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Abstract

Beer is an aspect of naval life in the eighteenth century that has received little academic attention, and what it has received has sometimes been incorrect. As part of the naval victualling ration, beer was very significant not only because of the sheer quantity required to support ships at sea, but also the prevailing contemporary view that, as an important anti-scorbutic, it was a necessity. This significance was demonstrated by the investment that the Victualling Commissioners made in establishing naval breweries in the main ports; a feature of which was the need for storage space as a potential solution to the problems of brewing during the summer months. This dissertation has researched the fuller reasons why beer was considered to be significant in the long eighteenth century, proposing that these extend into cultural as well as medicinal arguments. By using the records of the Victualling Board, it then argues that the transfer, in the period 1694 to 1756, from contractor brewed beer to largely in-house supply, reduced the risks in the supply chain. It describes the development of the naval breweries, concluding by questioning whether the numerous letters written by Admiral Hawke in 1759 complaining about the quality of beer represented mismanagement by the Victualling Board.

Course: Naval History - MA - C2457P

Date Deposited: 2021-08-19

URI/permalink: https://library.port.ac.uk/dissert/dis13708.html