Extracts from the Account Books of Captain John Harvey, R.N., Mayor of Sandwich 1774-5
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EXTRACTS FEOM THE ACCOUNT BOOKS
OF CAPTAIN JOHN HAEVEY, E.N.,
MAYOE OE SANDWICH 1774-5.
BY THOMAS DORMAN.
THE following accounts are extracted from papers in the possession
of John James Harvey, Esq., of Woodlands, through whose kind
permission I have been allowed to make this copy. They detail the
expenses incurred by his great-grandfather Captain J. Harvey, E.N.,
on being elected first a Jurat, and subsequently Mayor of Sandwich,
upwards of a century ago. Captain Harvey commanded the
Brunswick on the glorious 1st of June 1794, and died on the 30th
of the same month from wounds received in the battle, to the success
of which he so materially contributed.
The accounts are very interesting, as they not only give the
prices of various articles of consumption at that date, but they
enable us to form some idea of the proceedings upon such occasions.
Captain Harvey was so precise in his accounts that he first charges
himself with the value of the presents he received from his friends,
and afterwards deducts it to shew the actual net cost, while his
thrift is disclosed in the alteration of Mr, Wise's Jurat's gown
to fit the new wearer.
The tenders (attendants) on the newly-elected Jurat or Mayor;
the band, consisting on the first occasion of four fiddles and two
drummers;* the women at sixpence a head strewing herbs in the
path of the newly elected; the ribbon for cockades; the colourmen
(men bearing flags); the freemen paid for their votes, even when
absent from home; and the winding up with a grand smash of
broken windows, glasses, pots, and punch ladles, form altogether a
vivid Hogarthian picture of the proceedings.
The treats on election-day appear to have been given at some
Inn, as there is a charge in the Mayor's account of £1 Is. for
" use of the house where I gave the treat." But the dinners seem
to have been held at the Mayor's private house, as there are only
charges for bringing and carrying home the tables, etc., and
gratuities to the servants of the Mayor's friends for " dressing the
victuals."
There is no mention of the number of guests for whom the two
dinners, given by the Mayor, were provided. As the dinner, given
* May we suggest that from the use of such bands as these the old saying is
derived, " that is all fiddle and drum."
A SANDWICH JURAT'S DINNER, 1772. 223
on his election as Jurat, to his brethren the Mayor and Jurats,
thirteen in all, cost about one-fourth of the expense of the two
later dinners, no doubt other friends and officials were also invited;
otherwise the allowance on the first occasion, of twenty-two
bottles of wine and twelve bottles of spirits, supposing the one
bottle of common brandy to be for the mince-meat, would appear to
be calculated on a most liberal scale, to say nothing of the three
gallons of porter and one gallon of Dorsetshire ale.
The various items give a good idea of the menu for a Corporation
Banquet in Sandwich at that period, but I should like to point out
that our ancestors appear to have anticipated the modern custom of
commencing a dinner with oysters, as there were two gallons provided
upon each occasion, costing with carriage only 3s. lid. in
all, and it should be noted also that the vegetables are conspicuous
by their absence, only lOd. being allowed for greens, etc., on the
first occasion and 5d. on the second.
ACCOUNT OE EXPENCES, ETC., WHEN I WAS ELECTED A JUEAT ON
NOVEMBEE Yc 21s t 1772.
£ s. d.
To four half Ankers of Gin 4 1 3
One half Anker & a piece of Eum 1 16 0
Two half Ankers of Brandy 2 8 0
5 Dozn 7 Bottles of Wine 5 10 6
Four Hdda of Beer, two from Mrs Bradly & two from Mr
Stewart 10 16 0
17£of Sugar 0 11 10£
130 lb. Cheshire Cheese at 5d£ 2 5 0£
12 lb. Candles at 7/8 0 7 8
25% lb. Tobacco (12lb at 1/4 and y° rest at 1/6) 1 14 2
20 DozQ Lemons 14 8
63 Loafs (of half Gallon each) 1 19 6
11 Doz" of Butter Eolls 4/7 Sack of Coals 1/6* 0 6 li
18 lb. of Bump Beef at Si 5/3 Shoulder of Mutton 3/4
for Tenders 0 S 7
3 Doz. of 4 yds of Eibbon for 40 Cockades 0 18 4
Paid for Broken Glasses 8/ £0 8 0
H P o t s a t 6 d 0 5 6
2 Pitcher 0 1 9
2 do. Brown 0 1 0
11 Pots at 5 0 4 7
• 1 0 10
Mending a Silver punch Ladle 0 4 6
Paramor yc Carpenter fitting ye Tables &c. at y° house 0 8 6
Fowle y° Glazier mending y° Windows yl were broke . 1 1 0
Fbr cleaning the House and brooms 0 2 2
To Four Fiddles 1* l3 0'1 two Drummers 5sh 1 6 0
To 30 Women (Herb Strewers) a 6d 0 15 0
To Six Gross of Pipes 0 12 8
224 MAYOR'S DINNER AT SANDWICH, 1774.
£
To Mr Stone as Manager & Tender 3 days 0
To Mr Parlet 3 days as Tender at 2/6 0
To 7 Tenders 2 days at 2/6 1
To Appleton one Day as Tender tho' not there 2/6 Ham- "J 0
mond as Doorkeeper ye day of the Choice 1/ mend- > ~
ing a Silver Ladle of Eoger Taylors broke 4/6 ... J
To M1' Baker mending tbe draws that were broke 0
Colourmen at Sam. Ferriers 1 1 0 Eingers at Curlings
1 1 0 2
Handbells at Brothers 0 10 6 0
Spent going about Town 4/ Chaise & Expence to Deal
forEum8/ 0 12 0
s.
10
7
15
3
5
1
2
10
a.
0
6
0
6
6
0
0
6
£45 15 4£
To new fitting the Jurats gown which belonged to Mr~)
Wise I 1 H a
For Velvet l i Yard at 16/ £1