Available on Google Books, if you’re interested.
He’s not as much fun as John Moore, but fills his account with very useful lists such as the main figures in the court of Adolph Frederic IV Duke of Mecklenburg Strelitz (brother-in-law of George III). On that list he includes the names of 5 pages, the Court Kettledrum, a M.Clemme, and the Court Harbinger. I am afraid I did not know what a ‘harbinger’ was in this context, I only know the word in phrases such as ‘harbinger of spring’, or of doom of course, but I try to stay cheery. For anyone else who was confused it comes from herbergier ‘provide lodging for,’ in old French and is related to harbour. That became used to describe the person sent on ahead to arrange lodging for an army, or for travelling nobles (the meaning in this sense therefore is the guy who arranges the travel accommodation etc for the court), and from there you get to the sort of announcer meaning in harbinger of doom. I admit my first guess would have been some sort of court soothsayer. More colourful perhaps, put less useful for the Duke.
I mentioned in another post you never know exactly what’s going to come in handy research wise, but I am going to try to work this detail in from Mr Nugent: ‘Before I fell asleep I heard the watch sounding their horn as they cry the hour which is the custom in this country. They also chant some religious verses, to furnish matter for nocturnal reflection.’
Sort of a compulsory 18th century ‘Something Understood.’
