Glass Bottom Beer Pewters

[Henno]

I have just read some of the post about the german beer stein and it reminded me of this.

I once heard a story when I was in the navy about why they used to make pewter beer mugs with the glass bottoms. I don't know if my memory serves me correctly but I think what I heard went like this.

They used to recruit for the navy in taverns and the law was if you accepted the Queens Penny you had accepted the offer to join and you were in. The 'recruiting officer' would offer you a beer and slip the penny in and if you got to the bottom and saw the penny you'd be told you were in and drinks were on the house for the night. The guy would usually drink himself unconscious and wake up on an old wooden ship heading out to sea.

The glass bottom was invented so if a stranger offered you a beer you could lift it up and look in the bottom and if there was a penny you could put it down on the bar and say 'no thanks' and you were not obliged to join up coz you hadn't actually drunk it. I seem to remember the story said that this also started the tradition in England of having your own drinking mug at the pub waiting for you.

Ok historians, how wrong have I got it? Am I even close?

I haven't bothered googling this as I reckon the answers here would be more interesting.

Henno

 

[Ross]

I have just read some of the post about the german beer stein and it reminded me of this.

I once heard a story when I was in the navy about why they used to make pewter beer mugs with the glass bottoms. I don't know if my memory serves me correctly but I think what I heard went like this.

They used to recruit for the navy in taverns and the law was if you accepted the Queens Penny you had accepted the offer to join and you were in. The 'recruiting officer' would offer you a beer and slip the penny in and if you got to the bottom and saw the penny you'd be told you were in and drinks were on the house for the night. The guy would usually drink himself unconscious and wake up on an old wooden ship heading out to sea.

The glass bottom was invented so if a stranger offered you a beer you could lift it up and look in the bottom and if there was a penny you could put it down on the bar and say 'no thanks' and you were not obliged to join up coz you hadn't actually drunk it. I seem to remember the story said that this also started the tradition in England of having your own drinking mug at the pub waiting for you.

Ok historians, how wrong have I got it? Am I even close?

I haven't bothered googling this as I reckon the answers here would be more interesting.

Henno

Pretty well on the money there Henno ...

cheers ross

 

[big d]

Havent seen a glassed bottomed pewter mug in years but remember the ol man having one.Great yarn but sorry cant say or add anything too it.

Cheers
Big D

 

[Tony]

My grandfather was a captain in the australian navy durung WW2 and captained freighters all over the world afterwards.

HE was Harbour master of Newcastle Harbour and knocked back the job of Sydney Harbour Master as he liked Newcastle so much.

Sadly he has passed on so i cant ask him.

Wish i could now.

Top story !!!

cheers

 

[Wortgames]

Yep, I believe that is true. The 'recruiting officers' were actually called 'press gangs' and had a hard time getting willing volunteers due to the harsh life, low pay and early death that newbie sailors often had to suffer.

There were actually quite strict rules in place as to what they could and couldn't do to recruit, but basically, in the days before written consent etc if they could claim that you took the King's shilling then you were in.


On a similar note - does anyone know what it meant (in Ireland) if your pint of Guinness had a shamrock in the head?

 

[delboy]

your on the money there henno .This is actually documented in the GRENWICH MARITIME MUSEUM. they even have a display depicting the event "well they did when i went there in 1983.

Delboy.

I have several of these glass bottomed pewters in my bar when they are chilled they are actually nice to drink ale out of as well .
and who cares about the lead in old pewter even drinking a nice wit out of czech lead crystal in great.

del

 

[Duff]

My grandfather was a captain in the australian navy durung WW2 and captained freighters all over the world afterwards.

HE was Harbour master of Newcastle Harbour and knocked back the job of Sydney Harbour Master as he liked Newcastle so much.

Sadly he has passed on so i cant ask him.

Wish i could now.

Top story !!!

cheers

My wife's great great grandfather was the first Harbour Master for Sydney. John Nicholson was appointed Harbour Master and Master Attendant of Port Jackson on 25 January 1821 by Macquarie, resigned 15 February 1842.

Never knew about the recruitment story, will let her know later.

Cheers.

 

[Hogan]

I have a couple of the old glass bottom pewters. I always believed that the bottoms were glass so that the drinker could always see if his enemies were coming even when he had a beer going down his gob.

The 'recruiters' version is also quite appropriate.

At least these days we don't have to worry about being attacked or press ganged when we go down to the local for a pint. Well not usually anyway.

Cheers, Hoges.

 

[Wortgames]

At least these days we don't have to worry about being attacked or press ganged when we go down to the local for a pint. Well not usually anyway.

I seem to get mugged at the pub quite regularly - I never remember the attack but I often wake up with a splitting headache and an empty wallet.

 

[Pumpy]

I have a couple of the old glass bottom pewters. I always believed that the bottoms were glass so that the drinker could always see if his enemies were coming even when he had a beer going down his gob.

The 'recruiters' version is also quite appropriate.

At least these days we don't have to worry about being attacked or press ganged when we go down to the local for a pint. Well not usually anyway.

Cheers, Hoges.

I reckon I got robbed a few times on the pub crawl when I looked in my wallet and divided it into the amount of pubs we went into Ouuch !

I thinkin the old days it was illegal to' drink on the Kings head' and this was achieved by the press gangs ( not Rupert Murdoch)by dropping the coin in your beer which if you drank they arrestied you , consequently you had to serve time in his majesties Royal navy , what a despicable trick .

Pumpy

 

[Henno]

So I was off with the sex of my monarch and the demonination but had the gist of it I suppose.

When I went for my first interview for the navy the recruiting officer told me that as a serviceman I would not pay tax. This turned out to be true,.... during a war. Not as bad as it used to be but still not particularly honest.