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More than 5000 entries on the history, culture and life of Britain (published in 1993 by Macmillan, now out of print)
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swan-upping
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Ancient ceremony, dating from the 15C, which is performed on the river Thames between Sunbury and Pangbourne on the Monday to Thursday of the third full week in July. As the largest British bird and the most impressive dish to set before a king, any swan living on open water has been held since the Middle Ages to belong to the monarch. The exceptions, from about 1470, were certain swans on the Thames which had been granted to two of the *City Livery Companies; they were identified by nicks on their bills, a single nick belonging to the Dyers and two nicks to the Vintners, while the royal swans remained unmarked.
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The purpose of the annual ceremony is to allocate the new cygnets in due proportion. The liveried swan-uppers process slowly upstream from Sunbury in six boats, cornering swan families, inspecting the bills of the adults (at some risk) and nicking the appropriate number of their offspring.
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