Berry — Notes on an Unpublished MS. Inquisition, 8fc. 45 



ing to their court pleas of tenants of the former, which of right should 

 have been pleaded in the barony court of the abbot. 



Among the " Laws and Usages of the City of Dublin," enrolled in 

 the Chain Book of the corporation, appears the following : — 



De Ceetjeisb. 



Dautrepart, chescune ki aceresce paiera par an ij^. pur ceruoise 

 quele vend par an si ele neyt grace des bailiffs. 



Dautrepart, si ele ne face si bone cerueise come ele fere deust ne 

 ne tient lassise come veisin et autre, ne si com est crie parmi la vile, 

 ele est en la mercy de xv deniers. 



As this enactment deals with women brewers, it is to be supposed 

 that the bulk of the brewing in the neighbourhood was in small 

 quantities, and that women were principally engaged in it. 



In later times, the brewing trade was extensively carried on along 

 the line of the Poddle and the city watercourse, the water being of a 

 character peculiarly favourable for the purpose, and here the brewers, 

 especially about Donore, would have been subject to the jurisdiction 

 of the Abbey. 



The saxon wyte, wite, wytam were equivalent to the Latin tnulcta, 

 fines, and the aleivyth of the inquisition was, doubtless, the ale mulct 

 or fine of 1 5 pence imposed on such as brewed bad ale or an article 

 not up to the standard of the assise of ale. Complaints were frequent as 

 to the assises of bread and ale not being strictly kept, and as to the 

 assay not being sufficiently frequent. These old-time ale brewers 

 would probably have had to give pledges in anticipation for payment 

 of this fine, which some of them were certain to incui', and the city 

 authorities were active in taking these, instead of allowing them to go 

 to their rightful tribunal, the court of the abbot, as baron. In con- 

 nexion with the subject of ale, it may be interesting to recall the fact 

 that one of the most ancient privileges conferred on the Abbey of 

 St. Thomas the Martyr, was the Tolholl, a custom of the tribute of one 

 gallon and a-half of the best ale and mead to be rendered by every 

 brewer in Dublin out of each large brew. This had been granted to 

 Prince John, son of Henry the Second, and while lord of Ireland, 

 before his accession to the thi'one of England, he made a gift of the 

 imposition, in perpetual alms, to the abbey founded by his father. 



The inquisition concludes with a finding that the street between 

 St. Catherine's church and the horse market was of free alms, 



