Peppercorn History

Once upon a time (1816)in the Town of St. George's, a ceremony was performed which signified the move of the government from the State House in St. George's to the City of Hamilton. The State House in St. George's was granted to the town in trust for the Freemason Lodge St. George Number 200 in exchange for the annual rent of one peppercorn. Since 1816, the event has grown considerably.

Well, any reason will do as an excuse for a show of pomp and circumstance, I guess. The Governor of Bermuda, the Premier, the Mayor of St. George's, the Army band, a bagpiper, the City Council of St. George's, a show of regimental forces, along with any stray visiting dignitaries who can be snagged, all attend the event where a peppercorn is passed from one hand to another. Well, hey, it's tourist season now...a large cruise ship has just docked at St. George's, so why not put on a show?

All this strikes me as rather ironic since Bermuda used to have a flourishing salt trade going with the Caribbean islands to the south But, a peppercorn is easier to handle than a grain of salt, I suppose.