The Diary of Samuel Pepys

Daily entries from the 17th century London diary

Morning draught

1893 text

It was not usual at this time to sit down to breakfast, but instead a morning draught was taken at a tavern.

9 Annotations

Roger Arbor   Link to this

Until, that is 17th January 1661 when he enjoyed breakfast with Lady Sandwich. Wonder what was on the menu?

Pedro.   Link to this

30 March 1661 and Sam has not mentioned a morning draft for the longest time since the Diary began.
Perhaps it is life at the Admiralty or does the "Seaman's Grammar" include the phrase;
"Sun above the yardarm."
First snifter at 11.00am?
http://phrases.shu.ac.uk/bulletin_board/15/mess...

vincent   Link to this

Sam Lives and works in the same locality. 'Tis harder to find an excuse to stop off at the Local, unless he is on his way to another worksite.
Another reason for not mentioning the quaffing of ale is that it is so routine, that it is not worth mentioning. Many day to day mundane 'doings' are not worth writing about for him but would be very interesting to us, as we are not part of his daily habit.

Paul   Link to this

Most homes at the time did not have water piped to them and the water that was available for washing with was disease ridden anyway. So a watered down ale or sometimes wine was sold at taverns as low levels of alcohol kill these diseases. Hence Pepys' differentiation of strong wine and liquour elsewhere.

Also a convivial way to have a chat etc.

Daniel Baker   Link to this

Did women drink a morning draught at this time, and if so, did they do it in a tavern? My understanding is that women in 18th century America were not allowed to drink in taverns (even if they owned them!), but not sure if this was ever the case in England.

Mary   Link to this

Certainly women (and children) took a morning draught of small beer. Most morning draughts would have been taken at home, not in a tavern.

Beer was very widely available, not just from taverns but also from small, local ale-houses. The brewing of ale was widely practised and in larger households would have been done in house.

Where home-brewing was not practised, ale or beer would have been bought by the barrel by such as could afford to do so, and by the jug or flagon by those who could not. A gallon of small beer (such as would have been taken as the morning draught) would have cost about a penny-halfpenny and strong beer would have been twice that price.

Tina   Link to this

I wonder how strong the draught was in those days. And as far as what was on the breakfast menu of Pepys and Lady Sandwich, knowing Pepys and his love of the ladies, I'm surprised she wasn't, lol. Of course I'm sure Sam would never had betrayed Lord Sandwich like that but he did have a bit of a debaucherous side, lol.

CGS   Link to this

Beer and Ale, one of the staples : the price was fixed by law as well the quantity and so price of corn too.
The taxes were a large part of the Royal economy.
a sample of the problem of the times.

House of Commons:
Retailers of Wine, &c.

A Bill to punish Frauds and Abuses of Retailers of Wine, Ale, Beer, and other Liquors, was read the First time.

Ordered, That it be referred to Mr. Pryn, Sir Edmond Walpoole, Colonel Birch, Mr. Spry, Mr. Trever, Sir Tho. Meers, Sir Robert Atkins, Sir Courtney Poole, Mr. Boscawen; or any Three of them; to prepare and bring in a Bill for settling the Measures and Prices of Wine, Beer, Ale, and other Liquors; and also Measures of Grain; and to inspect the former Laws for that Purpose.
'House of Commons Journal Volume 9: 15 October 1667', Journal of the House of Commons

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