance of 3d. a quarter for the innkeeper's commission.

GOLDSMITHS' YEAR MARKS.

In Notes and Queries, vol. vi., occur the following notices of these marks:-In the year 1596, the Roman capital A was used; in 1597, B; and so on alphabetically for twenty years, which would bring us to the letter U, denoting the year 1615: the alphabet finishing every twenty years with the letter U or V. The next year, 1616, commences with the old English letter A, and is continued for another twenty years in the old English capitals. In 1636 is introduced another alphabet called Court alphabet.

From 1656 to 1675 inclusive, Old English capitals.

وو

دو

Small Roman letters
The Court alphabet.
Roman capitals,
Small Roman letters.
Old English capitals.
Small Roman letters.
Roman capitals.

[merged small][ocr errors]

1696 to 1715

1716 to 1735

[ocr errors]

1736 to 1755

1756 to 1775

[ocr errors]
[merged small][merged small][ocr errors][merged small][ocr errors][merged small][ocr errors]

Small Roman letters
Old English capitals.

دو

The letter for the present year (1853) being.

« SebelumnyaLanjutkan »