Food and drink, anyone?

In 1801, too, there were places where a person could get a drink, some food and a bed for the night, perhaps.

Maren Sophie Knudsdatter in Væstre Gade, having become a widow –possibly for the second time – lived off inn-keeping and blacksmithing: a combination that might have ensured some discipline among younger members of the drinking classes.

Another widow, Elen Maria Christensdatter, also in Væstre Gade, provided quarter to travellers besides her inn-keeping.

Jeremias Andreasen Reiner, who was 39, combined his metier as master blacksmith with innkeeping – again in Væstre Gade – but as he was also married to Andrea Kristine Norr aged 29 and had his own mother – aged 82 – living with him, one might be forgiven for suspecting that much of the work in the inn was done by the womenfolk, not Jeremias himself.

In Østre Gade, Johannes Nielsen Grøn managed to combine fishery with inn-keeping but, again, one might suspect the inn was kept by his wife Anne Knudsdatter Hellevad. Both of them were in their late fifties, and both were married for the second time.

In any case, with 373 inhabitants, four inns is not bad, working out as one for every 91 inhabitants. In today’s municipality – which is not really comparable except for the name – that would imply around 440 pubs in Sandefjord? Somebody really needs to get cracking.