Ansgar is described as having been 'staller' to Edward the Confessor. I have read various definitions of staller ranging from standard bearer through the frankish 'count of the stable' leading to 'constable' and also 'keeper of the royal stud' Is it Ansgar's connection with the Lambourn Valley that has led some to believe he was in control of the King's horses - is staller being translated too literally here? Or was the job more military and local law enforcement do you think? Any help would be appreciated on this. Kind regards Leigh Driver

Hi Leigh, The OED has: staller - "The title of a high officer in the reign of Edward the Confessor, equivalent to constable 1." constable - 1. "The chief officer of the household, court, administration, or military forces of a ruler." No mention of horses, stables etc. except that constable originally comes from the Latin "comes stabuli" count or officer of the stable, but the meaning had changed to the one given above before the word was adopted into English from the French. Cheers, Liz in Melbourne Quoting YeagerLA@aol.com: > Ansgar is described as having been 'staller' to Edward the Confessor. I have > read various definitions of staller ranging from standard bearer through the > frankish 'count of the stable' leading to 'constable' and also 'keeper of > the royal stud' > Is it Ansgar's connection with the Lambourn Valley that has led some to > believe he was in control of the King's horses - is staller being translated too > literally here? Or was the job more military and local law enforcement do you > think? > Any help would be appreciated on this. > Kind regards > Leigh Driver > > > ==== OLD-ENGLISH Mailing List ==== > Going away for a while? > Don't forget to UNSUBSCRIBE! > OLD-ENGLISH-L-request@rootsweb.com > >