The Reeve Staff

Kai Tiaki : the journal of the nurses of New Zealand, Volume XIII, Issue 1, 1 January 1920, Page 6

The Reeve Staff

It has been my good fortune at Southwell Portland, to find rooms with Mrs. Pearce. Mr. Pearce belongs to one of the oldest families m this, almost, island of old families. Mr. Pearce senr. lives next door, and hi.; great knowledge of the history of Portland, some of which he has kindly imparted to me, had made me the possessor of much valuable and interesting experience first hand

I purpose m this article to introduce you to the Reeve Staff as it was shown and explained to me by Mr. Pearce. By appointment I went to see him, and on the table lay a Reeve Staff and a portion of one. Before explaining the Staff he gave me a copy of an article from the Religuay and Illustrated Archaeological Acts 1903, which Mr. Galpin had written after a visit to Mr. Pearce. This account is much more exhaustive than mine' will be, and has some good illustrations. The office of Reeve, originally Port gerefa (steward) has been handed down from very early times, and the office remains the same to-day. The man or woman own'ng the largest amount of land is Reeve for a year, at the end of his or her year of office the next tenant who is the largest holder is elected, provided he or she has not held office before. The. office is for one year and only held once m a lifetime. Each new Reeve provides himself with a staff of strong wood, oak, ash, or pine; the length varies, but the size is invariably 1-2 m. square. The cost is about 30s. Should any error be found m the staff a fine is the penalty. On this staff are cut five signs representing the five ancient hamlets of Portland. These signs, which were looked upon as mystical when the majority of people coulel not read, testify to the age of the Reeve Staff. A hollow circle represents Southwell. A cross m a circle represent? Wakeham. A cross between parallel lines represents Weston. A W represents Easton. A V represents Chesil. One of these signs is cut on the staff and then follow a series of notches and scratches representing the royalty due to

the Crown (Portland being a royal manor) by each tenant. A notch the whole length of the square represents Is., a half notch 6cL, a quarter 3d., a whole scratch Id. a half scratch 2d., and so on. Dots cut m the wood denote tne separation of individual accounts. The rental of one hamlet being complete on the same face or on one of the others the sign of another hamlet is placed with the amount duo m notches and scratches. To reduce the length of the staff,* in later years a diagonal notch has been introduced to indicate £1, thus saving the space of twenty notches. The Reeve Courts are held m May and November. The ratings are, for a cottage Id., cottage and gaiden 2d., land 3d. per acre. The cottage and cottage and garden rating have existed from time immemorial, the 3d. on land was imposed by William Rufus to keep up his castle of Bow and Arrow, the ruined keep of which is still m fair preservation m this neighbourhood. The complete Reeve Staff shown me by Mr. Pearce bears the date 1890, and the initials S. S. P., Sarah Scrivener Pearce, his grandmother, for whom he often acted as Reeve. The old Reeve Staff, date 1700, ' and bearing initials W.W. (William White), is the oldest m the island. It was found over the window of an old build'ng which was pulled down, only two and a half feet being left, the markings are still there. Other Reeve Staffs have been found, but lacking date and initials. The Reeve Court was held formerly at Weston, and the lunch took place at the " Lugger," an inn kept by the Hindi family, and afterwards famous as the first house m Portland to have glass windows. The Si Lugger " has now vanished, and the Court is held at the " George" Inn, a short distance away. This inn is of the type of the old Portland buildings, many of which have fallen into decay, but this is well kept up and looks strong and fit for a good many years with its narrow porch and side-slits as look-outs. The sum paid to the Crown is always the same, viz., £14 15s. The Reeves original fee was £1, but owing to the increased number of buildings the Reeve's duties are heavier, so his fee is now considerably more.' — C. A. H,