ˈmuster-master Now only Hist.
1. An officer who was responsible for the accuracy of the muster-roll of some portion of an army. Also, in dockyards (see quot. 1815); formerly, in penal settlements, the official charged with keeping the muster-roll of convicts. muster-master general (also chief muster-master): see quot. 1802.
| 1579 Digges Stratiot. 102 He may admonish the Muster Mayster and Treasourer. 1598 Barret Theor. Warres ii. i. 24 We haue Muster-masters appointed in euerie Shiere. 1622 F. Markham Bk. War iv. i. 122 Muster-Masters..are very odious vnto Captaines; for in seruing of his Prince truly, and in mustering stricktly he wipeth much vndue profit from the Captaine. 1662 Stillingfl. Orig. Sacr. iii. ii. §11 As though he had been Muster-Master-Generall at that great Rendes-vous. 1666 Marvell Corr. Wks. (Grosart) II. 190 That all muster-masters lose their places, who shall muster any that have not taken the oaths and the sacrament. 1667 Pepys Diary 18 Jan., A letter from the Duke of York commanding our payment of no wages to any of the muster⁓masters of the fleet. 1702 Lond. Gaz. No. 3825/3 Her Majesty has been pleased to constitute the Rt. Hon. the Lord Walden Commissary-General of the Musters, and chief Muster-master of Her Majesty's Forces. 1707 Ibid. No. 4310/2 Her Majesty has been..pleased..to..appoint Michael Hyde Esq; Commissary and Mustermaster-General of all the Forces. 1775 Mass. Prov. Congr. 6 May (1823) 199 Muster masters in the Massachusetts army, whose business it shall be to pass muster on every soldier that shall be enlisted into said army. 1802 C. James Milit. Dict., Muster-master-general, Commissary-general of the Musters, one who takes account of every regiment, their number, horses, arms, &c. 1815 Falconer's Dict. Marine (ed. Burney), Muster-master, in royal dock-yards a person appointed by the Navy Board to call over the lists of all his Majesty's ship's companies in the different ports; as also the artificers working on board, in order to prevent false musters. 1896 Peterson's Mag. (U.S.) VI. 288/1 Washington directed Colonel James Glover and Muster-Master-General Moyland to co-operate with the Board of Admiralty. |
| fig. 1600 W. Watson Decacordon (1602) 287 Their ringleader, and muster-master father Parsons. 1662 Stillingfl. Orig. Sacr. iii. ii. 449 Lucretius gives us in so exact an account of the several courses the Atoms took up in disposing themselves into bodyes, as though he had been Muster-Master-General at that great Rendes-vous. |
¶ 2. Used incorrectly for ‘drill-sergeant’.
| 1711 Steele Spect. No. 134 ¶4 A new sort of Muster-master, who teaches Ladies the whole Exercise of the Fan. |
Hence
ˈmustermastership.
| 1664–5 Pepys Diary 12 Mar., We talked also of getting W. Howe to be put into the Muster-Mastershipp in the roome of Creed. 1763 H. Walpole Let. to Earl of Hertford 2 Dec., Mr. Calcraft being turned out yesterday, from some muster-mastership. |