Many other complaints of the “oppressive” acts of Whitington towards the Company are also recorded. {137}
The Company, as appears from these records, had the power of fining its members for breach of discipline. In 1421 one William Payne, at the sign of the Swan, by St. Anthony’s Hospital, Threadneedle Street, was fined 3s. 4d., to be expended in a swan for the masters’ breakfast, for having refused to supply a barrel of ale to the King when he was in France. Simon Potkin, of the Key, Aldgate, was fined for selling short measure, whereupon he alleged that he had given money to the masters of the Brewers’ Company, that he might sell ale at his will. This excuse embroiled him with the Company, who were not to be appeased until he had paid 3s. 4d. for a swan to be eaten by the masters, but of which, it is added, “he was allowed his own share.”
In 1420 Thomas Greene, master, and the wardens of the Company agreed that they should meet at “Brewershalle” every Monday for the transaction of their business. It would appear that the first Hall had then been recently erected, for, as we have seen, the Brewers had in the preceding reign no fixed place to which “the good men of the mystery” might resort. Many curious accounts are to be found of election feasts. The presence of females was allowed. The brothers of the Company paid 12d., and the sisters 8d., and a brother and his wife 20d. A menu of one of these feasts, given in the ninth year of Henry V., is subjoined. It shows the nature of these entertainments at that period.
| La premier Cours | The First Course |
|---|---|
| Brawne one le mustarde | Brawn with mustard |
| Caboch à le potage | Cabbage soup |
| Swan standard | Swan standard |
| Capons rostez | Roast capons |
| Graundez Costades. | Great costard apples. |
| La seconde Cours | The Second Course |
| Venyson en broth one | Venison in broth |
| Blanche mortrewes[44] | Mortreux soup {138} |
| Cony standard | Rabbit standard |
| Pertriches on cokkez rostez | Partridges with roasted cocks |
| Leche Lombard[45] | Leche Lombard |
| Dowsettes one pettiz parneux. | Sweetmeats and pastry. |
| La troisme Cours | The Third Course |
| Poires en serope | Pears in syrup |
| Graundezbriddes one | Great birds and |
| Petitz ensemblez | Little ones together |
| Fretours | Fritters |
| Payne puff one | Bread puff |
| Un cold bakemete. | A cold baked meat. |
[44] Mortreux was a kind of white soup. Chaucer says of the Cook that:—
“He coude roste, and sethe, and broille, and frie, Maken mortreux, and wel bake a pye.”
[45] An old receipt for leche lombard describes it as made of pork pounded with eggs; sugar, salt, raisins, currants, dates, pepper, and cloves were added; the mixture was put in a bladder and boiled; raisins, wine and more spices were added, and the whole was served in a wine gravy.
It will be gathered from a study of this bill of fare that, though the Brewers frequently alluded to themselves in petitions as “the poor men of the Mystery of Brewers,” “your poor neighbours the Berebruers,” and such like, they nevertheless fared rather sumptuously than otherwise. Here is their drink bill for a similar entertainment:—
| item for xxii galons of red wine | xiiijs. viijd. |
| item for iij kilderkyns of good ale at ijs. iiijd. | viis. |
| item for ij kilderkyn of iij halfpeny Ale at xxij | iijs. viijd. |
| item for j kilderkyn of peny ale | xijd. |
In 1422 Parliament ordered that all the weirs or “kydells” in the Thames from Staines to Gravesend should be destroyed, and the Lord Mayor and Aldermen ordained that two men from each of the City Companies should assist in the work. Thomas Grene and Robert Swannefeld were accordingly chosen on behalf of the Brewers to go to Kingston. The expenses were defrayed by a general contribution by the members of the Company. “These be the names,” says the old {139} writer, “of Brewers of London, the wheche dede paien diverse somes of monye for to helpe to destruye the weres yn Tempse for the comynalte of the Cite of London shulde have the more plente of fissh.” The names of some two hundred and fifty subscribers are subjoined to the record.