Drinking Gin
Drinking ale and beer was very common in England since Medieval times. By the Renaissance, there was an increased number of alehouses being opened and drunkenness became a real issue. From the mid-16th century, it was made illegal to sell alcohol without an alcohol licence, but this didn’t stop people drinking.
By the late 17th century, those who were poorer turned from drinking ale and beer to spirits, which caused even more damages to their health. In London, this became a serious problem. People sold cheap spirits like gin and brandy from “dram shops”. In the beginning, gin would be imported from Europe, however in 1689 imports of gin were banned by parliament so it could be distilled in England instead. This made gin even cheaper, so the poor population in London drank even more of it. More and more “gin shops” opened in people’s homes, from backrooms and basements to cellars and sheds.
Impact
By the early 18th century, gin drinking was a huge health problem in London. Thousands of poor people were out of work and lived in terrible conditions, so regularly found an escape from their troubles in drinking gin. Not only did this cause trouble between families and make people unwell, it increased crime rates and even death rates.
This iconic image is known as Gin Lane and can be found in our Source Gallery. Click on the numbers and take a closer look at what’s happening on this make-believe street. What does this image tell us about the effects of the Gin Craze?
The Gin Acts
Realising the health problems and social problems caused by the Gin Craze, the government stepped in. In 1729, parliament passed the first Gin Act to try and stop people drinking as much gin. It meant distilleries had to pay a tax of five shillings for every gallon of gin they made, and gin sellers had to buy a licence every year for £20 (which was a lot of money back then!). This Gin Act unfortunately didn’t work very well as lots of the gin shops were small and hidden away.
A stronger Gin Act was made in 1736. Gin sellers now had to pay £50 for their licence each year, and the tax for distilleries went up from five shillings to twenty shillings. But like the 1729 Gin Act, the authorities couldn’t enforce these fees on all of the small, hidden gin shops.
In 1743, parliament took a different approach. This time, the 1743 Gin Act ruled that gin could only be sold to alehouses that were already selling ale and beer. Still, people continued to drink more and more gin. In fact, by 1750, the people of London drank over 11 million gallons of gin each year!
Finally, the Gin Act of 1751 was created and it was the harshest of all the Gin Acts. This law meant that anyone who was found to be selling gin illegally would be imprisoned. If they were caught a second time they would be whipped, and transportation for a third time. These serious consequences meant gin drinking finally slowed down.
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