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Posted by Herewordless (U14549396) on Sunday, 19th June 2011
Are these people mostly historical myth? No sources I've read mention any names.
Do we know about any in detail? Who were they and what class were they - trusted noble sons, war captives or unlucky peasants?
And does the present Queen have them (in some form), in an age of IRA terrorism and Al Queeda?
Hereward
Perhaps not "historical" but does not a wine-taster of the Pharoah's wine with the threat of poisoning in mind feature in the Biblical tale of Joseph?
Cass
George Hentzner, a German traveller, reported seeing Elizabeth I dining at Greenwich in 1598. Hentzner recorded that 24 dishes were brought to the Queen by the Yeomen of the Guard, and placed on a table overseen by the Lady Taster. From each she cut a mouthful of food to be eaten by the Guardsman who had brought in the dish, to check for poison. Thus, it would appear that 'Lady Taster' was something of a misnomer since it was the unfortunate Yeomen doing the actual tasting!
Thanks, AN
I found this link (A Royal Food Taster's Job: The Royal Food Tasters of Elizabethan England)
The brief article is interesting, yet concludes that there are few records of food tasters.
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