"John Wotton the landlord of the Mermaid Inn, Exeter, was summoned for allowing Card playing on his premises.
A lad named Davey aged 14 stated that on Tuesday 5th Nov. inst, he and several boys spent several hours at the defendant's house playing at bagatelle and cards. Witness was also there on the next night playing at cards in the tap room with several other lads. The landlord himself played with them. - Witness brought the cards with him in his pocket, they played for beer.
His Worship the Mayor, after consulting with his brother magistrates, addressed the defendant in very strong terms upon the immorality (as well as illegality) of his conduct in encouraging youths to gamble. The Bench were determined to stop the card playing in public houses which had now become a great and glaring source of corruption to the boys of the city of Exeter, the robberies so frequently committed upon masters and employers were solely the result of public house gambling. The defendant was fined 50s. for each offence and 12s. expenses. ordered to pay within a week, or distrained upon for the amount."
Card-playing was seen as a prevalent offence. Five pounds, twelve shillings was a hefty fine in 1844. It would buy four donkeys! I hope John Wotton found the cash.
The Mermaid was a famous, ancient, Exeter hostelry between Combe Street and Preston Street.
Bagatelle canot have been illegal per se because the tables were installed in many public-houses but it seems card-playing was - and you needed to bring your own cards in your pocket. The gambling for beer though was certainly deemed not only illegal but a great and glaring source of corruption. Of course the age lacked social scientists to test such assertions.
The lad named Davey was fourteen, some of the other boys were perhaps younger. I imagine them with little old men's faces sitting round the pub-table knocking back the beer, smoking and gambling, - a hand of cards with the landlord, - laughing and joking and thinking themselves very grown up.
Nowadays, as perhaps an equivalent, one can see, behind the plate-glass, alarmingly young-looking cocktail-sippers sitting around tables in the Queen Street gin-palaces, each one intent on his or her own mobile-phone, - privately playing online poker perhaps!
Source: The Exeter Flying Post, 21st November, 1844.
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