Features / World War I
Bristol’s War: Fined for buying a round
The Great War saw the government bring in severe restrictions on the sale and consumption of alcohol.
Under the Defence of the Realm Act – “DORA” – pub opening hours were restricted and the strength of beer greatly reduced.
While older people will remember the restrictive opening hours continuing into the 1980s, what has long been forgotten is that during the war it became illegal to buy someone else a drink in a pub.
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“Treating” as it was known, was outlawed for several reasons. One of them was that soldiers returning home on leave, or with wounds, were often bought vast amounts of drink in their local pubs. In some cases elsewhere in Britain there were reports that some had even died of alcohol poisoning.
The first prosecution in Bristol under the new law was brought against Frederick Charles Eagles, landlord of the Cat and Wheel pub (pictured), which stood on the site of Castle Park until it was destroyed by German bombing in World War II.
In November 1915 Eagles was before the magistrates, accused of allowing a customer to buy five drinks for five people. Eagles’ defence was that the customer did not buy the drinks for the others; everyone in the round had paid for their own drink and the customer had simply collected their money and come to the bar to fetch the drinks.
Eagles’ not guilty plea was rejected and he was fined £5.
The law was widely disliked and regarded as absurd. According to local legend, which may or may not be true, an army officer in Bristol was prosecuted for buying a drink in a pub for his own wife.
This is one of over 100 tales of Bristol in the First World War written by Eugene Byrne for Bristol 2014 and available on a free smartphone app, Great War Stories. Details and downloads at http://www.bristol2014.com/great-war-stories-map-and-app.html
Tomorrow: Britain’s first policewomen
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