working life of women seventeenth century - School of Economics ...

CRAFTS AND TRADESfrom her fellow parishioners, declaring that JohnBriggs was employed by Lord Ashton and " meddlesnot with his wife's trade of victualling and sellingdrink."' Other examples may be found in an orderfor the suppression of Wm. Brightfoot's licence whohad " by surprize " obtained one for selling beer . .showing that he was a young man, and capable tomaintain his family without keeping an alehou~e,~and the petition of John Phips, of Stondon, labourer,lately fallen into great need for want of work. Hecan get very little to do among his neighbours, " becausethey have little for him to do, having so many poorelaborious men besides within the said parish." Heasks for a licence to sell beer " for his better livelihoodand living hereafter, towards the mayntenance ofhimself, his poor wife and ~hildren."~ Licences wererefused at Bristol to " John Keemis, Cooper, notfit to sell ale, having no child ; he keeps a tapsterwhich is no freeman that have a wife and child," andalso to " Richard Rooke, shipwright, not fit to sellale, having no child, and brews themselves." A BarberSurgeon was disqualified, having no child, " and alsofor entertaining a strange maid which is sick."*Very rarely were doubts suggested as to the proprietyof the trade for women, though a bye-law was passedat Chester ordaining that " no woman between theage of xiii & xl yeares shall kepe any taverne or aleh~wse."~At times complaints were made of the conductof alewives, as in a request to the lustices ofNottingham " that your Worshipps wyll' take someorder wythe all the alewyfes in this towne, for we thinkethat never an alewyfe dothe as hir husband is bownd1 Hertford County Records, Vol. I., p. 289, 1678.Middlesex Sessions Book, p. 23, 1690.Hertford County Records, Vol. I., p. 174, 1665.Latimer, Bristol, p. 359. 1670. Court Leet for St. Stephen's Parisb.6 Harl. MSS., 2054 (4)) fo., 6.CRAFTS AND TRADESto,"' but there is no evidence of any marked differencein the character of the alehouses kept by men andthose kept bv women. The trade included womenof the most 'diverse characters. One, who receivedstolen goods at the sign of the " Leabord's Head " inWare, had there a " priviye place " for hiding stolengoods and suspicious persons " at the press forsoldiers she hid five men from the constables, andcan convey any man from chamber to chamber intothe backside. There is not such a house for thepurpose within a hundred mile^."^ In contrast toher may be quoted the landlady of the Inn at Truro,of whom Celia Fiennes wrote, " My Greatest pleasurewas the good Landlady I had, she was but an ordinaryplaine woman but she was understanding in the bestthings as most-ye Experience of real1 religion and herquiet submission and self-Resignation to ye will ofGod in all things, and especially in ye placeing her ina remoteness to ye best advantages of hearing, and beingin such a publick Employment wch she desired andaimed at ye discharging so as to adorn ye Gospel ofher Lord and Saviour, and the Care of her children.""Yzntners :-The trade of the Vintner had no connectionwith that of the Brewer. Wine was sold inTaverns. In London the Vintners' Company, likethe other London Companies, possessed privilegeswhich were ccntinued to the wife upon her husband'sdeath, but women were probably not concerned inthe trade on their own account. A survey of all theTaverns in London made in 1633 gives a total of211, whereof six are licensed by His Majesty, 203by the Vintners' Company and two are licensedby neither, one is unlicensed, " inhabited by AnTither, whoe lately made a tavern of the stair onNottingham Records, Vol. IV., p. 325, 1614.Hertford County Records, Vol. I., p. 59, 1626.a Fiennes, (Celia), p. 226Through England on a 2ide-Saddle.