An ancient ritual – with a new participant

I was delighted to see that the US Navy were the guests of honor, so to speak, at the ancient ceremony of the Constable’s Dues at the Tower of London. According to the Historic Royal Palaces Web site (the link is to an Adobe Acrobat file in .pdf format):

• There are documented accounts of the dues paid to the Constable of the Tower from the fourteenth century onwards. However, the custom is thought to pre-date even this period.
• Every ship that came upstream to the City had to moor at Tower Wharf to unload a portion of its cargo for the Constable and thus enjoy the protection of the Tower of London guns. In the past such bounty would have included oysters, mussels, cockles, rushes and wine.
• This tradition is still upheld in the Ceremony of the Constable’s Dues. When the Royal Navy moors one of its ships alongside the Tower, the Captain of that vessel delivers a barrel of rum to the Constable as a symbol of these ancient rights. Accompanied by an escort of Yeoman Warders in State Dress and a Corps of Drums, the Captain and his escort of Naval ratings march through the Tower of London to Tower Green where the ceremony takes place. A colourful custom, it is re-enacted each year and the participants then retire to Queen’s House afterwards to sample the contents.
• Formerly, in the absence of the Sovereign at the Tower of London, the Constable would have been amongst the most powerful men in the city. As well as being one of the most honourable positions in the Crown’s service, it was also one of the most profitable. Perks of the job included any horses, oxen, pigs or sheep that fell off London Bridge. For every foot of livestock that stumbled into the Tower moat, the Constable received a penny and any cart that fell in became his property.
• The Constable was entitled to demand 6s 8d a year from the owners of all boats fishing for sprat between the Tower and the sea; 1s a year from all ships carrying herring to London; and 2d from each pilgrim who came to London by sea to worship at the shrine of St. James.

As a modern commemoration of these ancient rights, a major warship of the Royal Navy delivers a barrel of rum to the Constable of the Tower on Tower Green, once every year. According to the Daily Telegraph:

The crew of a US frigate made history on Saturday by becoming the first foreign ship to take part in the ceremony of the ‘Constable’s Dues’ at the Tower of London.

Crew members from the USS Halyburton became the first crew of a foreign ship to take part in the ceremony by presenting a barrel filled with Castillo Silver Rum to the Constable and his Yeoman Warders, commonly known as Beefeaters.

Commander Michael P. Huck led his crew to the Tower’s West Gate where they were challenged by the Yeoman Gaoler armed with his axe.

The American shore party then marched through the Tower of London to Tower Green, accompanied by Yeoman Warders in scarlet and gold state dress and a Corps of Drums to deliver the rum to the current Constable, General Sir Roger Wheeler.

Commander Huck said: “Halyburton and her crew are honoured to be invited to take part in a tradition with such rich history. It is an excellent opportunity for my crew to not only enjoy London culture, but to be an active part of it.”

However he admitted neither the cask nor the rum was actually cargo from the ship.

“The wine cask has been provided to us by the Tower authorities,” he said. “It will actually be filled with Castillo Silver Rum. Unfortunately, since we do not typically carry alcohol on-board, that was also provided to us.”

There’s more at the link.

One hopes that the US Navy crew, despite their service’s ‘dry’ tradition, were allowed to help consume the contents of the cask once it had been filled!

Peter