Karro
Here is some information on the working of the Act (from History of Brewing by H.S. Corran –mainly to do with large breweries & also licensed to Sell by Geoff Brandwood et al).:
1830 was important for two things that happened together :
1. All the beer duty was removed, leaving only duties on malt (2s 7d /bushel) and hops (2d /lb)
2. The Beerhouse Act allowed any householder who was assessed on the poor rate to obtain a licence to retail beer on his own premises for a fee of 2 guineas a year, and the magistrates could nor withhold a licence. They were not allowed to open before 4.00 am, or close later than 10.00 pm, and could not open on sundays during divine service , or on Christmas day or Good Friday.
Apparently there were 24,342 new beerhouse licensed by the end of 1830, and this and this had risen to 33,515 by 1832.
The purpose of the legislation was twofold, to reduce spirit drinking , and as an attempt to equalise taxation, whereby previously the well-off could brew their own beer, and not pay beer tax, whereas the poor had to pay the tax. In 1834 the act was amended so that the licensee had to provide a testimonial of good character signed by six ratepayers for a licence to sell beer on te premises, but this was still not necessary for an off-licence. In 1869 the issue of licences was again put under the control of the magistrates, though they could not withdraw licences that had already been issued.
These books do not say that the beerhouses usually brewed their own beer, but the implication to me is that immediately after 1830 most did, though this probably altered fairly quickly as the big breweries expanded.
mike
