Sheriff's Assize of Ale
The Sheriff's Assize of Ale is a charity event that takes place in the English cities of York and Gloucester, led by the sheriff in each city.
Origin
[edit]In medieval times, the kings were concerned that ale should be of a suitable quality for the people. A law was put in place, demanding that each the sheriffs should summon together his sergeants to test the quality of the ale. Any sergeant who failed to answer the summons was guilty of an offence and liable to fines or the pillory.[1]
Modern-day event
[edit]York
[edit]In York, the event takes place in August each year. The sheriff follows a route around the city's participating pubs. The group is accompanied by The City Waites (a civic mediaeval musical band) and other citizens. Members of the public can enjoy and take part in fundraising activities. In participating public houses there are treasure maps, and people taking part can win prizes.[2]
The custom of the Assize was revived in York in 1990 after a gap of 150 years by the then-sheriff.[1]
Gloucester
[edit]In Gloucester, the custom takes place in a rather different way, usually during October each year. The sheriff has an "Ale Conner": an individual tasked with sitting on a wooden stool, onto which a small amount of ale has been poured, for a period of three minutes while wearing a pair of leather breeches. An ale fails the assize if the Ale Conner's trousers stick to the stool after the three minute period, and passes if the Ale Conner is able to move freely. The tradition was reintroduced in Gloucester in 2003 by the then sheriff of Gloucester.[3]
Further reading
[edit]Gloucester sheriff tests ale in quirky medieval tradition. BBC
References
[edit]- ^ a b "Sheriff of York - Customs and Traditions". Sheriffs of England and Wales. National Association of City and Town Sheriffs of England and Wales. Archived from the original on 15 November 2025. Retrieved 15 November 2025.
- ^ Greenwood, Darren (2 September 2025). "Sheriff of York takes part in Assize of Ale event this month". York Press. Archived from the original on 15 November 2025. Retrieved 15 November 2025.
- ^ Nally, Carys (26 October 2024). "Sheriff tests ale in unusual medieval tradition". BBC News. Archived from the original on 1 November 2024. Retrieved 15 November 2025.
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