Ale Founders

In some areas the Ale Founder was called an "ale-taster" or "ale-conner". According to a comment in the Manchester Court Leet the oath of Ale Founder was

"You shall swear, That you shall well and truly serve our Sovereign the Queen, and the Lord of this Court, in the Office of Ale-taster, or assise, within this Lordship for this year to come, and you shall well and duly see from time to time, that the Sale of Bread (brought to be sold) be duly weighed, and that it contain such weight according to the prizes [prices] of Grain, as by the Statute is provided; that is to say, according to the prizes of Corn in the next markets. Also you shall have diligent regard during the time of your office, to all the Brewers and Tiplers within your office, that they and every of them make good and wholesome Ale and Beer for mans body, and that they do not sell any beofre it hath been tasted by you, and then to be sold according to the Prices limited, and rated by the Justices of the Peace; and all defaults committed, and to be done by the Bakers, Brewers, and Tiplers, and by any of them; you shall present at the Court here, by which punishment may be administred unto them for their offences; and in every other thing you shall well and truly behave your self in your office for this year. So help you God etc. (Kitchen's Court Leet.)

Bakers would be required to put a mark on the loaf to determine the baker if the loaf was found to be under-weight.

The "ale-tester" for Rossendale, when he tendered his resignation in 1866, hesitated to suggest a successor as, "unless he possesses an iron constitution, if he does his duty to the office he will either be a dead man ... or have to retire with a shattered constitution".