Buckinghamshire.
The Eton Montem was a long celebrated and time-honoured ceremony peculiar to Eton, and said to have been coeval with the foundation of the college, and was observed biennially but latterly triennially down to the year 1844, when it was totally abolished. It was a procession of the scholars dressed either in military or fancy costume, to a small mount on the south side of the Bath Road (supposed to be a British or Saxon barrow), where they exacted money for salt, as the phrase was, from all persons present, and from travellers passing. The ceremony was called the Montem. The procession of boys, accompanied by bands of music, and carrying standards, was usually followed by many old Etonians, and even by members of the royal family—in some cases by the king and queen. Arrived at Salt-hill, the boys ascended the “mons,” or mount, the “captain” unfolded the grand standard, and delivered a speech in Latin, and the “salt” was collected. The principal “salt-bearers” were superbly dressed, and carried embroidered bags for the money. The donation of the king and queen was called the “royal salt,” and tickets were given to those who had paid their salt.[59] Immense numbers of people used to assemble to witness the procession, and the money collected frequently exceeded £1000. After deducting the necessary expenses, the remainder was given to the senior scholar, who was elected to Cambridge, for his support at that University.
[59] The mottoes on the tickets varied in different years. In 1773, the words were “Ad Montem;” in 1781 and 1787 “Mos pro lege est;” in 1790, 1796, 1808, 1812, “Pro more et monte;” and in 1799 and 1805, “Mos pro lege.”—Brand, Pop. Antiq., 1849, vol. i. p. 436.
The origin of this custom, notwithstanding much antiquarian research, is unknown. Some, however, are of opinion that it was identical with the bairn or boy-bishop. It originally took place on the 6th of December, the festival of St. Nicholas (the patron of children; being the day on which it was customary at Salisbury, and in other places where the ceremony was observed, to elect the boy-bishop, from among the children belonging to the cathedral), but afterwards it was held on Whitsun Tuesday.—Sheahan, History of Buckinghamshire, 1862, p. 862; Lysons’ Magna Britannia, 1813, vol. i. pt. ii. p. 558; Gent. Mag., 1820, vol. xc. p. 55; See N. & Q. 1st S., vol i. pp. 110, 322; 2nd S. vol. ii. p. 146.