Nineteen Centuries of Drink in England: A HistoryFrench, Richard Valpy
History
Nineteen Centuries of Drink in England: A History
French, Richard Valpy
Drinking customs -- England; Drinking of alcoholic beverages -- Great Britain; England -- Social life and customs
3. That the applicant must give a bond, and find surety for the
payment of penalties incurred.
4. Penalty for vending wine and spirits, 20_l._
5. In case of riot, magistrates can command the closing of the
houses.
6. Penalties for disorderly conducting of the house.
7. Not to open before four A.M., and to close at ten P.M., and
during Divine Service on Sundays and holy-days.
How did it work? How did it operate upon the consumption (1) of beer,
(2) of spirits? During the ten years preceding the passing of the
Beerhouse Act, the quantity of malt used for brewing was 268,139,389
bushels: during the ten years immediately succeeding, the quantity
was 344,143,550 bushels, showing an increase of 28 per cent. During
the ten years 1821-1830, the quantity of British spirits consumed was
57,970,963 gallons, and during the next ten years it rose to 76,797,365
gallons, an increase of 32 per cent. All this clearly proved that the
increased facilities for getting beer created a greater demand for
spirits. During the year following the Act, more than 30,000 beer-shops
were opened in England and Wales. In Sheffield, as one instance, 300
beer-shops were added to the old complement of public-houses; and it
is especially to be noted that before the second year had transpired,
110 of the keepers of these houses had applied for _spirit_ licences to
satisfy the desire for ardent drinks.
On the motion of the Marquis of Chandos, April 18, 1833, it was
ordered in the House of Commons ‘That a select committee be appointed
to inquire into the state and management of houses in which beer is
sold by retail under the Act 1st Will. IV., cap. 64, commonly called
beer-shops, and with a view to making such alterations in the law as
may tend to their better regulation, and to report their observations,
together with their opinion thereon.’ Thirty-two members were appointed
as the committee, and April 22, ten others were added to it. The
committee sat April 24, 26, 30, May 1, 3, 7, 8, 10, 14, 15, 17, 20,
21, 22, 24. The witnesses examined were in number 59, among whom
were A. Magendie, late Assistant Poor Law Commissioner: A. Crowley
(brewer of Alton), magistrates, magistrates’ clerks, beer-sellers,
farmers and others. The Marquis of Chandos presided at most of the
sittings of the committee. The committee’s report, dated June 21, 1833,
contains fifteen resolutions, of which the first was:--‘That it is the
opinion of the committee from the evidence that has been adduced that
considerable evils have arisen from the present management and conduct
of beer-houses.’ The other resolutions expressed the committee’s
opinion that every applicant should produce a certificate of good
character signed by six rated inhabitants of the parish or township
(not beer-sellers)--the certificate to be signed by the overseer or
assistant overseer, as a proof that the six persons named were rated
inhabitants; that, besides other penalties, magistrates should be
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Elsewhere in the archive
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account