We are currently cataloguing bundles of documents from the Blackett’s of Wylam collection, relating to Poor Law and poor relief in the 1830’s.
In this collection, we came across the following note, where Jacob Rowell is instructed to allow George Hunter to have a pint of cask porter and the sender, James Gray, will pay the bill.
Further research in the collection shows that James Gray managed Wylam Colliery on behalf of the owner Christopher Blackett. We can also see that on the 1841 Census, Jacob Rowell was the innkeeper at The Black Bull Inn at Wylam and lived there with his wife and family. It is therefore quite possible that he was already at the Black Bull in 1833.
So, who was George Hunter and why was he getting free beer? Was this relief for a pauper? It seems unlikely. On the rear of the note is a calculation. This may be the handwriting of Jacob Rowell, and it shows that Hunter had twenty pints of porter between the 8th and 27th of May 1833, so this appears to have been an ongoing arrangement.
Another search of the 1841 Census shows that a George Hunter who was a mason, lived just up the road at Houghton Hill Head near Heddon on the Wall. Maybe it was this George Hunter, and he was doing building work at the colliery and because it was thirsty work, perhaps James Gray issued this note for Hunter to obtain daily refreshments.
We may never know for sure, but any other theories (wild or otherwise) are most welcome.