Ancient Ales in the County of Wilts. 



191 



%mm\ fits in tjre (Cfarahj nf Wilts, nnh in fjje 

 Dirae nf Inrum. 



By F. A. Caeeington, Esq. 



In ancient times it seems that our ancestors whenever they wanted 

 to raise a sum of money for any good purpose parochial or personal, 

 brewed a quantity of ale, and provided certain viands which they 

 sold, and from the proceeds of the sale and from the donations thus 

 induced the money was raised. Of these ales I know of only one 

 remaining in the County of Wilts — the Clerk's ale at Chiseldon ; 

 there was also another the memory of which still lingers in a gene- 

 ration now fast passing away — the Herds' ale at Ogbourne 

 St. Gfeorge. 



I have, however, found traces (not quite all of them in the 

 county of "Wilts, or diocese of Sarum) of the following ales — 

 viz. : — 



1. The Whitsun ale. 



2. The Church ale. 



3. The Scot ale. 



4. The Clerks' ale. 



5. The Herds' ale. 



6. The Bidale, or Helpale. 



7. The Give ale. 



8. The Bride ale. 



9. The Lamb ale. 



10. The Leet ale. 



11. The Midsummer ale. 



12. The ale for some special purpose. 



1. The Whitsun Ale. 



In the " Introduction to the Survey and Natural History of the 



2c2 



