Extracts from the Account Books of Captain John Harvey, R.N., Mayor of Sandwich 1774-5

( 222 ) 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 Mould Candles 4/ 0 6 6 Mustard 5d Greens &c. 5d 12 Eggs 1/ 0 1 10 6 half Gall White Loaves 0 2 9 Biscuits 5d Tea Coffee & Sugar 3/ 0 3 5 Baking Tarts puddings pyes &c 0 2 7 A lmonds 5d 2 Gall11 Oysters & carriage 1/9 0 2 2 Currants & Sugar for Mince Meat 0 1 5 45 Eggs for pudde & pyes 2/6 21lb Suet 10d 0 3 4 Sugar for puddings 9d ^lb wax tapers 9d 0 1 6 Sweatmeats & spices 1/Tongue 1/6 0 2 6 Pipes 2/6 Tobacco 1/4 0 3 10 Mrs Woodruff 4 days 0 4 0 Cooks boy 2 days 0 2 0 Bradly Servants 2/Matson . . . . 3/ 05 0 J. Matson 2/ Keeler 1/ Solly 1/ White 1/ Servts 0 5 0 Smithers D° 0 1 0 Debock bringing and carrying Home Tables 0 2 6 Gave our own Servants 2/6 each 0 5 0 Total Expence of Dinner £1 1 1 6 91 Eeceived of the above in presents viz.:— From Barton 6 Coup. Fowls £0 13 0 2 Geese 0 8 0 2Turkeys 0 9 0 2 Pigs 0 6 6 12Eggs 0 1 0 Broth1'J. Matson 2 Hares 0 3 0 Eeceived in presents 2 0 6 Expence of the Dinner £9 16 3| Q 2

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