Bidding, brewing

Bidding home page, with links to related pages

Beer or ale (cwrw) was often brewed for a wedding by the bride’s parents (hence bride-ale). A good brew could be ready in three weeks, the time it took to call the Banns.
Some of the extracts below suggest that it was necessary to get a licence to brew, or to sell alcoholic liquour at such events but it seems that in many cases, either the quantity brewed did not qualify for a licence, or that the authorities turned a blind eye to it except in a few cases.

1760s

[After the wedding ceremony, the company go to the] Couple’s house, generally the man’s house and eat of some Cold Collation at freecost But pay for their drink, where some of the company, like it so well, that they stay till next day or while a drop of drink lasts. On this Occasion 3 or 4 London Qrs. of malt is brewd, or according as the Company is.
Morris, Lewis, ‘The Manner of their solemnizing their Marriages among the Mechanics, Farmers & Common people in Cardiganshire, peculiar I think to this Country and its borders’ in the hand of Lewis Morris, NLW ms 13226C, pp. 313-326.
Morrisian Miscellany. Cardigan Weddings, Gentleman’s Magazine, (February 1792), pp. 109-111

1799

A poor man, in the hollow of the mountains, has married his daughter since I have been here. He brewed a quarter of malt for the occasion.
Hutton, Catherine, [Letters of tours of Wales]: letter 21, Caernarvon Sept 14th 1799, NLW MS 19079C, ff. 95-96
Transcribed and edited by Mary-Ann Constantine. [link] https://editions.curioustravellers.ac.uk/doc/00317

1823

June 1823. We had to do ‘faxu‘ and ‘brewing’ for the neithior [on 12 July 1823.] [faxu might be derived from macsaf: macsu = to brew]
David Davies’ diary, Treboeth Collection at University of Wales Swansea, Local Archive Collection: Book 2 1819-25

1857

The first preparation is to brew a large quantity of ale, to be sold at the wedding and bidding, to defray the expenses.
Anon, The London Journal, and Weekly Record of Literature, Science and Arts, Volumes 24, (1857), pp. 317-318

1860

For three weeks before the celebration cwrw da is to be bought at the house of the bride expectant;
Hall, S.C., Mr and Mrs, ‘The Companion Guide (by Railway) in South Wales’ pt. 7, The Art Journal, vol. 6, (1860), pp. 217-220

1870

Yr oedd dau del o frag wedi cael eu macsu, ond fe yfwyd y cwrw bob dyferyn cyn deg o’r gloch y nos.
(Two teals of malt had been brewed, but every drop of beer was consumed before ten o’clock at night.)
[del = teal = a dry measure equivalent to 4 or 5 bushels]
Fictitious letters from Anna Beynon of Bargod, near Llandysul, to her sister in America, dated to 1721, Baner America, Awst 24, 1870 and other publications in Wales.
General View of the Agriculture and Domestic Economy of South Wales, (1815)

1871

the family of the bride are allowed, for a few days before, to brew a quantity of beer, and sell it without a licence.
Curtis, Mary, The Antiquities of Langharne [sic], Pendine and their neighbourhoods, (1871), pp. 73-77, 111-112 (appendix: additional information, received since the previous part was written), p. 141

1878

Rhan bwysig yn y darpariadau oedd breweddu y cwrw.  Priodas heb afonydd o gwrw fuasai un o’r pethau diflasaf dan haul gan henafgwyr a llanciau yr oes hono. Er fod dirwest yn meddu cryn ddylanwad, ac yn rhifo lluaws o ddeiliaid ffyddlon, nid oedd wedi gallu tori lawr y parchusrwydd a’r urddas cysylltiedig â’r cwrw. Teimla llawer o bobl barchus eto, mai croesaw oeraidd ac annheilwng iawn a roddant i wr dyeithr heb osod potelaid o ddiod gadarn o’i flaen yn mlaenaf dim ; ac os dygwydda un o’r tylwyth gwlybyrol hyn fyned ar ymweliad â dirwestwr, ystyriant y danteithion goreu a osodir ger ei fron yn ddiflas, heb iddo gael ei sancteiddio megys â chyflawnder o gwrw. Ynfydrwydd, gan hyny, fuasai meddwl am briodas ar raddfa helaeth heb ddarpar cyflawnder o’r bwydydd brasaf, a rhesi o farilau llawnion o’r cwrw goreu. Gwelsom ddiodgell, ychydig ddyddiau cyn priodas, mor llawn o’r barilau mawrion hyn, a’r oll nid wedi cael eu prynu mewn darllawdy cyhoeddus, ond wedi eu darllaw dan arolygiaeth a chyfarwyddyd gwraig y ty; ac wrth gyfeirio atynt, teimlai fath o ymffrost yn ei gorchestwaith. Unwaith y dechreuid darllaw y ddiod gadarn, nid oedd ymwelydd na negesydd yn cael ymadael heb brofi y ddiod; ac os oedd yn gall, buasai yn dra sicr o’i chanmol, oblegid trwy hyny gallasai sicrhau cyflawnder o honi. Pan agorid baril ar gyfer ymwelwyr, taenai y newydd trwy’r ardal gyda buander mellten, ac nid hir y byddai amaethwyr y gymydogaeth cyn chwilio digon o negesau pwysig, er cael esgus i dalu ymweliad â mangre y briodas, canys gwyddent na fuasai anrhydedd y teulu yn goddef iddynt fyned adref heb eu haner meddwi yn gyntaf.
(An important part of the provisions was the brewing of the beer. A wedding without rivers of beer would have been one of the most boring things under the sun by the elders and youth of that age. Although temperance had considerable influence, and numbered many loyalists, it had not been able to break down the respect and dignity associated with the beer. Many respectful people again feel that they give a very warm and unwelcome welcome to a departed man without first placing a bottle of solid drink before him; and if one of these humble folk happens to be visiting a temperance, they consider the best delicacies laid before him boring, without being sanctified as with a full of beer. Foolishness, then, would have been to think of a large-scale wedding without the fullness of the best of the food, and rows of full barrels of the best beer. We saw, just a few days before a wedding, a bottle full of these large barrels, all of which had not been bought in a brewery, but had been brewed under the supervision and direction of the lady of the house; and in reference to them he felt a kind of boast in his masterpiece. Once the drink of liquor began to disappear, no visitor or courier was allowed to leave without testing the drink; and if he was sensible, he would be very sure of praising her, for by doing so she could have achieved it fully. When a barrel was opened for visitors, the news spread throughout the area with a lightning breeze, and it was not long before the neighbouring farmers would seek out important messages, for an excuse to pay a visit to the wedding premises, for they knew that the honour of the family tolerates them going home without their being half drunk first.)
Anon, ‘Priodas yn Nghymru’ Y Beirniad, rhif. 77, (1878), tt. 362-371

1878

A West Wales farmer was fined £12 ‘for having been so regardless or oblivious to licencing laws as to brew a little beer for the bidding connected with the approaching marriage of his daughter’.
Brian Glover, Prince of Wales, The History of Brewing in Wales, (1993), p. 5

1892

THE WELSH SUNDAY CLOSING ACT. Shebeening at Llanelly. 49 PERSONS FINED.
At Llanelly Police-court this morning a miner, named Thomas Owen, was fined £20 and costs for selling beer without a licence on the 9th and 10th of April. The police, who made a raid on the house in question a few days ago, found six 36-gallon casks and a quantity of wine and spirits on the premises. There were 51 persons drinking in the various rooms.
The defence was that the defendant was celebrating an ancient wedding custom, known in Wales as “Biddings”; but the Bench were of opinion that the place was nothing but a shebeen, and in addition to convicting the landlord, fined, with three exceptions, those present 20s. each.
Evening Express, 20th April 1892

1893

The kind family sees that they are sent plenty of the healthy diod fain (small beer, described on an earlier page as a kind of ginger ale) if not some diod gadarn (strong drink) too. Nansi Shams is there in their midst with a basketful of small cakes and other things – she is very amusing, praising her wares in order to sell them. And of course, the lads are willing to buy anything acceptable to the pretty and jolly girls sitting by their sides.
Morgan, J. Myfenydd, Morus Llwyd, Cwm Tawel, a novel published as a serial in Cymru, vol. 5, (1893), p. 196

1895

Macsid gynt dablen fach yn bur rhad; wedi hynny prynid ychydig farilau, a llwyddid i’w gwerthu gyda chryn elw heb dd’od i afaelion cyfraith y wlad.
Home brewed beer was quite cheap; after that a few barrels were bought, and they were able to sell it at a considerable profit without falling into the law.
Williams, D.G., (Lloffwr) ‘Casgliad o Lên Gwerin Sir Gaerfyrddin’, Transactions of the National Eisteddfod of Wales, Llanelly, 1895, (1898), pp. 279-288

1895

Yr oedd Sally wrthi yn ddiwyd, ac nid oedd gan Tomos amser i ddim ond cynorthwyo Sally gyda’r darllaw a threfnu y darpariaethau, ac yn wir, fel rheol, byddai tŷ y neithior, o nôs y “gwawdd” hyd ddydd y briodas yn fwy fel tafarndy mewn tref wledig na thŷ preifat. Byddid yn yfed yno ddydd ans, “er mantais y pâr ieuanc,” cofier yr oedd y cwbl. Nid oedd yn yr oes hono na chwnstabl na heddgeidwad yn tori ar heddwch yr yfwyr ddyddiau y briodas, ond yr ydym yn corio am rai troion digron digrif agymerodd le yn nglyn a bragu at achosion o’r fath. Yr oedd pob peth am y ddwy wythnos gyntaf fel yn cerdded ar ffordd lefn, cwmni parhaus, yfed calonog, talu gonest, a phob peth yn addawol. Ond pan aeth Tomos bedwar diwrnod cyn dydd apwyntiedig y briodas i ymweled a Sally, syndod a siom, ni chai dderbyniad, ni fynai siarad âg ef; gorchymynodd iddo fyned ymaith a pheidio dyfod i’w golwg hi byth ond hyny. Gwnaeth Tomos y gore a fedrai o’r ddawn oedd ganddo i geisio rhesymu : na, dim rhesymu i fod, a phan ofynai ” Paham ?” swm yr atebiad oedd, ” dyna paham.” Rheswm merch yn ei nerth. Aeth amryw gyfeillion i siarad a hi, ond i ddim pwrpas, ac ymddangosai fel pe pob teimlad caredig, rheswm a phwyll wedi eu halltudio o’i chalon. Dyna benbleth, dwy farilaid o gwrw yn barod i gadw neithior, ond dim priodas!!
Yr oedd y llawenydd arferol cydfynedol a phriodasau wedi darfod, a chydymdeimlad difrifol â Tomos Rees fel llanw angerddol yn rhedeg drwy y gymydogaeth. Cynghorodd ei gyfeillion ef i roddi un cynyg arall, boddlonodd yntau, a ffwrdd a hwy i edrych am dani, ond cyn iddynt gyrhaedd yno yr oedd Sally wedi myned i ymguddio. Daeth Tomos Rees a’r cwmni yn ol i Landyssul, a chadwyd y neithior mor llawen ag y gellid o dan yr amgylchiadau.
Cymerwyd gofal mawr na chai y cwrw fod ar y ffordd, a gwelid erbyn nôs, os nad oedd Tomos wedi cael gwraig ei fod wedi cael llawer o arian, ac wmbredd o gydymdeimlad, ond nid oedd y cwbl yn ddigon i wrthweithio y siomedigaeth, a bu agos iddo yn ei ffrwst ddywedyd, “fod pob dyn yn gelwyddog.”

(Sally was diligent, and Tomos had no time to help Sally with the drawing and arranging the provisions, and indeed, the house of the bidding, from the “invitation” until the day of the wedding more like a pub in a rural town than a private house. They drank there day and night, “to the advantage of the young couple,” everyone remembers it all. It was not in that age that a constable or a policeman interfered with the peace of the drinkers on the days of the wedding, but we are grappling with some humorous beats that took place in the pursuit of such causes. Everything for the first two weeks was like walking on a gentle road, continuous company, hearty drinking, honest pay, and all things promising. But when Thomas went four days before the appointed day of the wedding to visit Sally, surprise and disappointment, she would not receive a reception, she would not speak to him, she commanded him to go away and never to see her again. Tomos did the best he could from the talent he had to try and reason: no, no reasoning to be, and when he asked “Why?” the reply was, “that’s why.” A woman’s reason in her strength. Several friends went to talk to her, but to no avail, and it seemed as though every kind feeling, reason and prudence had been banished from her heart. That’s a dilemma, two barrels of beer ready for the bidding, but no wedding!! The usual mutual joy of marriage and marriage had ceased, and a deep sympathy for Tomos Rees as a passionate tide running through the neighborhood. His friends advised him to try one more, he was happy, and they went to look for it, but before they got there Sally had gone to hide. Tomos Rees and the company returned to Llandyssul, and the bidding was held as joyful as possible under the circumstances. Great care was taken that the beer should not be on the way, and it would be apparent that, if Tomos had not had a wife, he had received a great deal of money, and a great deal of sympathy, but it was not enough to counteract the disappointment, and in his frame he said, “all men are liars.”
Anon, ‘Helyntion Bywyd Thomas Rees, Crydd, Llandyssul’, [Troubles of the Life of Thomas Rees, shoemaker, Llandyssul], Cwrs y Byd, Cyf. VIII rhif. 5 – Mai 1898, pp. 104-107