By B. Howard Cunnington, F.S.A. Scot. ■ 201 



They were the javelin men when Mr. 11. P. Nisbet, of South- 

 broom House, Devizes, was High Sheriff. 



There existed a sort of " High Sheriffs " Society, composed of 

 gentlemen of the county who were likely to be called upon to fill 

 the office, each member of which subscribed to a fund to keep up 

 the uniform, javelins, &c, which the members of the society had 

 the use of in turn, as they were called upon to take office. 



Mr. E. P. Nisbet, however, did not belong to this society, so 

 when he was pricked for High Sheriff he had to purchase all the 

 necessaries for the office. His javelin men wore drab trousers and 

 coat, with red waistcoats, and high silk hats with a gold band 

 round them. 



• At the end of his year of office the uniforms, &c, were handed 

 back to him and for a long time were hung in the hall at South- 

 broom House. 



When Mr. Watson Taylor was High Sheriff the men were 

 dressed in plum coloured clothes, with silver buttons engraved 

 with his crest and a silver band round the hat. 



The javelin men were appointed for life or until unable to carry 

 out the duties, and when a vacancy occurred there was always a 

 large number of applicants eager to fill the post, and the lucky 

 man who got the appointment was envied by all his friends. 



In Hogarth's pictures of the " Idle and Industrious Apprentices," 

 Thomas Idle is to be seen escorted to the gallows by a band of 

 mounted javelin men. 



|VOL. XXXVI. — NO. CXII. 



