Walter Rumsey
Encyclopedia
Walter Rumsey was a Welsh judge and politician who sat in the House of Commons
in 1640. He suffered for his support of the Royalist cause in the English Civil War
. He was also a man of arts and sciences, and developed plantsmanship, devised medical apparatus and carried out scientific experiements on coffee and tobacco.
Rumsey was born at Llanover
, in Monmouthshire, the son of Walter Rumsey of Usk. He was admitted to Gloucester Hall, Oxford, at the age of 16, where he studed under Francis Bacon
and William Harvey
. He then went to Gray's Inn
, where he was made Barrister, Puncher, and Lent Reader. In 1635 he was appointed Puisne Judge in the Brecon Circuit, and in 1637 he became Chief Justice. He was so eminent in his profession that he was called " the picklock of the Law."
In April 1640, Rumsey was elected Member of Parliament
for Monmouthshire
in the Short Parliament
. He refused to serve in the Long Parliament and in 1645 was removed by parliament from his position as second justice on the Brecknock circuit.
In addition to the law, Rumsy was interested in philosophy, science and music. Wood described him as a good musician who played the organ and lute and was a composer. Of his plantsmanship Wood wrote "He was an ingeniose man, and had a philosophicall head; he was most curious for grafting, inoculating, and planting, and ponds. If he had any old dead plumbe-tree, or apple-tree, he lett them stand, and planted vines at the bottome, and lett them climbe up, and they would beare very well."
Rumsey invented the provang, a medical instrument made of whalebone, to cleanse the throat and stomach which was described in his work called Organon Salutis: an instrument to cleanse the stomach in 1657. Wood wrote "He was much troubled with flegme, and being so one winter at the court at Ludlowe (where he was one of the counsellours), sitting by the fire, spitting and spewling, he tooke a fine tender sprig, and tied a ragge at the end, and conceived he might putt it downe his throate, and fetch up the flegme, and he did so. Afterwards he made this instrument of whale-bone. I have oftentimes seen him use it. I could never make it goe downe my throate, but for those that can 'tis a most incomparable engine. If troubled with the wind it cures you immediately. It makes you vomit without any paine, and besides, the vomits of apothecaries have aliquid vetietii in them." Rumsey was interested in the medical uses of coffee and in his Electuary of Cophy, which appeared in 1657 he gave a prescription for "a new and superior way of preparing coffee" as an Electuray to take when using the provang.
He also devised a concoction called "wash-brew" which included oatmeal, powder of "cophie", a pint of ale or any wine, ginger, honey, or sugar to please the taste, to which could be added butter and any cordial powder or pleasant spice. The mixture was to bekept in a flannel bag for use when required. This said to be a popular medicine among the Welsh people. Rumsey wrote another work, Divers new experiments of the virtue of Tobacco and Coffee to which Sir Henry Blount and James Howell wrote commendatory Epistles. In a chapter entitled "Experiments pf Cophee" he noted that coffee had the power to cure drunkards.
On the Restoration, Rumsey was proposed for the intended order of Knights of the Royal Oak
. He died in 1660 at the age of 76.
Rumsey married Barbara Pritchard, daughter of Martha Pritchard Llanover.
House of Commons of England
The House of Commons of England was the lower house of the Parliament of England from its development in the 14th century to the union of England and Scotland in 1707, when it was replaced by the House of Commons of Great Britain...
in 1640. He suffered for his support of the Royalist cause in the English Civil War
English Civil War
The English Civil War was a series of armed conflicts and political machinations between Parliamentarians and Royalists...
. He was also a man of arts and sciences, and developed plantsmanship, devised medical apparatus and carried out scientific experiements on coffee and tobacco.
Rumsey was born at Llanover
Llanover
- Location :Llanover is located four miles south of Abergavenny just off the A4042 road to Pontypool.- History & Amenities :Llanover is associated with Lady Llanover who lived locally all her life and certainly left her mark on the village and the surrounding Llanover estate, still privately owned...
, in Monmouthshire, the son of Walter Rumsey of Usk. He was admitted to Gloucester Hall, Oxford, at the age of 16, where he studed under Francis Bacon
Francis Bacon
Francis Bacon, 1st Viscount St Albans, KC was an English philosopher, statesman, scientist, lawyer, jurist, author and pioneer of the scientific method. He served both as Attorney General and Lord Chancellor of England...
and William Harvey
William Harvey
William Harvey was an English physician who was the first person to describe completely and in detail the systemic circulation and properties of blood being pumped to the body by the heart...
. He then went to Gray's Inn
Gray's Inn
The Honourable Society of Gray's Inn, commonly known as Gray's Inn, is one of the four Inns of Court in London. To be called to the Bar and practise as a barrister in England and Wales, an individual must belong to one of these Inns...
, where he was made Barrister, Puncher, and Lent Reader. In 1635 he was appointed Puisne Judge in the Brecon Circuit, and in 1637 he became Chief Justice. He was so eminent in his profession that he was called " the picklock of the Law."
In April 1640, Rumsey was elected Member of Parliament
Member of Parliament
A Member of Parliament is a representative of the voters to a :parliament. In many countries with bicameral parliaments, the term applies specifically to members of the lower house, as upper houses often have a different title, such as senate, and thus also have different titles for its members,...
for Monmouthshire
Monmouthshire (UK Parliament constituency)
Monmouthshire was a county constituency of the House of Commons of Parliament of England from 1536 until 1707, of the Parliament of Great Britain from 1707 to 1801, and of the Parliament of the United Kingdom from 1801 to 1885...
in the Short Parliament
Short Parliament
The Short Parliament was a Parliament of England that sat from 13 April to 5 May 1640 during the reign of King Charles I of England, so called because it lasted only three weeks....
. He refused to serve in the Long Parliament and in 1645 was removed by parliament from his position as second justice on the Brecknock circuit.
In addition to the law, Rumsy was interested in philosophy, science and music. Wood described him as a good musician who played the organ and lute and was a composer. Of his plantsmanship Wood wrote "He was an ingeniose man, and had a philosophicall head; he was most curious for grafting, inoculating, and planting, and ponds. If he had any old dead plumbe-tree, or apple-tree, he lett them stand, and planted vines at the bottome, and lett them climbe up, and they would beare very well."
Rumsey invented the provang, a medical instrument made of whalebone, to cleanse the throat and stomach which was described in his work called Organon Salutis: an instrument to cleanse the stomach in 1657. Wood wrote "He was much troubled with flegme, and being so one winter at the court at Ludlowe (where he was one of the counsellours), sitting by the fire, spitting and spewling, he tooke a fine tender sprig, and tied a ragge at the end, and conceived he might putt it downe his throate, and fetch up the flegme, and he did so. Afterwards he made this instrument of whale-bone. I have oftentimes seen him use it. I could never make it goe downe my throate, but for those that can 'tis a most incomparable engine. If troubled with the wind it cures you immediately. It makes you vomit without any paine, and besides, the vomits of apothecaries have aliquid vetietii in them." Rumsey was interested in the medical uses of coffee and in his Electuary of Cophy, which appeared in 1657 he gave a prescription for "a new and superior way of preparing coffee" as an Electuray to take when using the provang.
"Take equal quantity of Butter and Sallet-oyle, melt them well together, but not boyle them: Then stirre them well that they may incorporate together: Then melt therewith three times as much Honey, and stirre it well together: Then add thereunto powder of Turkish Cophie, to make it a thick Electuary".
He also devised a concoction called "wash-brew" which included oatmeal, powder of "cophie", a pint of ale or any wine, ginger, honey, or sugar to please the taste, to which could be added butter and any cordial powder or pleasant spice. The mixture was to bekept in a flannel bag for use when required. This said to be a popular medicine among the Welsh people. Rumsey wrote another work, Divers new experiments of the virtue of Tobacco and Coffee to which Sir Henry Blount and James Howell wrote commendatory Epistles. In a chapter entitled "Experiments pf Cophee" he noted that coffee had the power to cure drunkards.
On the Restoration, Rumsey was proposed for the intended order of Knights of the Royal Oak
Knights of the Royal Oak
The Knights of the Royal Oak was an intended order of knighthood. It was proposed in 1660 at the time of the restoration of Charles II of England, known as the English Restoration. It was to be a reward to those Englishmen who faithfully & actively supported him during his exile in France...
. He died in 1660 at the age of 76.
Rumsey married Barbara Pritchard, daughter of Martha Pritchard Llanover.