1607. Beaumont and Fletcher, Woman Hater, i. 3. He is none of those same ordinary eaters, that will devour three breakfasts, and as many dinners, without any prejudice to their BEVERS, drinkings, or suppers.
1611. Cotgrave, Dict., s.v. BEVER. An afternoon’s nuncheon.
c. 1840. Mansfield, School-Life at Winchester College, p. 83. In summer time we were let out of afternoon school for a short time about 4 P.M., when there was a slight refection of bread and cheese laid out in Hall. It was called BEEVER-TIME, and the pieces of bread BEEVERS.
1847. Halliwell, Archaic Words, s.v. BEVER. An intermediate refreshment between breakfast and dinner. The term is now applied to the afternoon snack of harvest-men and other labourers, and perhaps may be explained more correctly as any refreshment taken between the regular meals. Sometimes refreshments of drink, or drinkings, were called BEVERS; but potations were not BEVERS, as Mr. Dyce asserts.
1867. Collins, The Public Schools [Winchester], p. 23. School opened again at two o’clock; at half-past three came an interval called BEVER-TIME, when the boys had again bread and beer allowed them. At five the school was dismissed, and the whole resident society—warden, fellows, masters, and scholars—went in procession round the cloisters and the whole interior circuit of the college.
1884. M. Morris, in English Illustrated Magazine, Nov., p. 73. [At Eton, we] came up from cricket in the summer afternoons for BEAVER.
Bible-Clerk, subs. (Winchester).—A College Prefect in full power, appointed for one week. Formerly (with Ostiarius, q.v.) he kept order in school, and assisted at floggings. He now reads lessons in Chapel, and takes round ROLLS (q.v.). He is absolved from going up to BOOKS (q.v.) during his term of office. The Prefect of Hall need not act as BIBLE-CLERK unless he likes, and the Prefect of School may choose any week he pleases; the rest take weeks in rotation, in the order of their Chambers in College.
15 [?]. Chris. Johnson [Wrench]. In Testamento Veteri caput alter in Aulâ Clarâ voce legit, qui BIBLIOCLERICUS inde Dicitur; hebdomadam propriis habet ille Camænsis.
c. 1840. Mansfield, School-Life at Winchester College, p. 103. Order was kept during school hours by the BIBLE-CLERK and Ostiarius, two of the Præfects, who held these offices in rotation—the former lasting for a week, the latter for one day only. They paraded School armed with sticks, and brought up to the Head and Second Masters (who alone had the power of flogging) the names of the delinquents which had been “ordered” for punishment; the names of the more heinous offenders being confided to the BIBLE-CLERK, the others to the Ostiarius.
1847. Halliwell, Archaic Words, s.v. Bible. A great book. (A.-N.) The term was constantly used without any reference to the Scriptures. Ibid., s.v. Bible-clerkship. A very ancient scholarship in the Universities, so called because the student who was promoted to that office was enjoined to read the Bible at meal-times.