Walter Rumsey facts for kids

Walter Rumsey (born 1584, died 1660) was a Welsh judge and a politician. He was a member of the English Parliament in 1640. He supported the King during the English Civil War, which caused him some difficulties. Walter Rumsey was also interested in arts and sciences. He was good at growing plants, invented medical tools, and did science experiments with coffee and tobacco.

Early Life and Education

Walter Rumsey was born in Llanover, a place in Monmouthshire, Wales. His father was also named Walter Rumsey. When he was 16, Walter Rumsey started studying at Oxford University. There, he learned from famous thinkers like Francis Bacon and William Harvey.

After Oxford, he went to Gray's Inn, a special school where people train to become lawyers. He became a lawyer there. In 1635, he became a judge in the Brecon area. By 1637, he was promoted to the main judge, known as the Chief Justice. He was very good at understanding the law. People even called him "the picklock of the Law" because he could solve difficult legal problems.

Career and Interests

In April 1640, Walter Rumsey was chosen to be a Member of Parliament for Monmouthshire. This was for a short time, in what was called the Short Parliament. He later decided not to serve in the next Parliament, known as the Long Parliament. In 1645, he was removed from his judge position by the Parliament.

Besides his work in law, Rumsey loved philosophy, science, and music. Anthony Wood, a writer from that time, said that Rumsey was a good musician. He played the organ and the lute, and he also wrote music.

Wood also wrote about Rumsey's skill with plants: "He was a clever man, and had a scientific mind. He was very careful about grafting, planting, and making ponds." Grafting is a way to join parts of two plants so they grow as one. Wood added that if Rumsey had an old, dying plum or apple tree, he would leave it. Then he would plant grapevines at the bottom and let them grow up the tree. This way, the vines would produce a lot of grapes.

Inventions and Experiments

Walter Rumsey invented a medical tool called the probang. This tool was made from whalebone and was used to help clean the throat and stomach. He wrote about it in his book Organon Salutis: an instrument to cleanse the stomach in 1657.

Anthony Wood described how Rumsey came up with the idea for the probang. Rumsey often had a lot of phlegm (a thick liquid from the throat). One winter, while at court in Ludlow and sitting by the fire, he was spitting a lot. He took a thin, flexible twig, tied a cloth to the end, and thought he could put it down his throat to clear the phlegm. He tried it, and it worked! After that, he made the tool from whalebone. Wood said he often saw Rumsey use it. He also mentioned that for those who could use it, it was a very helpful tool, especially for stomach issues.

Rumsey was also interested in how coffee could be used for health. In his book Electuary of Cophy (1657), he shared a special recipe for preparing coffee. It was meant to be a thick mixture, like a paste, to be taken when using the probang.

Here is his recipe for this coffee mixture:

• Take equal amounts of butter and salad oil.
• Melt them together, but do not boil them.
• Stir them well so they mix completely.
• Then, melt in three times as much honey and stir it well.
• Finally, add powdered Turkish coffee until it becomes a thick paste.

He also created a drink called "wash-brew." This mixture included oatmeal, coffee powder, a pint of ale or any wine, ginger, honey, or sugar for taste. Sometimes, butter or other pleasant spices were added. This mixture was kept in a flannel bag and used when needed. It was said to be a popular medicine among the Welsh people.

Rumsey wrote another book called Divers new experiments of the virtue of Tobacco and Coffee. In this book, he explored different uses for tobacco and coffee.

Later Life

Walter Rumsey married Barbara Pritchard. She was the daughter of Martha Pritchard from Llanover. After the King was restored to power, Rumsey was considered for a special honor called the Knights of the Royal Oak. He passed away in 1660 when he was 76 years old.