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 A HISTORY OF BERKSHIRE other.' * The names of the chief brewers in Reading at this period were Mr. Ironmonger, Mr. Winche, and Bernard Harrison, as appears from a record which gives the names of certain offenders who had presumed to draw and sell the beer of their brewers without having a licence. The ale-tasters sometimes were in trouble and lost their position on account of ' partiality in their offices and other mis- demeanors.' 2 In 1627 four brewers satisfied the wants of the town, as appears from the record of the visit of the judges at the Assizes, when each brewer had to provide one barrel, making a total of four barrels. The excessive making of malt seems to have troubled the corporation, and ' Counsell's letters for re- straining ' this excess were read and an inquiry ordered. The corporation called a meeting of the maltsters, brewers of strong beer or ale, and all who had other trades were ordered to be suppressed. In 1630 ' the mayor did sett the price of ale and beere, viz. double beere le barell viiis, and soe after that rate; single beer le barrell iiijs and soe ratably.' 3 The same prices held good for several years, and in 1635 the price of malt in the market was fixed about 2^s. or 2$s. the quarter. The following is a full list of prices which appears first in 1635, and held good for many years Double beere. The barrell v'ms. The kiderkyn iiij/. The firkyn }s. The pipkyn xiid. The dussen of ale iiijd. Single beere. The barrell iiijj. The kilderkyn us. The virkyn xiid. The pipkyn viJ. A full quart of the best could be procured for id., and two quarts of the small for the same sum. The conduct of alehouses was watched with careful eyes, especially during the prevalence of Puritan principles. Keepers of alehouses who allowed the playing of cards, or who kept a ' noddye board,' or a ' shovegroat,' or who permitted drinking on the Sabbath, usually lost their licences, and had to take down their sign or allow it to be beaten down. Mr. T. Harrison seems to have been the chief brewer in the town at this period. He had a brewhouse parcel of John Alarder's land, for which he paid the rent of 8 a year in 1637, when the lease was renewed. He 1 Reading Records, ii. 106. 1 Ibid. ii. 193. ' Ibid. iii. 44. was mayor for several years and an alderman of the borough, but fell into evil days. In 1644 he desired to be removed from his office, for ' he had lost his estate and was undone.' 4 The siege of Reading and the troubles of the Civil War period appear to have ruined the distinguished brewer who had done such good service to his town and neighbours. The corporation was indebted to him for various sums of money which he had advanced during his prosperity. He seems to have met with nothing but vexatious delays and very little satisfaction in his repeated attempts to obtain justice. In the sixteenth century malting was a flourishing trade at Abingdon, and continued to be such until recent times. Brewers and maltsters are enumerated amongst the members of the companies of the town. The Assize of Ale and Beer was entrusted to the Mayor and burgesses by its earliest charter, granted in 1555. 5 The brewing of good ale was deemed a subject worthy of special inquiry by the Grand Jury at the leet or lawday. The members thereof are thus ordered ' to inquire of Brewers and Tipsters whether they make good and holesome Ale and Beere for man's body or not, and sell and alter the same according to the Lawes and Statutes of this Realme. And alsoe they ought not to putt out their signe or Alestake untill their Ale be assayed by the Aletaster and then to sell and not before.' Brewers were fined 6s. Sd., for every barrel of beer or Ale which they lay into any man's sellar, to be sold there by retaile, by any that is not licensed to sell Ale or Beer.' 6 The names of the chief maltsters in 1585 at Abingdon are preserved in a decree of the corporation ordering each of them to bring three bushels of malt into the market on market day, and are as follows : Mr. William Braunche, Mr. Lyonell Bos- tocke, Mr. John Fyssher, Mr. Rysbye, Mr. Anthonye Teysdall, Mr. Anthony Bostocke, Mr Blacknoll ' of Banbury curte,' William Welling and Richard Bolte. They seem to have been among the chief men of the town; most of them held the office of mayor, and the first-named gentleman represented the borough in Parliament. 7 At the same time there were many others who used the trade of malting, all of whom were required to bring into the market two bushels of malt on market days. The trade must therefore have been considerable. Measurers of malt were Ibid. iv. 130. 8 Rec. of Abingdon, p. 1 8. 8 Ibid. pp. xxix., xxx. 7 Ibid. pp. 128., xlix., xliv. 406