clusive 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 of 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 humility 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 connexion 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 Cordwainer's Company have a goat's head for their crest, and repeated in their arms. DENTIST. "He is the merry conceited tooth-drawer." This term, by which the tooth-reviser is designated, is derived from the French word den, 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 is a corruption of Costard-monger; Ben Jonson uses it both ways, and it is noticed of his costermonger, by Mr. Archdeacon L 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 russed, 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 of 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." 66 BARBER. Holme derives the denomination Barber from barba, a heard, 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. "Rove not from pole to pole, but here turn in." The origin of the Barber's Pole is to be traced to the period when the barbers were also surgeons, under the denomination of BarberSurgeons, 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 tape were often hung at the door, for a sign or notice to See Porter (Beer): 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. NEWSPAPERS IN BARBERS' SHOPS. "A barber's shop adorn'd we see, Combs out your wig and tells a story." The custom of having newspapers in a barber's shop, was introduced about a century back. They were then only a penny a piece, and the barbers introduced them to amuse their customers while waiting. 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 his 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 BearQuay, 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. This was the beginning of corn-factors. Mr. J and Mr. S— were the two first; there was a third, who began nearly at the same time, whose name I don't recollect. As this mode proved mutually advantageous, the factoring business increased; as it was not long before these gentlemen found that keeping of an inn was but a secondary consideration; and, as men of discernment, they quitted it to devote their time entirely to factoring. The son of Mr. S. had been bound apprentice to my grand-father as a baker; he wanted a year or more to serve of his time, when his father required his assistance in the corn-factoring line. That point was easily settled, and he exchanged a business on the decline for a new and more advantageous employ, in which he succeeded with high exemplary credit. The building of the present Corn Market is just within my own remembrance, and shows how rapidly the numbers of and bu siness of corn-factors must have increased. The meal and middlemen followed; and now the poor baker, who ranked next to the farmer, purchased his corn and sent it to the miller to be ground (who then considered himself obliged to the baker for employing him), is thus last upon the list from the grower of corn, through the factor, the miller, the meal-man, and middle-man, until the baker has de. livered it to the consumer. HABERDASHERS. The Haberdashers, who were more anciently called Milliners, or Millainers, on account of their dealing in articles imported from Milan, were incorporated into a company in the year 1447; but it is probable, that their number was not great, since in the reign of Henry 6th, there were not more than a dozen Haberdashers' shops in the whole city. How much they must have increased during the reign of Elizabeth may be inferred from the complaints made against them, that the whole street from Westminster was crowded with them, and that their shops made so gay an appearance as to seduce The business of the haberpersons to extravagant expenditures. dasher was not, however, confined to the lighter articles of a lady's wardrobe, as at present, but extended to the sale of daggers, swords, knives, spurs, glasses, dials, tables, balls, cards, puppets, inkhorns, toothpicks, fine earthen-pots, salt-cellars, spoons, tin dishes; and even mouse traps, bird-cages, shoeing-horns, lanthorns, and jew's trumps, contributed to that gay appearance which the haberdashers shops are said to have made in the reign of our maiden queen. Among the pensioners on the books of the Haberdashers Company, is one William Pullen, who was fifty years the tenant of the same house, fifty years the husband of the same wife, and fifty years in the employ of the same master. So singular a concurrence is worthy of record. MERCERS' COMPANY. This, which is one of the twelve principal companies, or such' says Pennant, who are honoured with the privilege of the Lord Mayor's being elected out of one of them. Mercer by no means implied a dealer in Silks, for Mercery signified all sorts of small wares, toys, and haberdashery. This company was incorporated 1393. MERCHANT-TAILORS COMPANY. "A remnant of all shall be saved." When Dr. South was appointed chaplain to the Merchant Tailors Company, he took the above appropriate text, when he preached his inauguration sermon. This company in former times was merely denominated the Tailors Company, until Henry the Seventh, who was himself a member of it, gave them the title of Merchant Tailors; this was in the year 1501. Edward, the Black Prince, was a member of this far-famed company, and most of the kings of England, since the reign of Edward 3d, down to his present Majesty. Continental Sovereigns, Princes, Marshals, and Generals, have been, and are enrolled in the same. This is also one of the twelve principal companies. LORINER. Among the various companies of the city of London, some of which have very peculiar, and not generally understood names, this is one. Loriner is from the French Lorimer, signifying a maker or manufacturer of bridle bits, stirrups, and other sadler's ironmongery. The time has gone by with the Loriner's Company, as well as with others, when they granted their freedom or livery to those only who were of the trade by which the company was denominated. PUBLIC HOUSE SIGNS, &c. "I'm amus'd at the Signs, Bristol Apollo, 1710, Public-house Signs, especially in and about the metropolis, present some laughable absurdities, a specimen of which is given in the above compound of rhime and prose. Englishmen, it is said, are fond of contradictions, a corroboration of the truth of which is not * Gentle reader! this was no ancestor of mine I assure you, however coincidental it may appear.-W. P. |