Schledehausen, November 8th, 1833

I make this report for several of the most respected landowners and other respectable members of this community complained against me about the getting out of hand of the pubs in the town of Schledehausen and especially in the settlements around the town. Therefore, I name the people - fourteen of them - who serve brandy without having a licence to do so. I also allow myself to remark obediently that it is my opinion that eleven of these pubs should be closed while three of them should be given a licence for special reasons that I reported earlier.

You can see from my obedient report from October 28th, 1833 - concerning the alcoholism of the Colon Mönkehus of Astrup - what a bad influence these pubs have onto the moral standards of the people of which we have so many horrible prooves!

Take the Colon Wiesehahn of Ellerbeck as an example. He was found dead one morning in the barn of the Colon Hemminghaus although he was feeling well the evening before. His successor is in the prison of Stade for 15 years and the unlucky woman of these two men - who didn't know how to go on living and bringing up her underaged children - committed suicide this summer.

I myself have seen such people many times and was sorry for them for even the best warnings weren't considered in any way.

People play cards, drink and talk in such pubs all night long. The foolish farmer often take his farm hand as company. It even happends that such people let the horses and the plough on the field while sitting in the pub. How often do these poor animals stand in front of the pub - freezing, because they are heated up from the work

These pubs are also a place for foolish and lazy women - so called 'Schlickertaschen' - to fulfill all their useless needs. They take everything of their home that isn't nailed down to such pubs. All these are the unfortunate results of drinking brandy and it's supported by the countless pubs. Only the Lord knows what will become of such people at the end! Not only families but whole farms are ruined by these habbits. We have enough examples. How desirable would it be to make an end with this evil.

I took out a summons against the most respected landowners of every settlement to find out which pub has a licence and to discuss this subject which is so important for every country man.

From the settlement Astrup came the chairman Colon Diekmann, Colon Beintker and Colon Lammerth who hold the opinion that there have to be two pubs in their settlement for the new public school is located there. They asked to give a licence to the Colon Brüggemann and to the new-farmer Victor Maschmeyer.

From Grambergen came the Colon Bettinghaus, the Colon Siek and the chairman Colon Eggert. They had different opinions. Colon Bettinghaus and Colon Siek hold the opinion that one pub in Grambergen would be enough while Colon Eggert said that the way to the pub at the Siek farm is to far for the people who live in Hiddinghausen. Therefore he asked to give a licence to the tenant Adam Heinrich Erk at Erk's Kotten, too.
[Just for the people who don't know the area: beeline between Hiddinghausen and the pub at the Siek farm: maybe a mile! Which is the same distance like from the Bettinghaus farm to the pub!]

From the town Schledehausen came the tax collector Bullerdiek and the owner of the general store Biok. They believed that it would be quite obvious to give a license to the merchant Steinkamp, the baker Westerholt and the glazier Lanfering.

From Jeggen came the chairman of the community Meyer zu Meckelesch, the chairman of Jeggen Colon Brüggemann and the Colon Uthoff. They hold the opinion that a licence should be given to Caspar Knost in Schrage's Kotten.

The Colons Laumann, Niemann and Simon of Wulften agreed to allow the Colon Börke of Wulften to have a pub.

The chairman Colon Bruning, Colon Knackwefel and Colon Siekeloh of Krevinghausen said that the licence for their settlement should be given to the new-farmer and grain merchant Heinrich Michel.

The royal department should decree that none of the pub owners is allowed to serve brandy in the evening after the sun went down nore to have guests or drinking sessions. It should also be forbidden to dance or make music. Who act against the law should be punish serverly and such a punishment should be used for the best of the community like it was decided by the government.

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