Quite often I have my cotton socks 'blessed'. Can anyone tell me the origin of this saying?
GEORGE Edward Lynch Cotton became Bishop of Calcutta in 1858 and while there established schools for Eurasian children. A man of great sensitivity, he ordered crates full of socks for the children, to be worn during lessons. It was the rule of the Bishop to bless all goods which arrived at the schools. A zealous member of staff one day distributed socks before the blessing, so thereafter every time a shipment arrived a note was placed on them to the effect: 'Cotton's socks for blessing'. Cotton's socks soon became corrupted to cotton socks. When the Bishop was drowned in the Ganges on October 6, 1866, a despatch was sent to the Archbishop to ask: 'Who will bless his cotton socks?'
(Mrs) Jane M Glossop, Pwllheli, Gwynedd.