#Medieval tavern keeper plus#

The pay always came on time, and the purse was always heavy. This was always a pleasure to work for the nobility. The rugged warrior grabbed his pay with a gloved hand, his satisfied smile revealing a golden tooth. The pouch landed in front of the mercenary with an heavy thud, obvious filled to the brim with coins, as promised for the contract. Public Houses in Early Modern EuropeĮdited by Beat Kümin, University of Warwick, UK and B.With a nonchalant gesture, the burgermeister pulled a small pouch from his coat's inner pocket and threw it on the table. In: Proceedings of the Hampshire Field Club Archaeological Society (2005), Vol. Winchester College and The Angel Inn, Andover: a fifteenth century landlord and its investments In: Journal of Medieval History 2013, final version. Inns, Innkeepers and the Society of Later Medieval England, 1350 – 1600īy John Hare, University of Winchester, Winchester, SO22 4NR, United Kingdom

The Angel Inn in Andover from mid 15th century ©Anguskine READ MORE: Inns played a vital role in evolving and prospering economic, social and political life of the nation in this period.” FEATURED PHOTO: Innkeepers were among the rich and influential members of the town. Inns generated substantial rent and were evidently felt to be worth considerable investment.

To quote from the abstract: “The conclusion is that in later Medieval England there was a regular provision of inns in accordance with the size and importance of the towns. They took part in local government and acted as expediters and banking agents as well as important local hubs in the late medieval system of commerce. Innkeepers were generally wealthy and part of the urban elite. Unfortunately – as John Hare tells us in his commendable overview – this was not quite the end-result, but it did generate between £7 – 10 from 1456 -1532. For instance Winchester College spent more than £400 on the Angel Inn in Andover (see photo) from 1366 to 1404 hoping to get yearly revenue of £10. Expectation of such high revenues generated heavy investments from institutions (monasteries and university colleges) as well as individual lords. Inns varied greatly in size but high annual turnovers in rent demonstrate the potential for considerable profits. Provincial capitals around 1400 could boast of 10 to 20 inns, market towns had 2 to 5 and small towns one. This excellent study shows that most of the inns from around 1600 were already in existence by 1379. Such inns became a prominent feature in the economic landscape after 1300 – 1350. The Medieval Mermaid Inn in Rye is still open for business – complete with fourposters! Apart from regular inn-keeping, many inns also functioned as centres for marketing of such diverse products as fish, beer, wine and sometimes cloth. Many chambers offered only communal sleeping, but private and locked rooms became more and more prevalent during this period.

#Medieval tavern keeper plus#

It appears that a late medieval inn in England typically consisted of a hall, kitchen, stable and storage plus chambers and the accommodation for the innkeeper – much as is the case today, except the stable now takes the form of a parking lot. Although focusing primarily on central Southern England, the study succeeds to place this in a wider context, thus illuminating the general economic impact of medieval inns. Medieval Inns in England were big businessĪccording to a new study by John Hare, medieval inns in England were big business and innkeepers were prominent members of society: “at a time of growing specialism, they were a crucial part of the economic infrastructure of the country”, he writes.