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| Beer, wine
and cider licences for Lime Street in the 1870s |
In the
early l800s, there were no licensing laws, and it is estimated that
in Liverpool, one dwelling in seven sold beer. But
most of the social problems then were not caused by beer drinking,
but by spirit drinking. Wellington had the idea that if he could
encourage people to drink beer rather than spirits, it would solve
a great many social problems.
In
1830, he passed the Beer House Act. Any householder could obtain
a licence to sell beer for two guineas. 24,342 licenses were issued
in Liverpool alone.
Gladstone,
our famous Prime Minister had an idea in 1860 to solve the problems
of drunkenness. He wanted to encourage people to drink wine and
he passed the Wine Licensing Act, he was the Chancellor of the Exchequer
at the time.
The
result was that anyone of good character in Liverpool and surrounding
areas could open a place where they could sell wine, as well as
beer.
Result?
Liverpool had more cases of drunkenness than in any seaport in the
country.
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