12/26/2023 0 Comments Fantasy female tavern keeper![]() In spite of economic woes or, misfortune or natural disasters, inns were constantly being rebuilt. Another issue was economic downturn, like the disruption in Italian trade in the mid 15th century. It was hard to put a lot of money into building, decorating and maintaining something that large to have it all go up in smoke. Inns were frequently susceptible to fire during the Middle Ages and Early Modern period. Inns were a great way to increase a Lord’s revenue however, they were not without their own set of problems. What did they normally pump money into? Decor and upkeep were the most common avenues of investment as they expected a decent rate of return on their efforts. Inns were profitable, making local lords keen to invest in them. ![]() Yard of the Old George Inn, Salisbury, 1838 – Edward Angelo Goodall and John Bailey Surgey. Women tended find themselves as innkeepers after their husbands died and they inherited the property. However, female innkeepers appeared to only make up 10-20% of the owner population. What about women? Were there women inkeepers? Yes. Not only was Richard’s family prominent, but he passed on his success when his son became a Justice of the Common Pleas, an important local government official. That’s quite the CV for a “lowly” innkeeper. He invested in land and agriculture beyond the town, buying land in the small neighbouring town of Whitchurch in 1470, was described as grazier, yeoman and gentleman, and possessed substantial sheep flocks, with over 200 wethers, and a lease of a demesne at nearby Ashe. He played an important part in the urban economy, marketed cloth in 1467 and imported wine, fruit and fish through Southampton in 1463. …he was active in local government serving as royal constable in 1455, as town bailiff in 1464––8, as well as being a justice of the peace, a Member of Parliament and tax assessor, he acted as proctor for the villagers of Mapledurwell in a dispute with their rector. Take the example of Richard Kingsmill, a wealthy innkeeper between 14: They often came from elite families and could be found on administrative councils and other forms of town government. It sounds like a lot of work but it wasn’t all bad – innkeepers were also some of the wealthiest people in town. The Inn was more than just a place to crash, according to Hare, it was also a marketplace, a warehouse and occasional bank. Innkeepers weren’t just there to run the day to day activities of the inn, they often engaged in outside commercial activities such brewing, importing wine, and cloth trading. Hare explains, “Although individual alehouses may have provided some informal shelter, it was the organised provision of support for travellers, their horses and their goods that distinguished inns, and that was to prove a characteristic development of the later Middle Ages.” Alehouses, while much more common throughout the country, were inadequate for habitual travellers, especially those who were carting goods across the country on a frequent basis. The cloth trade was picking up steam so merchants required a place to stay that could comfortably accommodate their wares and horses. Room Service!: Who was the Medieval Traveller?ĭuring the latter half of the fifteenth century, England saw an increase in travel. ![]() In spite of their popularity, inns have been a relatively understudied topic amongst medieval scholars. In his article ‘Inns, innkeepers and the society of later medieval England, 1350–1600’, John Hare debunks some of these clichés while giving us a glimpse into the importance of the English inn during the late Middle Ages and Early Modern period. In this day and age, we have the modern version, the “Bed and Breakfast” which attempts to mimic the mainstream perception of traditional English inn by using quaint decor and faux medieval embellishments to keep the stereotype alive and well.
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