Why Are The Yeoman Of The Guard Known As Beefeaters ...

• Sign in
• Register

Chris Witham, Liberec, Czech Republic

• Isn't this because at one time, they were paid in beef?

  Rob Hanstock, Kingston upon Thames, UK

• When I went on the tour of The Tower, the Yeoman that accompanied us was quite adamant that the true origin of the word has been lost.

  C Partridge, Manchester, UK

• No, it's from the French, Buffetier, I forget what that means.

  Harry, Bristol, UK

• Harry's probably right and I can't remember what it means either. Incidently those often finely whiskered gentlemen at the Tower are called "Yeoman Warders" not "Yeomen of the Guard", an entirely different organisation with a similar anachronistic uniform.

  John K. Bromilow, Okehampton United Kingdom

• Brewer also mentions 'buffetier' in his Phrase and Fable, and adds that although the word actually doesn't exist in French, it probably was the prototype for the present Engish word (a corruption of a corruption?). The yeomen in olden times did serve at table, so it may be correct. I looked up 'buffetier' on google.com and found a few entries in German, so probably another foreign neologism from 'buffet'.

  Liz, Hants

• My Collins English-German dictionary defines Büfetier as barman. My German colleague says he has never heard it used but would understand it to refer to someone in the role of servant at a buffet. Is it possible, though, that Beefeater is in fact derived from "Buffeter"? Ah the joys of Volksetymologie.

  Gra-eme (as in phoneme), Edleburgle or loubiloubilou Scortlandia or Jermananie

• It is mentioned in several of the guided tours (you probably got one of the more elderly warders). The correct title is "her (his) Magesties royal Yeoman Warders." The name Beefeater is the corruption of Bueffetier (old french) Meaning food taster. Introduced by Edward "Longshanks" I, who had more reason than most to fear assasination, the Yeoman warders origonal job was as the name implies as food tasters and personal body guards. If you are in the area of Hampton court, I suggest you take one of the costumed tours as one of the guides is a warder and will give a much more in depth explanation.

  Ben, London (ex-tower employee)

• I am a Yeoman Warder (Beefeater) at HM Tower of London and have been since 2 May 2000. I take many people on tours on the Tower. Nobody really knows why we are called Beefeaters although we have some theories. 1. We know that King Henry VIII executed 2 of his wives on Tower Green at the Tower, both these wives Anne Boleyn and Catherine Howard had supporters, Henry was paranoid that he would be poisoned, so he had his his Royal Bodyguard to taste his food first, his meat, his Beef, Beef eaters. 2. It is also said we were paid in Beef to keep us strong as we need to be as the Royal Bodyguard. 3. Lastly we have always lived inside the grounds with our families, people outside these great walls were jealous in the middle ages as they couldnt afford good meat, they were eating vegetables and fish from the River Thames. We the Yeoman Warders were eating the scraps and left overs from the Kings Table in the great halls of the White Tower, the good meat the good Beef, Beefeaters.

  Yeoman Warder Mick King, HM Tower of London England

• A Beaufet - well-made - was an elaborately decorated sideboard on which you could display your valuable plate to astonish your guests and was, I guess, also used to hold dishes until they were needed. The closest servants serving the king directly and guarding his treasures on display were the Beaufetiers. Note also that they were separate from his official bodyguard who were the Gentlemen of the Guard - with most Royal household members there developed a dignified version which was reserved for the upper crust and a working version whose holders were of humbler origin.

  JW, Bromley UK

• The following is from "The Dictionary of Dates and Universal Reference" by Joseph Haydyn, 6th ed, 1853: Under the reference to "battle-axe"....... "the battle-axe guards, or beaufetiers, who are vulgarly called beefeaters, and whose arms are a sword and a lance, were first raised bt Henry VII in 1485. They were originally attendants upon the king's buffet. See Yeoman of the Guard" Under "Yeoman of the guard ": "a peculiar body of foot-guards to the king's person, instituted at the coronation of Henry VII, Oct 30, 1485. It originally consisted of fifty men, under a captain; they were of larger stature than other guards, being required to be over six feet in height, and they were armed with arquebuses and other arms. This band was increased by the royal successors of Henry to one hundred men, and seventy supernumeraries; and when one of the hundred died, it was ordered that his place should be supplied out of the seventy. They were clad after the manner of King Henry VII. - Ashmole's Instit. This is said to have been the first permanent military band instituted in England. John, Earl of Oxford, was the first captain, in 1486. - Beatson's Pol Index. " I'm trying to track down another reference which suggests their height and finery was meant to act as a distraction to would-be assasins, drawing fire as it were. And, still trying to remember the reference..... that the "beau" part of their name was again from their stature and finery..."the beautiful fetiers", used I imagine both as an accolade and a term of derision much like "chocolate soldiers".

  Brian Mearns, Tarbert (Loch Fyne), Scotland