1804-24 
‘WEDDING MONEY 
9 
thinking fit to interfere, Whewell proceeded to 
administer to him a couple of black eyes. A 
remark of Owen’s mother is preserved, to the 
effect that she thought it most ungrateful of ‘ that 
boy Whewell ’ to have ‘ blacked her eldest son’s 
eyes so shockingly.’ But the younger Owen and 
Whewell became the best of friends, and their 
friendly intercourse existed without a break until 
Whewell’s death in 1866. 
Richard Owen remained at the school long 
enough to be one of the first six boys. Among 
the privileges at that time attached to those 
favoured seniors was a curious institution known 
as the ‘ wedding money.’ Whenever a wedding 
took place at the Parish Church, these six boys, 
if they were in attendance, could claim a fee. It 
seems that in pre- Reformation times the six seniors 
Were called upon to fill some minor office in the 
Church — that probably of acolytes — during the 
Wedding ceremony, and, although the duties had 
lapsed, the fees continued. This fee apparently 
varied — sometimes it would only be a shilling or 
half a crown between them, but it occasionally 
tose in the case of county families to the sub- 
stantial sum of a couple of guineas. On one 
occasion a farmer was about to be married, but, 
as he was anxious to have something for his 
money, he refused to part with a single penny 
until one of the young ‘ gents ’ would ‘ gie him a 
homily.’ The boy s were somewhat dumbfounded, 
I 
