Facts and Quotes:
During the Saxon era, the wooden tankard (available on this website) was the most common form of drinking vessel. Some of these tankards had a capacity of up to four pints. Despite being shared, the contents were usually speedily dispatched, encouraging riotous drunkenness. So it was that King Edgar (who reigned from 959-975) introduced a decree stipulating that the tankards were to be fitted with pins or pegs all the way down, with each interval denoting one person’s measure. You drank the ale down to the next peg, and then handed it on. Drinking more than your share therefore entailed taking the next man down a peg or two.
