My online nickname comes from the "Groom Porter" who was first appointed during the reign of Henry VII and was in charge of organizing gambling at court. Under Queen Anne, letters patent gave "full powers to him and to such deputies as he shall appoint to supervise, regulate and authorize ... all manner of gaming within the kingdom". The term continued to be used through the 18th and 19th centuries as a reference to the owner, or manager of a gambling hall, or what we would call a croupier running a dice table.

I also do a demo of man-powered wood turning and have a little website dedicated to the research I've done in wood turning through the ages.