Reid Honey Taster

[Michael Palmer]

I noted with interest the use of the Reid honey taster, at the National. Where would I purchase one?

Also saw it in William Herrod's 1912 book on preparing products of the hive for show.

Why did he change his name to Herrod-Hempsall?

 

[VEG]

what is it cant find anything about it on google

 

[FreeFall]

what is it cant find anything about it on google

Here is the only place I could find reference to it

The judge ought not to be led astray by first
impressions but should carry out his duties
thoroughly. In every case it is necessary that the
honey should be tasted. For this purpose he must
provide himself with a " Reid " honey-taster,
Fig. 8. This is a small glass rod, rounded at one
end for use with extracted honey, and with a small
knob at the other for opening single cells in comb
honey for tasting, and to avoid spoiling the
appearance of the sections.

EDIT: Seems Big T's sell them...

 

[VEG]

At that price not worth making one

 

[Erichalfbee]

How much taste can you get from a single cell?
After all a mouthful of wine tastes much much different than a thimbleful.

 

[FreeFall]

Here's the relevant page. You can download the book for free here

 

[VEG]

Just looking through that book, there are some amazing displays in there.

 

[BeeJayBee]

Brilliant link Freefall.

 

[busybee53]

Interesting
1. I see the old jars they used were more like bottles than our jars now. Perhaps that is why we call it bottling when we are not really using bottles for our honey.

2. Fascinating Honeycomb designs on pages 94 and 95.

3. Love the "small motor car" on page 165.

4. Notice the advert which claims to have a product to cure foul brood (we wish).

5. Can't help thinking what a terrible time those people were in for a few short years after the book was written - when the Great War came.

 

[flightofthebumblebee]

I'm a total beginner and find the subject fascinating. I would like to ask what is the purpose of honey tasting and what is the perfection one has to attain before entering their produce in a competition?

thanks.

 

[Michael Palmer]

5. Can't help thinking what a terrible time those people were in for a few short years after the book was written - when the Great War came.

Truly. My grandfather was there.

And after losing so many of the menfolk, the bees were lost to acarine.

 

[Michael Palmer]

Why did he change his name to Herrod-Hempsall?

Any information on my second question?

 

[Davelin]

Any information on my second question?

I have a copy of 'Producing, preparing etc..' 1912 by William Herrod, which he dedicates to his parents.

I also have a 1943 edition of Anatomy, Physiology and Natural History of the Honey Bee by William Herrod-Hempsall, which he dedicates to 'My Dear Wife'.

One can only assume that his dear wife was formerly Miss Hempsall and they combined their names.

I can find no further information.

 

[alanf]

I have a copy of 'Producing, preparing etc..' 1912 by William Herrod, which he dedicates to his parents.

I also have a 1943 edition of Anatomy, Physiology and Natural History of the Honey Bee by William Herrod-Hempsall, which he dedicates to 'My Dear Wife'.

One can only assume that his dear wife was formerly Miss Hempsall and they combined their names.

I can find no further information.

There are "preview" scans of some of his early works, he was using the name Herrod-Hempsall by 1918 for "Beekeeping in War-Time".

Born 1873 according to some author profiles, which would make him 39 or so by the time he was named author in 1912. Reprints of the 1912 edition carry the name Herrod-Hempsall, and it's the name he used for publications from 1918 through to the 1940s.

Several possibilities, one is he (or the publisher - British Bee Journal) just simplified his name for his early publications. He could have changed his name on marriage, but that's a bit "modern". Perhaps more frequent (from ancestry research) is where the whole family changes their name when they inherited an estate or title to honour the bequest. That could be either through his wife or his mother. I would have thought that more likely if, for instance, a wartime death left the name Hempsall without any male descendant to carry it. All guesswork, all I can see from the book covers is that he started using the hyphenated form sometime between 1912 and 1918.

 

[busybee53]

Michael my Grandad was there too. At Ypres, the Somme and Paschendale. Yes all three - they kept sending him back. He lied about his age to go to war. He was 15 and his brother 14.

He saw such things there that we were never allowed to laugh while he was present.

On a lighter note he was one of the boys who played football with the enemy during the Christmas Day ceasefire. They swapped cigarettes and drink and sang "Oh Christmas tree" with the Germans who he said were only doing their jobs - like us. He got a right telling off for it too.

Grandad hated fireworks (like shelling) and poppies. He never wore one on poppy day. He said he remembered every day of his life.