A fact from Pew group appeared on Wikipedia's Main Page in the Did you know column on 26 May 2019 (check views). The text of the entry was as follows:
Did you know... that the "rigidly posed" figures in English pottery pew groups of the 1740s (example pictured) may play musical instruments, or take snuff?
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In the mid 1700s no respectable lady would be seen in an inn. It is highly unlikely that is what is depicted here, unless the female figures are prostitutes or women of loose morals. And that in itself seems highly unlikely. (unsigned by ip)
That's a very considerable overstatement, in fact downright wrong. Some inns were disreputable, and others just dingy, but inns were the only hotels there were, and many were perfectly respectable, even smart, as hotels are now. Then as now people sharply distinguished good from bad. Chaucer's pilgrims, including various ladies, assembled at The Tabard in the 1380s. Celia Fiennes, very much a lady, was always in and out of inns when travelling around the 1690s: "Nottingham is ffamous for good ale, so for Cellars, they are all dugg out of the Rocks and so are very Coole. Att ye Crown Inn is a Cellar of 60 stepps down, all in ye Rock Like arch worke over your head: in ye Cellar I dranke good ale. We were very well Entertained and very Reasonably att the Blackmoors head". In Pontefract: "We were in the Chief Inn the Sunn, tho' there are many good Inns, but this was a very good Genteel jnn and it happen'd the Landlord was then Major of ye town". But also "Thence to Ackington 8 mile, a very Little place its 3 mile from Shellton town, but that was thought out of our way, so we Lay here in a poor Sorry Inn. There was one good bed for us Gentlewomen." And in Buxton: "they are all Entertaining houses and its by way of an ordinary – so much a piece for yr dinners and suppers and so much for our Servants besides; all ye ale and wine is to be paid – besides, the beer they allow at the meales is so bad yt very Little Can be dranke. You pay not for yr bed roome and truely the other is so unreasonable a price and ye Lodgings so bad, 2 beds in a Roome some 3 beds and 4 in one roome, so that if you have not Company Enough of your own to fill a Room they will be ready to put others into the same Chamber, and sometymes they are so Crowded that three must Lye in a bed. Few people stay above two or three nights its so Inconvenient. We staid two nights by reason one of our Company was ill, but it was sore against our Wills for there is no peace nor quiet..." and " This Ashburton is a poor Little town – bad was the best Inn". But at Oakingham: "This was a Little market town and I met with a very good Inn and accomodation, very good Chamber and bed and Came in by 5 of the Clock, so had good tyme to take off my wet Cloathes and be well dryed and warme to eate my supper, and rested very well without sustaining ye Least damage by the wet". Jane Bennet & Mr Darcy likewise. Johnbod (talk) 13:38, 26 May 2019 (UTC)[reply]
