As early as the middle of the fifteenth century some attempts were made to bring about “Sunday closing.” They seem to have taken the form, for the most part, of bye-laws of corporations, and to have been generally unsuccessful. In 1428 the corporation of Hull prohibited the vintners and ale-house keepers from delivering or selling ale upon the Sunday, under penalty of 6s. 8d. for sellers and 3s. 4d. for buyers. In 1444 an act was made by the Common Council of London “that upon the Sunday should no manner of thing within the franchise of the City be bought or sold, neither victual nor other things.” The attempt was apparently unsuccessful, as we are told that “it held but a while,” but it was renewed from time to time in some form or other. In 1555 an order was made by the Privy Council of Queen Mary, and directed to the Lord Mayor and Aldermen of the City of London, whereby taverns, ale or beer houses, &c., are directed to be closed on “Sondaye, or other festeyvall or hollye daye duringe all the severall tymes of mattyns, highe masse, and evynsonge, or of eny sermon to be songe or sayde within their severall parishe Churches upon payne of ymprysonmente, as well of the boddyes of every suche howseholder, as also of the boddyes of every suche persone as shall so presume to eate or drynke.” A hundred years later many entries occur in parish and other records of penalties for Sunday drinking. * * * * * The books of St. Giles’ parish furnish the following extracts:— 1641. Received of the Vintner at the Catt in Queene Streete, for p’mitting of tipling on the Lord’s day £1 10 0 {116} 1644. Received of three poor men, for drinking on the Sabbath daie at Tottenham Court £0 4 0 1646. Received of Mr. Hooker, for brewing on a Fast day 0 2 6 1648. Received from Isabel Johnson, at the Cole Yard, for drinking on the sabbath day 0 4 0 1655. Received of a Mayd taken in Mrs. Jackson’s Ale-house on the sabbath day 0 5 0 Received of a Scotchman drinking at Robert Owen’s on the Sabbath 0 2 0 1658. Received of Joseph Piers, for refusing to open his doores to have his house searched on the Lord’s daie 0 10 0 In 1641, an amusing pamphlet was published on the subject of Sunday closing. Its title, frontispiece, and an extract from its contents are given on the opposite page. About this period was in vogue that curious old form of punishment which was known as the drunkard’s, or Newcastle, cloak. This garment was nothing more nor less than a beer barrel, worn in the manner shown in the accompanying illustration. Possibly the inventor of sandwich men derived his idea from this source. [Illustration]