ale

1) A festival at which ale was drunk.

1540 the chyrche allis, Sheriff Hutton

1648 I gave Mitchell for my shot to an ale ... 2s, Thurlstone. There is evidence for a wide range of feasts which had such names as clerk-ales, bride-ales and leet-ales. Debauched behaviour was not uncommon: in York, in 1595, John Grene made an ale upon Sonday … where was greate fighting and disorder . Church-ales were celebrated in order to raise money for the maintenance of the building but in 1544 at the 'Keapinge of church ales' there was often 'leappynge, daunsynge and kyssyng'.

dates 1540 1544 1595 1648

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