Photos/Video: St George’s Peppercorn Ceremony

April 23, 2014

[Updated with video] Despite the less than co-operative weather, the annual Peppercorn Ceremony took place this morning [Apr 23] in St. George’s, following a tradition which first began in 1816.

Marked by pomp, circumstance and pageantry, the King’s Square ceremony requires the Governor to accept the annual peppercorn rent paid by Freemasons for use of the State House.

The State House was built in 1620 and is Bermuda’s oldest stone building. The landmark was used for the General Assembly of Bermuda until 1816, when the capital moved to Hamilton.

The Government of the day then rented the building for one peppercorn a year to Bermuda’s Masonic Lodge 200 of Scotland, an agreement which continues to this day.

Peppercorn Ceremony Bermuda, April 22 2014-86

Numerous MPs from both sides of the aisle attended, and various dignitaries arrived with great ceremony. School children and visitors joined residents as they lined the square to watch the event.

As tradition dictates, the Governor travelled in a Bermuda-style horse-drawn carriage, and the symbolic peppercorn was presented to the Governor on a velvet cushion.

Click to enlarge photos:

Read More About

Category: All, News, Parades, Photos

Comments (15)

Trackback URL | Comments RSS Feed

  1. Steve Biko says:

    Bermuda for Independence !!!!!!!!!!!!!!

    • LMAO says:

      Notably some MP sat whilst the national anthem was played. Disrespectful, I say when he had to take an oath to the Crown to be paid MP salary?

      • LMAO says:

        when he took the oath to become an MP he pledged loyalty to the crown, a bit hypocritical.

        • nuffin but the truth says:

          He should be Removed from his seat!
          Total Disrespect for the entire system..jerk!

          • verbal kint says:

            Who was this MP?

          • Steve Biko says:

            DE System is de problem !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
            The Babylon System is the Vampire sucking the blood of the sufferer !!!!!!!!!
            Bob Marley

  2. Terry says:

    Great photo’s Bernoooze.
    Anyone see the Buddah Bunny?

  3. British expat says:

    As a British expat I say go for it!!

    • Terry says:

      Go for what Expat.
      Another round?
      Or one that has moved on.
      Funny. We don’t get many replies from expats from Britain unless they yooze soodohnumzx……………………….

  4. nuffin but the truth says:

    gotta love photo 87.

    • Steve Biko says:

      Looks like “um standing out here in the rain to see you and you wouldn’t even look and wave at me” !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

  5. The Skink says:

    @nuffin but the truth:
    I think a “mother” should be encouraging their child to be independent. It is interesting when the mother continues to benefit from the child’s dependence on them, even though they are capable (maybe not willing) of going it alone.
    May it is a case of the prestige it gives “mother” to tell the rest of the world they still have a dependent. Some folks don’t wish for the sun to set on the empire (in their minds) I guess, even though it did many decades ago.
    I also find it interesting that the children who left home long ago are treated better when they go to visit “mother” in her “house”. Who cares, as long as we tell ourselves that we are better than those independent children. How ironic. Sad thing is, it is a cultural phenomenon! Why be independent when mother can take care of us? Are we men or boys? Are we women or girls?

  6. Coffee says:

    Why isn’t Kiprock demanding more from the governor than a friggin peppercorn in this hard economic climate ?