Groom of the Stool

The Groom of the Stool was a medieval English groom (i.e. a male servant) who, among other duties, had the task of cleaning the Monarch's buttocks after a bowel movement. [ [http://www.channel4.com/history/microsites/W/worstjobs/tudor.html Channel 4 - The Worst Jobs in History - Tudor ] ]

In the early years of Henry VIII's reign, the title was awarded to minions of the King, court companions who spent time with him in the Privy chamber. These were the sons of noblemen or important members of the gentry. In time they came to act as virtual personal secretaries to the King, carrying out a variety of administrative tasks within his private rooms. The position was an especially prized one, as it allowed one unobstructed access to the King's attention. David Starkey writes: "The Groom of the Stool had (to our eyes) the most menial tasks; his standing, though, was the highest... Clearly then, the royal body service must have been seen as entirely honorable, without a trace of the demeaning or the humiliating." [Quoted in Orlando Patterson, "Slavery and Social Death: A Comparative Study". Harvard University Press. 1982. Page 330.] Further, "the mere word of the Gentleman of the Privy Chamber was sufficient evidence in itself of the king's will," and the Groom of the Stool bore "the indefinable charisma of the monarchy." [Quoted in Kevin M. Sharpe and Steven N. Zwicker, "Reading, Society and Politics in Early Modern England". Cambridge University Press, 2003. Page 51.]

Sir Henry Norreys, a Groom of the Stool under Henry VIII, was executed for an alleged affair with Anne Boleyn. [ [http://www.thesun.co.uk/article/0,,7-2004442076,00.html The seven deadly jobs | The Sun |HomePage|Showbiz|Webchats ] ]

A similar position, the Porte-coton existed at the French royal court.

The position existed in a less scatological but much more senior form, the Groom of the Stole, until 1901. These were always important noblemen.

ee also

*Valet de chambre

References