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the history of Leyton and Leytonstone
from . dot to … dots – with plenty of spaces
Alcohol
1540 - 1642, The Dissolution of the Monasteries to the Civil War
Leytonstone had three alehouses in 1579 Leyton one, a split which suggests that these establishments were mainly catering for travellers, because the High Road through Leytonstone carried more traffic than the road through Leyton. The large houses in the parish would probably have each brewed their own ale, which was consumed in considerable quantities by everyone including servants, women and children 1. Court records of the 17th century show that it was common in the area to brew ale without a licence, and also that drunkenness amongst the poor was of concern to those in authority. But there was also an enduring concern that ale should be of good quality. Leyton, like many places had an official ale-taster, recorded between 1509 and 1705 2. The use of hops to flavour ale gradually spread 3 as it became more of a commercial product, brewed on a larger scale and becoming a speciality of some places.
3 A 10th century Viking boat had a cargo of hops, so their use has a longer history than used to be thought (Francis Pryor ‘Britain in the Middle Ages, An Archaeological History’ p72)
