Adam's ale to late 20th century, usage of the phrase has declined. The earliest known printed occurrence of "Adam's ale" is attributed to William Prynne's "The Soveraigne Power of Parliaments and Kingdomes", which was first printed in 1643.<ref name="Merriam-Webster/PoP"> Single occurrence dictionary definition sources for "Adam's ale": The term "Adam's Ale" gained popularity during the emergence of the temperance movement in the 1830s.<ref name="Epochs/JoATU1"> Single occurrence sources for "Adam's Ale" in relation to the temperance movement: [W]hat hurt will it do me to drink of this water?' Our father Adam had nothing better for his wedding-day, and before the earth was cursed,
Ale conner in the community. Ale-conners sometimes had to be impressed into service, and the post was often rotated amongst a number of individuals. The tradition is still maintained in the City of London. The 1911 "Encyclopædia Britannica" reports: The officers are chosen by the liverymen of London to inspect the measures used in the public houses. The title is a sinecure. It is sometimes said that: The Ale Conner was a type of early tax-man whose job it was to test the quality and strength of beer, not by quaffing, but by sitting in a puddle of it! They travelled from