Licensed Victuallers 1651-1671

The following are transcriptions of the approval of Licensed Victuallers (Publicans), recorded under Quarter Sessions.

These are for the north-west area of Devon, and cover the years 1651, 1660, 1663, 1664 and 1671.

The name of the person requesting a License is recorded, together with the person(s) who agreed to stand as Surety for their keeping an orderly house.

The documents are housed in Devon Record Office (see reference number against each year).  Surviving documents generally start from 1728, but these documents are rare surviving ones from the 17^th century.

Transcribed by David Carter 2016

(All spelling verbatim)

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1651

[Header text in Latin, with translation as below...]

Devon.

H[ae]c recognition capt[um] et cognit coram nobis Edwardes Arscott William Morice et Johann Fortescue armiger Justiciiariis pacis xr, in Comitat p[rae]dicto apud Holsworthy tertio Aprilis Anno Dom[ini] 1651.

[translates as...]

These recognizances taken before us Edward Arscott, William Morice and Sir John Fortescue Justices of the Peace for the County aforesaid in Holsworthy 3rd April AD 1651.

Signed: Edward ARSCOTT, William MORICE, John FORTESCUE.

[The following section written in English:]

1) The condition of their & every of their recognizance is such that whereas the severall p[er]sons aforementioned are admitted & allowed by us whose names are subscribed to keepe common alehouses & victualinge houses for the space of one whole yeere next ensuinge & noe longer in their severall houses where they & every of them respectively now dwell & not else where. If therefore the said p[er]sons & every of them shall not suffer any unlawfull games in their houses yards gardens or backsides as dice cards tables quoites bowles especially by mens servants apprentices labourer or idle p[er]sons.

2) Nor suffer to be or remayne in their houses and p[er]son or p[er]sons not being his ordinary household servant uppon any sabbath day during the time of Divine service or serman nor suffer any traveller to come into his house after twelve a clocke on Saturday night or goe out before one on Munday morninge.

3) Nor suffer to stay or lodge any p[er]son or p[er]sons in their houses above one day & night but such whose true name & surname they shall deliver to some one of the con[sta]bles or in his absence to some of the officers of the same p[ar]ish the next day followinge rules such as they knowe & will answer for their forth cominge.

4) Nor suffer any p[er]son to remayne on their houses typlinge or drinking contrary to the statute, nor after nine of the clocke at night.

5) Nor buy nor take to pawne any stollen goods.

6) Nor willingly harbor any rogues vagabonds sturday beggers masterles men notorious offenders in their barnes or out houses or dwelling houses.

7) Nor suffer any to sell or utter ale or beer, or victual by deputation or color of his licence.

8) If they & every of them doe keepe the true assise in waights measures in bread & drinke to be uttered by them, the waights & measures to be sealed.

9) Not utter or sell beere or ale above a penny a quarte, & of this kind have always [faded] as is good & wholesome for the releife of labourers as above & poore, that shall come to fetch it.

10) Nor sell or suffer any drinke or victuall on fastinge dayes until five a clocke at night.

11) Nor refuse to lodge any traveller that shall offer to for his entertaynment.

12) Nor utter or sell or suffer to be uttered or druncke any tobacco within their houses or any place therunto belonginge.

13) Nor dresse nor cause nor suffer to be dressed ay flesh to be eate uppon any day for bidden by the lawes & statutes of this Commonwealth.

That then their & every of their recognizance to be void & of none effect, otherwise to be of full power, force, power, strength and virtue.

[Each entry appears with typical wording as follows:]

Georgius Jeffery de Bradworthy cognouit se debere £20 custodibus libertatis Anglicae xc, sub conditione sequent Manucap[tor]: Danniel Wood de Holsworthy, John Halfacre de Bradworthy, yeomen quilibet corum £10.

[translates as...]

George Jeffery of Bradworthy acknowledges that he owes £20 to the guardians of England, etc, under the following conditions. Sureties: Danniel Wood of Holsworthy, John Halfacre of Bradworthy, yeomen, each of them £10.

Signed: Ed ARSCOTT, Will MORICE, John FORTESCUE.

[Entries below have been translated from Latin and tabulated as follows:]

Transcribed by David Carter 2016

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1660

[This document fully in English]

Devon.

Recognizances of Alehouse keepers with theire sureties here under mentioned weare taken at Great Torrington in the County aforesaid the eight and tenth daie of Maie in the yeare of our Lord god 1660 before Richard Coffing, John Wollacombe, John Champneys and Arthur Fortescue esquires fower of the Justices of the peace for the said County.

The condition of the severall recognizances before written is such that whereas they and every of their principall parties before written are admitted to keepe Common Alehouses and Ty[p?]ling houses in the severall parishes and houses where they and every of them now dwell and inhabit and not elsewhere until the feast of Easter next ensuing, if therefore they and everie of them shall not suffer during the said terme and unlawfull rule to be kept in theire said severall houses and also shall keepe the true assise of broad ale and beere and shall doe observe performe and keepe all other the lawes and ordinances in that behalfe made and provided that then the said severall recognizances to be void.

Signed: Richard COFFIN, John WESTCOMBE, John CHAMPNEYS, Arthur FORTESCUE.

[Each entry appears with typical wording as follows:]

Frithelstock: Roger HARRIS of the same acknowledged himself to owe to the keepers of the Liberties of England by authoratie of P[ar]liam[en]t the sume of tenne pounds, Walter COOPER(?) and John HORNE of the same parish the sume of five pounds a peece as sureties for the said HARRIS.

Langtree: Beniamine EXTER of the same the sume of tenne pounds – Roger HARRIS and John HORNE the sum of five pounds a peece as sureties for the said Beniamine EXTER.

 [Entries below have been tabulated from this text:]

Recognizances of alehouse keepers with theire sureties taken at Buckland Brewer the fifth day of June [1660] before Richard Coffing, John Champneys and Arthure Fortescue esquires three of his Majesty's Justices of the Peace for the Countie aforesaid under the condition before expressed.

Signed: Richard COFFIN, John CHAMPNEYS, Arthur FORTESCUE.

[The following entries appear with typical wording as follows:]

Northam: Phillip Burges of the same acknowledged himself to owe to our Soveraigne Lord the King the sum of twentie pounds Obediah Harris and George Wescombe the sum of tenne pounds a peece as sureties for the said Phillip Burges.

[These entries have been tabulated as follows:]

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1663

[Header text in Latin, with translation as below...]

Huet Recognitio capt[um] furnit corum Guilemo Morise Baronet Richardo Coffin, Johans Arscott et Henrici Walter Armiger Justiciariys pacis dom regis ad pacem de comit[atus] p[rae]dict[o] 22nd die Aprillis Ano regn[us] dom[inus] nost[rum] Caroli 2nd etc. Annoy Dom 1663.

[translates as...]

This recognizance held before William Morise baronet, Richard Coffin, John Arscott and Sir Henry Walter Justices of the peace in the county aforesaid, 22nd April in the Kingdom of our Charles II, 1663.

[The following section written in English:]

The condition of this recognizance is such that where as you are admited and allowed by the Justices to keepe a common Alehowse and Vitleinghouse untill the feast of Easter next for the space of one whole yeare next ensuing the date heare of and noe longer in the houses where you now dwell and not else where of therefore you shall not during the tyme aforesaid permitt or suffer or have any playing att dice, cards, quoyts, loggets, bowles, or any other unlawfull games in your houses yeards gardens or backsides, or shall suffer to be or remayne in your houses and person or persons not being your ordernery household servants upon any Sabbeth day of Holeday duringe the tyme of Devine Service or sermon, not shall suffer any person to stay in your house or howses above one day and one night but such whose trew names & surnames you shall deliver to some one of the Con[sta]ble or in his absence to some one of the officers of the same p[ar]ish the next day following unless they be such persons as you well know & will answere for his or their forth coming, nor suffer any person to remayne in your houses tiplinge or drinking after nyne of the clock att night, nor buy nor take to Pawnd any stolen goods nor willingly harber in your houses, barnes, stabels or other where, any roges vagabones marsterles j~[torn] other notorious offenders whatsoever, nor suffer any p[er]son or p[er]sons ~~[torn] utter any beare or alle or other vitules by debutacord or by culler of your license, and alsoe that you shall keepe the due assizes of Bread, Beare & Alle [faded] That then x'd or otherwayes x'd.

Signed: Will STOVIER, John ARSCOTT, Richard COFFIN, Henry ?EAB?EL.

[Each entry appears with typical wording as follows:]

Tom Paddon de Highampton Comit[atus] p[rae]dict[o] husb cogn[ouit] se deber[e] regi £10, et Johans Moreham de p[ari]chi p[rae]dict[o] husb et Franc[is] Avery de p[ari]chi p[rae]dict[o] husb manicupt et quilibet eorum £5 sub condition[es] sequent.

[translates as...]

Thomas Paddon of Highampton in County aforesaid husbandman acknowledges that he owes the King £10, and John Moreham of the same parish and Francis Avery of the same parish husbandman sureties and each of them £5 under the following conditions.

[Entries below have been translated from Latin and tabulated as follows:]

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1664

[Header text in Latin, with translation as below...]

Capt[um] et Recognit[io] corum nobis Willimo Morice barronet, Richard Prideaux milliti et Johannii Arscott ar' Tribus Justic ad pac[e] dict hui Regis in dict Com conservand assign etc vicessimo tertio die February Anno R[egni] R[egi]s Caroli secundi nunc Anglie etc, decimo sexto. Anno D[omi]ni 1663.

[translates as...]

These recognizances held before us William Morice barronet, Richard Prideaux (military) and John Arscott three Justices of the Peace for the King in County aforesaid the 23rd day February 16th[*] year of the Reign of King Charles II of England, AD 1663.

[* calculated from the death of Charles I, not the restoration of the monarchy]

Signed: William MORICE, Richard PRIDEAUX, John ARSCOTT.

Devonshire

O[m]nisqe p[er]sona huius nomen hic subscriptum est cognovit se debere d[omi]no n[ost]ro Regi Seperalem summam legalis y monete Anglie Super nomen suum d[es]criptum sub conditioe sequenti.

[translates as...]

Every person whose name is subscribed here acknowledged that he owes to our lord the king severally legal sums of money of England in his name described under the following conditions.

The condition of these recognizances is such that if the above bounded principalls and such as for whome sureties are bounde doe well & truly observe p[er]forme fulfill & keepe all & sing[u]lar such ordin[a]nces lawes & statutes of this kingdom made for the due observen[ce] of Lent & other divers appointed for fish daies; And that none of them doe not nor shall not at any time hereafter during the time of Lent nor upon any other daies or times by the lawes of the lande p[ro]hibited kill sell utter dresse or eate nor willingly p[er]mitt or suffer or cause to be killed solde uttered drest or eaten in any of their house or houses or elsewhere any kinde off flesh for what cause soever by by p[er]son or p[er]sons whatsoever then theise recognizances to be voyd; but if any of the sayd principalls or any for whome any sureties are bound doe fayle in the p[er]formance hereof, That the severall acknowledged sumes by every such non p[er]formants and their sureties to be respectively levied upon the goodes & chattells landes and tenem[en]ts of every such principall as shall fayle in the p[er]formance hereof & their sureties or any for whome any sureties are bounde, to the use of o[u]r sov[er]aigne lord the king's ma[jes]tie.

[Entries below have been translated from Latin and tabulated as follows:]

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1671

Devon

Recognizances taken before Sir William Morice baronet, Richard Coffin, and Henry Walter esquires Justices of the peace for the hundreds of Black Torrington, Shebbear, Hartland and Winkleigh.

Capt[um] et Recognit[io] corum nobis vicesima quinto die Aprilis Ano Regni Dom[in]us xii Carol sec[un]d[us] dei gratia Angla Scotia Francia et Hibernia, RS fides defensoris Anno Domini 1671.

[translates as...]

These recognizances held before us 25th April in the 12th year of the reign of Charles II by grace of god king of England, Scotland, France and Ireland, defender of the faith, AD 1671.

Signed: William MORICE, Richard COFFIN.

The condition of yo[u]r recognizance is such that whereas you are allowed by the Justices to keepe common Alehouses untill the feast of Easter next ensuing the date hereof and [faded] longer in the howses where you now dwell and not elsewhere, if therefore you shall not during the tyme afores[ai]d permitt or suffer any unlawfull games to be used in yo[u]r f[oresai]d howses, yeards, gardens or backsides or shall suffer to be or remayne in any of yo[u]r howses any p[er]son or p[er]sons (not being yo[u]r ordenary howsehold servants) upon any Sabbath day or holiday during the tyme of Divine Service, or sermon, or shall suffer any p[er]son to lodge or stay in yo[u]r howses above one day and one night but such whose true names or sirnames you shall deliver to some on[e] of the con[sta]bles or in his absence to some of the officers of the same p[ar]ish the next day following, unlesse they be such p[er]son or p[er]sons as you shall well know or will answer for his or their foorthcomings, or suffer any p[er]son to remayne in any of yo[u]r howses tipling or drinking after 9 of the clocke att night or att any other tyme longer than the law doth allow, nor buy or take to pawne any stolen goods, nor willingly harbour in any of yo[u]r howses, barns, stables or otherwhere, any rouges, vagabonds, sturdy beggars, masterlesse serv[an]ts or other notorious offenders whatsoever, nor suffer any p[er]son or p[er]sons to utter any beere or ale by deputation of colour of yo[u]r licences, And alsoe if you shall keep the true assisze & measure in yo[u]r potts bread and otherwise in uttering of yo[u]r ale beere and bread, And the same beere and ale to be sealed measure and according to the assize and not otherwise , And shall not utter and sell any strange beere or strong ale above a penny the quart, smale beere & ale above a penny the quart, Alsoe after the same rates that then yo[u]r recognizance to be voyed and of none effortt but [faded] fayle herein yo[u]r recognizance to remayne and be in their full power strength & vertue.

[Entries below have been translated from Latin and tabulated as follows:]

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