How the Sandwich Came to Be.

You might be grossed hearing watercress, pimentos, and peanut butter sandwich but it was a big deal once. The consumption of sandwiches has never diminished even though people do change the ingredients. All this comes to one man who happened to be an Earl. He was the 4th Earl of Sandwich. This is not to say that the act of having meat between bread slices was uncommon. People who were living in the 1st century celebrated Passover by eating unleavened bread and lamb and the meat would be put between the bread by some. With the onset of the Middle Ages, there were open-style sandwiches. Thick stale bread was used as a base where vegetable and meat were piled. The Dutch people then adopted a style where they would add layers of fish, butter, and meat on the bread. in case you are wondering where Sandwich is, it is in the UK on the southern coast. The name means a town located on sandy soil. Literally, “wich” refers to a place, a vicinity or a dwelling. Initially, the 1st Earl of Sandwich was expected to get the title of the Earl of Portsmouth. The change to Sandwich was made as a demonstration of how highly the town held him. He was granted the name during the time he spent in Sandwich as be commandeered a naval fleet based at the coast near the town. Besides the connection, no other ties exist between the town and the Earl’s family.

Sandwiches were not popular until they were brought to the limelight by the 4th Earl of Sandwich. This Earl has loose morals and taking bribe was the norm in his operations. When he was the First Lord of Admiralty his reputation for corruption and incompetence were well known. The Americal Revolution was all his doing. His fear of a French invasion is what caused his refusal to release the British Navy from Europe. Many people came to know of how bad he was at the job this way and critics did not spare him. The 4th Earl of Sandwich belonged to the Hell Fire Club too. The club included members from the elite class in Britain who came together for whoring, gambling and drink. It was a cult that practiced Satanic worship. The 4th Earl of Sandwich was happy to embrace black masses and anti-religious rituals. He was guaranteed protection because of his close relationship with the King and also the Navy control. One of the Hell Fire Club members, John Wilkes, was displeased with the black mass and satanic rituals. His displeasure saw him dress one baboon in a devil suit and bring it to the event. This site will offer more info. about the sandwich history.