Forest of Rossendale. 1 39 



district was good and wholesome and of the proper strength. 

 Clearly the office was considered one of much importance in early 

 times. The responsibility was great, and the confidence reposed 

 in the judgment and honesty of the officer equally so. He 

 appears to have depended chiefly, if not solely, on his fine critical 

 taste for enabling him to decide on the quality of the beverage. 

 Before the authorities, his evidence as against the offender was 

 unquestioned. 



In former days the Ale-Taster was also the Officer for the 

 Assize of Bread, and the Oath taken by him on Assuming his 

 duties was as follows : — 



" You shall swear that you shall well and truly serve the King's Majesty and 

 the lord of this leet in the office of ale-taster, or assisor of this liberty, for this 

 year to come; you shall duly and truly see from time to time that 

 the bread brought to be sold be truly weighed, and that the same do contain 

 such weight, according to the prices of wheat, as by the statute in that case 

 is provided ; likewise, you shall have diligent care, during the time 

 of your being in office, to all brewers and tiplers within your office, 

 that they and every one of them do make good and wholesome 

 ale and beer for man's body, and that the same be not sold before it be 

 assayed by you, and then to be sold according to the prices limited and ap- 

 pointed by the King's justices of the peace ; and all faults committed or done 

 by the bakers, brewers, or tiplers, or by any of them, you shall make known, 

 and present the same at this court, whereby due punishment may be inflicted 

 upon them for their offences accordingly, and in every other thing you shall 

 well and truly behave yourself in the said office for this year to come. So 

 help you God." 



The duties of the Rossendale officer are limited to the testing 

 of the Ale and Beer, and we shall cease to wonder that this vigilant 

 functionary should occasionally overstep the bounds of sobriety, 

 and stumble on the other side — battering his nose on the unfeeling 

 pavement — when we remember that there are within his jurisdiction 

 more than 150 houses licensed for the sale of those drinks. 



In the early days the punishment for brewing and publicly 

 exhibiting bad ale was either a fine or a two hours' seat upon the 

 cucking or cuck stool before the culprit's own door ; the drink, if 



