Pro Bono Publico: Publicans, Punch, and Print in Eighteenth-Century London

Through a case study of the publican and brandy merchant, James Ashley (c. 1698–1776), this article considers the extent to which publicans were able to manipulate contemporary attitudes towards the retailing of punch in eighteenth-century London. From a survey of 571 advertisements and notices printed between 1730 and 1790, it argues that punch-house-keepers used advertisements to not only elevate the reputation of themselves and their product, but as a novel method of communication, standardising their retailing practices in the process. As the proprietor of London’s most influential punch-house, James Ashley was at the forefront of this development.