Toronto of Old: Collections and recollections illustrative of the early settlement and social life of the capital of OntarioScadding, Henry
History
Toronto of Old: Collections and recollections illustrative of the early settlement and social life of the capital of Ontario
Scadding, Henry
Toronto (Ont.) -- Description and travel; Toronto (Ont.) -- History
In July, 1798, the following items appear against the names, conjointly
of Messrs. Baby, Hamilton, and Commodore Grant:--Twenty-two dinners at
Eight shillings, £8 16s. Sixteen to Coffee, £1 12s. Eight Suppers, 16s.
Twenty-three quarts and one pint of wine, £10 11s. 6d. Eight bottles of
porter, £2 8s. Two bottles of syrup-punch, £1 4s. One bottle of brandy
and one bottle of rum, 18s. Altogether amounting to £26 5s. 6d. (The
currency throughout Mr. Miles' books is that of New York, in which the
shilling was seven pence half-penny. The total just given denoted
between £16 and £17 of modern Canadian money. It is observable that in
the entries of which we give specimens, whiskey, the deadly bane of
later years, in not named.) On the 17th June, Thomas Ridout, Jonathan
Scott, Col. Fortune, Surveyor Jones, Samuel Heron, Mr. Jarvis [the
Secretary], Adjutant McGill, and Mr. Crawford are each charged 16s. as
his quota of a "St. John's dinner." On the 4th of June, an entry against
"the Chief Justice" [Elmsley], runs thus: Eighteen dinners at Eight
shillings, £7 4s. Three bottles Madeira, £1 7s. One bottle brandy, 10s.
Five bottles of port wine, four bottles of porter and one pint of rum
are charged, but the value is not given. The defect is supplied in a
later entry against the Chief Justice, of seven dinners (42s.); where
two pints of port wine are charged 9s.; one pint of brandy, 5s.; two
bottles port wine, 18s.; one bottle white wine, 9s.; one bottle of
porter, 6s. On this occasion "four took coffee," at a cost of 8s.
Elsewhere, three dinners are charged to the Chief Justice, when three
bottles of wine were required; one pint of brandy, and two bottles of
porter, all at the rates already quoted. A "mess dinner" is mentioned,
for which the Chief Justice, Mr. Hallowell, and Mr. Cartwright pay 6s.
each. One bottle of port, one of Madeira, and one of brandy were
ordered, and the "three took coffee," as before at 2s. a head. Again, at
a "mess dinner," of four, the names not given, two bottles of port and
one bottle of porter were taken. A "club" appears to have met here. In
July, 1798, a charge against the names of "Esq. Weekes," "Esq. Rogers,"
and Col. Fortune, respectively, is "liquor in club the 11th at dinner,
1s. 6d." On July 6th "Judge Powell" is charged for supper, 2s.; for one
quart of wine, 9s. On the same day "Judge Powell's servant" had a "gill
brandy, 1s. 3d. and one glass do., 8d." A few days afterwards, a
reverend wayfarer calls at the inn; baits his beast, and modestly
refreshes himself. The entry runs:--"Priest from River La Tranche, 3
quarts corn and half-pint of wine. Breakfast, 2s 6d." On another day,
Capt. Herrick has a "gill gin sling, 1s. 3d.; also immediately
afterwards a "half-pint of gin sling, 3s." At the same time Capt. Demont
has "gill rum sling, 1s. 3d.," and "gill rum, 1s." Capt. Fortune has
"half-pint wine, 2s.," and "Esq. Weekes," "gill brandy, 1s. 3d." Col.
Fortune has "gill sour punch, 2s." This sour punch is approved of by
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