Definitions

from The Century Dictionary.

  • noun In the medieval universities, a servant of a “nation” or faculty (each of which companies elected two, an upper and a lower, termed the esquire bedel and the yeoman bedel, terms showing the classes from which they were chosen), whose duties were to apportion the “schools” or lecture-rooms and the chapters of the colleges and halls, to cry the days and hours of the lectures, to publish and carry out the decrees of the company, to march before the rector, dean, or proctor with a silver mace on occasions of ceremony, etc. See beadle.

from the GNU version of the Collaborative International Dictionary of English.

  • noun Same as beadle.

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.

  • noun Obsolete form of beadle.

Etymologies

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Examples

  • Mention has been made of John Came, who for many years held the office of bedel.

    The Customs of Old England

  • Antonio de Almaraz bedel puso en la posesion del dicho salario al dicho padre mº. fray Luis de Leon en la catedra questá en el general mayor de theologia de escuelas mayores, el qual la tomó é apprehendió sin contradicion ninguna, y _en lugar de posesion leyó un poco_.

    Fray Luis de León A Biographical Fragment James Fitzmaurice-Kelly

  • From a notice of the year 1432 it transpires that the bedels received one-twelfth of all fines inflicted for misdemeanours; and, in 1434, prior to the admission of inceptors, the Chancellor announced that each inceptor would be required to pay the ordinary fee of thirty shillings and a pair of buckskin gloves for each bedel, or, in lieu of gloves, five shillings to be divided among the bedels.

    The Customs of Old England

  • This allowance was to be suspended during the absence from Oxford of any inferior bedel, whether occasioned by his own affairs or those of the University.

    The Customs of Old England

  • Almaraz bedel, é otros muchos estudiantes y personas de la universidad

    Fray Luis de León A Biographical Fragment James Fitzmaurice-Kelly

  • The office of bedel was, of course, not confined to the Universities.

    The Customs of Old England

  • The Rector is to bring one scholar with him, and the Promotor two, to help "ad purgandum bejaunum," and the bajan is to invite a bedel and others.

    Life in the Medieval University Robert S. Rait

  • Salaried officers of the company were a secretary, a bookkeeper, a husband (or as we would say, an accountant), and a bedel or messenger.

    The Virginia Company Of London, 1606-1624 Wesley Frank Craven 1943

  • Antonio de Almaraz bedel puso en la posesion del dicho salario al dicho padre mº. fray Luis de Leon en la catedra questa en el general mayor de theologia de escuelas mayores, el qual la tomo e apprehendio sin contradicion ninguna, y en lugar de posesion leyo un poco.

    Fray Luis de Leon Fitzmaurice-Kelly, James 1921

  • Pedro de Uceda ... e Antonio de Almaraz bedel, e otros muchos estudiantes y personas de la universidad e yo Bartme.

    Fray Luis de Leon Fitzmaurice-Kelly, James 1921

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  • “Salaried officers of the company were a secretary, a bookkeeper, a husband (or as we would say, an accountant), and a bedel or messenger.” got it from wordnik

    October 6, 2010