| Description | This sub-series consists of records relating to victuallers and alehouse keepers, including:
- returns of recognizances issued: yearly bundles arranged by wapentakes with name of keeper, township, the amount of his penalty, the names of his sureties and their abodes, and the amount of their penalties. It includes some inn signs [1758, 1774-1808, and 1811]
- registers of recognizances (under the Act of 1822): arranged by wapentakes with names of townships, innkeepers' names, sums in which bound, signs, sureties' names, abodes, occupations, and sums in which bound [1822-1829]
- original recognizances: containing similar information to returns and registers [1777-1807, 1809-10 (Pickering Lythe) and 1822-1828]
- summary lists of numbers of recognizances returned [1771-1796]
- lists of persons responsible for returns of recognizances [18th century and 1783]
- lists of alehouse keepers and constables appearing at Brewster/Special Sessions, probably to enter into recognizances, with constables' returns of alehouses in their constabularies [1717-1720]
- a return of licence issued [1758]
- return of recognizances issued (Birdforth only) [1753] |
| Administrative history | These recognizances or bonds of alehouse keepers for the maintenance of good order, taken usually before two Justices in special or "brewster" Sessions and returned to the Clerk of the Peace for enrolment and filing under the provisions of various statutes.
An Act of 1551 (5 & 6 Edward VI cap. 25 s.2) required victuallers' recognizances or bonds for good behaviour to be taken before two Justices and "certified" to the next Quarter Sessions and to remain of record. By an Act of 1753 (26 George II cap. 31) the Clerk of the Peace was also to keep a register of alehouse keepers from the filed recognizances. An Act of 1822 (3 George IV cap. 77) amended earlier legislation. The Alehouse Act of 1828 (9 George IV cap. 61) abolished the system of recognizances and sureties. |