Part 43

ffor a Leag of Mutton 0 3 4 ffor a Sirloyne of befe 0 9 0 ffor a Shoulder of venison 0 5 0 3 chickins 3 rabets 0 5 6 8 harty chockes 0 1 0 ffrut 0 3 6 fyring 0 3 0 3 pound of butter 0 1 6 veniger 0 0 3 peper & other spice 0 0 3 oyle & salt 0 0 6 Gallindine 0 0 6 4 Colliflouers 0 1 3 ffor dressing Diner 0 6 6

July y{e} 27{th} 1676 ffor y{e} Asestance & thar wivfes att barbar sirgons

ɫi. s. d. ffor 5 Dishis of Chickins Backon & Colliflours boyld 2 10 0 ffor a side of venison 1 4 0 ffor 3 Sir Loynes of befe 1 10 0 ffor 1 fore rebb for breackfast 0 8 0 ffor a neack of vele & muton 0 7 0 ffor 3 Grand Sallets 0 12 0 ffor puting 3 peces of venison in past 1 4 0 ffor 3 Dishis of geses 2 in a dish 0 18 0 ffor 3 made Dishis & 18 Chescaks 0 15 0 ffor 3 Dishis of Turkes & sas[289] 2 in a dish 0 18 0 ffor 3 Lumbard pyes 1 4 0 ffor 4 Dishis of Toung & udders 1 4 0 ffor 3 Custtords 0 12 0 ffor a firckin of Sturjon 2 0 0 ffor 4 Dishis of Chickins & pigons 1 4 0 ffor y{e} use of putter[290] 1 0 0 ffor wood and coles 0 12 0 ffor 3 Dishis of Tarts 1 1 0 ffor 3 Dishis of oringes & lemonds 0 7 6 ffor a small dish of frute 0 2 6 ffor worckmen & labarars and my owne paines 1 0 0 3 Dishis of frut 0 0 0 -------- 20 13 0 ========

[289] Turkeys and sauce. [290] Pewter.

The monthly dinners were very much after the foregoing Bill of fare, and the following extracts of some of the more interesting items are taken at random.

October, 1676. ffor 2 piges[291] 0 7 0 2 pullets rostted with saseges & oystters 0 5 0 ffor 3 Gallions of oysters 1 4 0 ffor 18 lb. of medling backon 0 12 0 ffor 8 lb. of lardin backon 0 5 4

[291] Pigs.

The dinner on Lord Mayor’s Day, 1676, cost £26 6_s._ 4_d._, this was exclusive of wine. The “buttered ale” on this occasion was compounded as follows--

1 C of Eages[292] & 8 Gallions of Ale 0 5 4 2 lb. of butter 0 1 2 8 lb. of sugar 0 4 0 1 ounce of nuttmages 0 0 5 ------- 0 10 11 =======

December, 1676. ffor 4 Duckes 0 4 8 January, 1677. ffor 1 quart of oyle 0 2 0 January, 1677. ffor 2 quarts of venigar 0 1 0 March, 1677. A quarttern of Smelts 0 2 0 18 whitting 0 1 6 a Jegett of mutton 0 4 6 6 capons 0 13 0 9 chickins 0 12 0 9 Rabets 0 6 0 7 Lobstars 0 9 4 a side of Lamb 0 5 6 ffor Lorell flouers & fenell 0 0 6 ffor flouer spice & Anchoves 0 1 6 May, 1677. ffor 2 Calfes heads 0 6 0 ffor 4 hundreds of sparagar 0 3 4 ffor 3 wasfalia hames 1 0 0

[292] Eggs.

Cucumbers under the designation of “cockinbers” and sometimes “cowcombers,” together with sorell, barbery, “samfer,” “lorell flouers,” capers, anchovies, oranges and lemons, “gallindene,” “carberys,” horse reddish, parsley, “red cabbeg,” etc., frequently occur at this period as being used for garnishes and in the preparation of the dinners.

March, 1678. ffor a Hole fresh Cod 0 14 0 ffor 12 teale and 3 docks[293] 0 15 9 ffor 4 quartes of oysters 0 8 0 ffor 3 dishis of pipins & Caraways 0 4 0 May, 1678. ffor 7 Grene geese 0 19 0 July, 1678. ffor 4 Battelia pyes 2 8 0 September, 1678. ffor a Maria puding 0 4 0 October, 1678. a dish of florindines 0 6 0

[293] Ducks.

The staple dishes about this period were--

Westphalia hams. Venison pasties. Sirloins of beef. Ribs of beef. Necks of veal and mutton. Rabbits. Boiled legs of pork. Capons and sausages. “Midlin” bacon. Pullets and oysters. Tongues and udders. Geese. Dishes of Pigeons. “Lumber” pies. Dishes of Turkeys. “Tansies.” Sturgeon. Cod. Ling. Eel pies. Dishes of tarts. “Maid dishes.” Apple pie. Dishes of fruit. Custards. Almond florandines. Mince pies. Oranges and lemons. Grand salads. French benes. Sparagrasse. Spinidge. Sprouts. Turnops. Colliflowers. Hartychockes.

The pudding now so well known at Barbers’ Hall as “Barbers’ pudding,” was originally “Maria pudding,” then “mara,” later on spelt “maro,” and finally “marrow pudding,” by which latter designation it is often now called.

September, 1684. ffor 8 oringes 0 1 8

Poultry seems to have been cheap, as for the election dinner in this year--

7 Geese were bought for 1 4 6 16 Turkeys " " 1 14 8 39 Chickens " " 1 19 0 90 Pigeons " " 1 6 3

The allowance to the “musick” at nearly every dinner was a shoulder of mutton, sometimes supplemented by two rabbits. The cost of “dressing” the monthly dinners was usually about 8_s._, and of the Election, Audit and quarterly Courts £1 10_s._ to £4.

May, 1685. ffor 2 dishes of Pidgon and Backon and spinig 0 16 0 2 dishes of Mackerell 0 6 0

August, 1687. This election dinner was a little above the average, the following being the details--

for a Brace of Bucks 8 13 0 for Putting them in 8 Pastyes 4 0 0 for 6 S{r} Loynes of Beef and a four rib for brakefast 3 4 0 4 Westfalia hams 1 11 0 7 Lumber pyes 2 16 0 7 Marrow puddings 1 15 0 7 Custarts 1 11 6 7 Dishes of Tarts 2 2 0 7 Dishes of Tonges and Udders 1 15 0 7 Gees 1 5 8 14 Torkeyes 1 11 6 45 Chickins 2 5 0 4 Dozen and 1/2 of Pidgeons 0 13 6 12 Partriges 0 12 0 a Shoulder of Mutton & 2 Rabits for the musick 0 5 0 12 pound of midling Bakon and Lard 0 8 0 24-1/2 pound of fresh butter 0 17 0 for Artechoaks Cabidg french beans Lawrell Parsly and herbs to garnish 0 9 0 flower Salt and Salt butter for the range 0 5 6 for Gallindine and Goos sace[294] 0 3 6 for Viniger 0 6 0 for Brooms packthread Candels and other things 0 1 0 Wood and coles 1 0 0 Kooks and Laberours and my own pains 3 0 0 2 pounds of Loaf Suger 2 0 0 -------- 40 6 8 ========

[294] Sauce.

May, 1688. Is the first mention of a “creem chees” 0 0 8

December, 1692. With the exceptions of ling, sturgeon, and salt fish with egg sauce, but little other fish appears to have been eaten. On this occasion, however, we find--

2 Dishis of fresh Cod Drest with Shrimps & Anchove Sawse 0 14 0 ffor 6 Whitings 0 2 0

October, 1693. Green peas are for the first time referred to amongst the vegetables, and, singularly enough, they only occur once in each year for many years, and then at the _October_ dinners!

June, 1698. 2 pounds of fine powdered sugar for the Strawberrys 0 1 4

July, 1704.

THE STEWARDS DINNER.

A legg of mutton rosted 0 2 8 A buttered appel pye 0 3 0 Cheese to y{e} appel pye 0 0 2 3 Quartes of Coffee 0 3 0 -------- 0 8 10 ========

May, 1707. ffor 15 Mackril 0 10 0 16 Gooseberry tartes 0 8 0 Caper sauce for the mutton 0 1 0 April, 1708. A Frygusse of Lamb 0 6 0

20th September, 1709. It was ordered, in consequence of the great increase in the Livery, that there should be six instead of five stewards of the Mayor’s Feast to make the Livery dinner, and any liveryman chosen to the office and refusing to serve was to be prosecuted under the by-laws. The fine for not serving was £13 6_s._ 8_d._, and was invariably enforced, numerous cases of refusal being decided at law in favour of the Company. Six Whifflers were as usual, appointed “to be attendant upon the Govern{rs} at the Hall upon the next Lord Mayo{rs} day in comely & decent Apparrell with gilded Chaines & white Staves.”

6th November, 1717. In consequence of irregularities at the Lord Mayor’s feast, it was ordered that in future the Stewards should be prohibited from bringing their wives and friends to the dinner.

1721. The third dinner book opens with an account of the receipts of the Governors’ “Potation Money” for this year, amounting to £131 11_s._ 2_d._, the contributions being from Barbers one guinea, and from Surgeons two guineas each. This potation money was spent at the Mitre Tavern in Fleet Street, on ten Monthly Court dinners, which averaged the modest sum of £4 4_s._ apiece, and the remainder was disbursed about the election feast, wine and sundries.

The cost of the Mayor’s feast this year was £67 7_s._, and at this dinner was drunk a hogshead of port (query), six gallons of mountain, six gallons of white port, and three gallons of canary.

July 19th, 1722. At the ladies’ feast the following wine was drunk--

30 Gallons Red Port at 7_s._ 10 10 0 11 " Sherry at 7_s._ 3 17 0 7 " Canary at 7_s._ 2 9 0 5 " Rhenish at 7_s._ 1 15 0

and 4_s._ were expended on tobacco and pipes.

1726. The monthly Court dinners were held at the George and Vulture Tavern, nine of them costing in all £29 13_s._ 9_d._

The Election dinner this year cost £91 8_s._ 0_d._

And the Lord Mayor’s feast £72 1_s._ 10-1/2_d._

June, 1729. The monthly Court dinner was held at “Vaux Hall.”

The accounts throughout the Third Dinner Book (1720-1740) appear to be much the same every year. First is a list of receipts for Potation Money, averaging about £100 per annum, then follow the allowances out of the same towards the Election dinner, the dressing it and use of pewter, about £19 in all, the payments for the monthly Court dinners (nine or ten at about £4 4_s._ each), and the expenses of the Election feasts, about £80 to £90 a piece.

The cost of the Lord Mayor’s feast, the Livery feast, and the Ladies’ feast, was borne by the Stewards.

There were gay doings at some of these dinners, as witness the following:

1726. Paid the Boy who danced the anticks at the Lady’s feast, 5_s._

1727. By Cash paid the Butchers who played to the Company with their Marrow bones and cleavers on Lord Mayor’s day, 1_s._

And there were sometimes rather shady doings after the dinners, thus:

10th July, 1729. Mem̃dm. M{r} Truelove & M{r} Fradin carried away y{e} next morning after y{e} feast four Dozen Quarts of Wine, One whole Venison pasty, One whole Goose, one whole fowl, & several lemons & sugar.

1st February, 1732. Mr. John Atkinson and the other Stewards of the Mayor’s feast, employed a cook of their own, and “did make a most scandalous Dinner for y{e} Co.,” whereupon order was given that in future no other than the “Standing Cooke” of the Company should be employed.

One is astounded at the quantity of wine which appears to have been imbibed at some of these dinners; take, for example, the following on Lord Mayor’s Day, 1735, and note that it is especially stated that the wine was “drank at the said feast”:

Paid for the following quantitys of wine provided for and drank at the said feast, viz{t.}

To M{r} Standert for 21 Gall Red Port 6 6 0 2 Gall Lisben 0 12 0 2 Gall Mountaine 0 12 0 2 Gall Canary 0 13 0 29 Bottles lost 0 4 10 To M{r} Gaywood for 20 Gall Red Port 6 0 0 2 Gall Mountaine 0 12 0 2 Gall Lisbone 0 12 0 2 Gall Canary 0 13 0 To M{r.} Pierce for 2 Gall Lisben 0 12 0 2 Gall Mountaine 0 12 0 2 Gall Canary 0 13 0 20 Gall Red Port 6 0 0

By the above account these thirsty old Barber-Surgeons seem to have consumed no less than 79 Gallons of wine at this dinner.

15th July, 1736. 56 gallons of wine were drunk at the Ladies’ feast.

21st July, 1726. It is order{d} That from henceforward at all publick Feasts or Dinners to be held or made at the Hall the Cook of the Company for the time being shall before he sends the Dinner into the Hall deliver to the Clark of the Company at his House his Messe of meat consisting of six compleat dishes according to the Ancient laws and usage of the Company in that behalf the same being the ancient ffee & Perquisite of the Clerk.

21st August, 1729. The above order was vacated in consequence of disputes as to the contents and number of the dishes supplied to the Clerk, and it was ordered that the Clerk should receive £5 5_s._ annually in lieu of his “messe of meat,” and also that he should dine at all the feasts “as he has always been accustomed to do.”

1st February, 1731. For the better regulating of the Ladys Feast It is ordered That every Member of the Court of Assistants shall besides his Lady and one daughter have three tickets to be delivered to such persons as they shall think fitt to be admitted to come and dance at the Hall at Five of the Clock on that day and that there shall be two Constables to attend at the Hall gate and see that nobody is admitted but with such Ticketts and that the Ticketts be made out by the Clerk of the Company and sealed with the Company’s seal.

The Summons to a Liveryman to take upon himself the office of Steward was of a very peremptory nature, as will be seen by the following:--

S{r}

By order of the Ma{rs} or Gov{rs} of the Mystery & Comonalty of Barbers & Surgeons of London, I do hereby give you notice that you having been chosen & admitted of the Livery or Cloathing of the said Company, You are appointed by the Masters or Gov{rs} of the s{d} Comp{d} together with M{r.} Richard Penton M{r.} Joseph Griffin M{r.} Daniel Pengrove and M{r.} Joseph Mitchell who are also Liverymen of the said Company to make an Entertainment in the Com̄on Hall of the said Company situate in Monckwell Street in the Parish of Saint Olave Silver Street in the City of London for the Gov{rs} and Assistants of the s{d} Company commonly called the Livery Dinner on Teusday the 3{d} day of June 1735 at two of the Clock in the afternoon pursuant to a By law of the said Company in that behalf made & provided. And in case you shall neglect or refuse w{th}out reasonable Excuse to join together with the said M{r.} Richard Penton M{r.} Joseph Griffin M{r.} Daniel Pengrove and M{r.} Joseph Mitchell to made such Dinner on Teusday the 3{d} day of June next, or to contribute and pay your share and and proporc͠on of the charges thereof you will forfeit and pay to the said Ma{rs} or Gov{rs} of the s{d} Mystery and Comonalty to the use of the said Company the sum of £5. And I do hereby give you further notice That the gentlemen who are to join with you in making the said dinner will meet you at the George and Vulture Tavern in Saint Michael’s Alley in Cornhill in the City of London on Friday next being the 23rd day of this instant May at six of the clock in the afternoon to give the proper directions for the said dinner, at which time and place you are desired to attend for that purpose.

I am S{r} Your most obed{t.} humble Serv{t.} CHA: BERNARD Clerk to the s{d} Company.

Herewith you will receive a copy of the Bill of Fare or a Particular of w{ch} the s{d} Entertainment is to consist.

Barbers and } Surgeon’s Hall, } 22{d} May 1735

To M{r.} Cha: More.

28th May, 1741. By an order made this day in reference to the Ladies’ feast it was directed--

that the Entertainment shall continue no longer than twelve of the clock when there shall be no more Dancing but that the Musick be then dismissed and the Company depart.

28th August, 1741. The Court having taken into consideration the ill behaviour and abusive language of John Atkinson Distiller in White Chappell (a Liveryman of this Company) on the last day of Election, who in a most gross manner (in the Common Hall of this Company) the Master of the said Company did greatly insult and abuse and did otherwise very indecently and rudely behave to other Members of the Company whereby the Peace of the said Company then assembled was greatly disturbed, and being determined to put a stop to and prevent the like grievances for the future by punishing all such offendors herein ORDERED that the said John Atkinson be fined for such his ill behaviour to the Master the sum of 6{s} 8{d} and 10{s} for bringing in to Dinner on that day another person with him after having been acquainted by the Master that the same was contrary to the By laws of the said Company.

1745. It is noticeable that the Potation Money fell off on the separation of the Surgeons from the Barbers. During the three or four preceding years the amount had been steadily running down from an average of £105 to £57, and there seems to have been no Election or Livery Dinners this year, though the gallant Barbers did not forget the Ladies, for they gave them (and themselves) a dinner at a cost of £52 1_s._ 9_d._

The Barbers, too, at this time do not seem to have drunk quite so much wine as the Barber-Surgeons did, and in the year 1747 is the first mention of Beer, when 12_s._ was paid for a barrel of small Beer for the Lord Mayor’s feast, and only 68 bottles of wine were consumed on this occasion.

Between the years 1750 and 1786 no records are kept of any but the Mayor’s feasts, though doubtless the Company did not fast during the intervals.

There is now a striking similarity in these dinner accounts year by year; usually there were six stewards each of whom provided, about the years 1775, and later on, no less than 53 bottles of wine each, thus emulating their predecessors the Barber-Surgeons; there are numerous references to these bottles as being quarts, so that about 80 gallons must have been drunk at each dinner. Happily, all this is now changed.

It is noticeable from the earliest times that the Company on every occasion of a feast, invariably hired their Pewter dishes and plates at great cost; it seems strange that this continual outlay should have been incurred, instead of keeping a stock of pewter.

1830 and 1831. Considerable difficulty had arisen for some years past in procuring Stewards for the Mayor’s feasts, and also in enforcing the fines for not serving, whereupon a resolution was passed that Liverymen refusing to pay the Steward’s fine would not be invited to the dinners, and would be declared ineligible to come on the Court.