Fancy a Pint?
Public Houses and Inns Advertisements 1840
Public Houses in Rotherham from 1856
Public Houses in Rotherham 2003
Over the span of many centuries the British have been responsible for the spread of numerous inventions around the globe. These include medical advances, transport innovations and sporting activities. One of the unseen, but perhaps more civilised, influences of British lifestyle imitated worldwide is the good, old fashioned pub. There's barely a country in the world that doesn't boast an Olde English Pub or an Irish, Scottish or Welsh Bar of some description. This isn't just restricted to the holiday hotspots of the Brits in Spain and Greece - you can visit pubs all over the USA and Canada, there are pub based bars in Brazil, Russia, of course Australia, Singapore, Japan and even Argentina.
Historically, we can thank the Romans for introducing us to the idea of the tavern. The Roman tavern certainly served food, wine and possibly some local concoction which was the forerunner of ale, but of equal importance the tavern became a focal point at the heart of the local community. Don't forget that tea, coffee, carbonated 'soda' pop and clean drinking water are relatively recent introductions! Before these new innovations came about the only real alternative to spring water was an alcohol based drink.
The public house or it's abbreviated name - the 'pub' - nowadays covers all types of licensed premises which originally had different names and meanings. There was the tavern, where food, wine and other potent drinks were available. The title of alehouse or beerhouse, was given to houses licensed for the sale of the brew. Then there was the Inn, which offered accommodation as well as the food and drink of the tavern. James I passed a law requiring they provided accommodation for travellers and pilgrims.
Did you know that the names for many pubs were derived from the fact that in medieval times the masons and craftsmen involved in church building would be accommodated in church owned inns - names like The Masons Arms, The Bricklayers and The Carpenters spring to mind. A good many of these still use the craft's coat of arms as part of their signage.
Many more pubs took their names from their location or from a nearby activity or landmark - The Navigation Inn and The Lock Keeper are common near to canals. Near to markets you'll find The Market Tavern or there's The Moathouse and The Castle Inn. There's an interesting one in Great Yarmouth Norfolk called The Back To Backs; the sign depicts two men back to back with pistols drawn ready to begin a duel. Another one, which probably takes the biscuit is The Gallows whose macabre details can only be assumed when you here that it's address has it standing on Hangsman's Lane.
By the 12th century the naming of pubs and inns became common, and in 1393, King Richard II passed an Act making it compulsory for pubs and inns in Britain to all have names and signs in order to identify them to the official Ale Taster. Did you know also that pub signage was originally developed because the vast majority of the population were illiterate? A simple sign would be hung outside the pub to help guide the poor drinkers to the correct destination - some things never change! The Alehouse Act of 1552 required all victuallers and alehouse keepers to be licensed by the Justices.
The Red Lion remains the most common pub name