COOPER’S ORDEAL BY FIRE

Greymouth Evening Star, 10 December 1934, Page 4

COOPER’S ORDEAL BY FIRE

CT*. a XI ANCIENT RITES INITIATION. LONDON, October 17. , The rare event of initiating an apprentice as a journeyman cooper was carried out yesterday for the first time in eight years in accordance with ancient custom, at Watuey, Combe, Reid and Co.’s cooperage, at Alortlake. The new initiate into the craft was Herbert Gill, of Brentford, who was recommended by his master, George Piggin, as having satisfactorily completed his five years’ apprenticeship. Gill’s forebears have been coopers for over a century. Shortly before noon Gill, to the accompaniment of encouraging cheers from his workmates, took a hoop and a number of staves, and with an impressive display of dexterity and speed, soon had his barrel roughly shaped. Then, on the stroke of noon, the apprentice was submitted to the ordeal by fire, an ancient custom, the origin of which is now unknown. The half-formed cask was placed over a fire, and when the staves, were sufficiently hot for bonding into! shape, more hoops were driven-into place, some of the fire was kicked away, and Gill was ‘ lifted into the cask, and deposited on the smouldering embers. Water was poured on him to save him suffering too severely from the ordeal. Then the cask was pushed over by his workmates and rolled round until the then-initiated journeyman cooper escaped. *