The Annals of the Barber-Surgeons of London

by Unknown

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

The Election dinner this year cost £91 8s. 0d.

And the Lord Mayor’s feast £72 1s. 10¹⁄₂d.

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 4s. 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, 5s.

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