140 History of the 



pronounced by .1 discriminating judge to be unirinkable, being 

 handed over to the poor folk. 



The duties appertaining to the office (obsolete in most places) 

 were, until within recent years, regularly fulfilled in Rossendale by 

 an officer who did credit to the appointment. I refer to the late 

 Richard Taylor, of Bacup, the Rossendale Ale-taster, who may with 

 propriety be described as " The Last of the Ale-Tasters." As 

 such, he deserves a word of commemoration. " Spindle Dick " he 

 was usually called. The writer knew him personally, and had 

 many a confab with him. Since the first edition of this work was 

 published poor Dick has gone to render his account to a higher Court 

 than that of the Lord of the Honor! He was a fellow of infinite 

 humour, not wanting in sound judgment, but with that kind of 

 twist in his nature that never would allow him for two minutes at 

 a spell to treat any subject in a serious mood. His proper calling 

 was that of a spindle maker, hence his sobriquet of " Spindle 

 Dick ;" a rare workman at his trade when he chose, and in his 

 sober hours. 



In his hands there was nothing incongruous or far-fetcbed in the 

 office of Ale-taster. Its duties, incrusted with the antiquity of 

 centuries, came as naturally to him as though he had been living 

 in the time of the Heptarchy, and was " to the manner born." 

 The incongruity was when he forsook, as he occasionally did, his 

 . ale-tasting labours, and applied himself assiduously to his business 

 of spindle-making. 



Poor Dick Taylor ! I always felt grateful to his personality, 

 and to the humour which girt him round. He was a link that 

 bound us to the past ; a kind of embodied poetical idea in keep- 

 ing with the ancient Forest and its traditions. I have more than 

 half a suspicion that he must have been lying dormant for cen- 

 turies in the muniment-room of Clitheroe Castle, and, like Rip Van 

 Winkle, awoke at length to resume his interrupted duties. I 

 never conversed with him without being carried in imagination 

 back to bygone times, and on such occasions it was with a half- 

 resentful feeling of annoyance that the proximity of a later — shall 



