Forms: α. 4 vit-, 4, 6 vittailler, 5–6 vitailer (6 vict-), 6 vi(t)tayler (vict-); 4 vytail(l)er, 5–6 vytayler (6 -ayller); 6 viteilour, vitaylour, vittaillor. β. 4, 6 viteler, 5–6 viteller, 5 vital(l)er, vitalar, -eer, vituller; 5 veteler, 6 -eller, -uler; 5 vytalere, 6 vytiller. γ. 5 vittaler, 6 -allar, victaller; 5 vittelour, 5–6 vitteller (6 -eler, wytteller); 5–7 vitler, 6 vittler. δ. 5– victualler (7 -ailler), 6–7 (9) victualer, 6 victuelar, 7 vict’lar. [a. AF. and OF. vitaill(i)er, vitaillour (OF. also vitailleur, vit-, victuailleur), f. vitaille VICTUAL sb.]
1. A purveyor of victuals or provisions; spec. one who makes a business of providing food and drink for payment; a keeper of an eating-house, inn or tavern; a licensed victualler (cf. b).
Also spec. (in local Irish use), a butcher.
α. 1377. Langl., P. Pl., B. II. 60. Forgoeres and vitaillers and vokates of þe arches.
1386. Rolls of Parlt., III. 226/1. While vittaillers, bi suffraunce, presumen thilke states upon hem.
1453–4. Cal. Anc. Rec. Dublin (1889), 279. Al maner of viteiloures, as wel deynsynes as foreynes.
1530–1. Act 22 Hen. VIII., c. 13. Bere bruers and bakers whiche bene comon vitaylers.
1550. J. Coke, Eng. & Fr. Heralds, § 133. To robbe the marchauntes of Englande,… lykewyse pore vytaylers and fysshermen of all nacions.
1565. Cooper, Thesaurus, Caupo, a hucster; a tauerner; a victayler.
β. c. 1380. Wyclif, Sel. Wks., III. 153. Bot men of lawe and marchauntis, and chapmen, and viteleres, synnen more in avarice þen done pore laboreres.
1421. Coventry Leet Bk., 25. We commaund þat no vitaler … passe out of the Cite of Couentre for to by fische, ne non othur vitayle comyng toward the Cite.
c. 1440. Promp. Parv., 511/1. Vytalere, victuarius.
1477. Rolls of Parlt., VI. 186/1. Every Merchaunt Alien, and every other Vitaler, and other Straunger.
1519. Presentmts. of Juries, in Surtees Misc. (1890), 32. That no veteller, nor other man, herber no begers nor vacabundys.
1530–1. Act 3 Hen. VIII., c. 13 (1551), C v. Bere bruers and bakers, whiche bene common vitellers.
1556. Chron. Gr. Friars (Camden), 72. Every viteler to selle as they wolde and had done before.
transf. c. 1430[?]. Lydg., St. Giles, 109. [The hind] Of god provided to be thy vitaleer, With a repaast of hyr mylk moost soote.
γ. 1467. in Eng. Gilds (1870), 408. That no maner vitteller pay eny thynge for the occupacion of the kynges Borde.
1513. in 10th Rep. Hist. MSS. Comm., App. V. 400. Common vittlers and hostlers.
1530. in W. H. Turner, Select. Rec. Oxford (1880), 87. Other vitlers and artyficers yn Oxford.
1573. in Feuillerat, Revels Q. Eliz. (1908), 227. The vitteller at Reading for the dyet of sundry persons.
1599. Breton, Miseries Manillia, Wks. (Grosart), II. 37/2. I had sent away this olde vitler with more crownes then shee was mistresse of many a day before.
1600–12. Rowlands, Four Knaves (Percy Soc.), 45. The vitlers poasts all chalk’d with scores.
δ. 1568. Grafton, Chron., II. 123. The bakers, Brewers, and other victuallers of the City.
1592. Greene, Groat’s W. Wit (1617), 34. Let not Tauerners and Victualers bee thy Executors.
1614. J. Taylor (Water P.), Nipping Abuses, D iij b. The vintner and the vict’lar get most gaines From dayly drunkards, and distemperd braines.
1643. Ord. & Declar. Both Houses: Lords Day, 6. Any other Tipler or Victualler whatsoever within your Ward.
1699. Poor Man’s Plea, 19. We have as firm Laws in England as need be to compel the Victualler to sell a certain Measure of Drink, mentioning what Pots and what Price.
1742. Lond. & Country Brewer, I. (ed. 4), 29. This may be a benefit to a Victualler that brews to sell again, and cannot vent his small Beer.
1765. Blackstone, Comm., I. 414. The several inn-keepers and victuallers throughout the kingdom.
1835. Willis, Pencillings, I. ii. 20. A commissary from Villa Franca, who is to be our victualler during the quarantine.
1844. Ld. Brougham, Brit. Const., xv. (1862), 22. Making victuallers pay for a license to retail wines.
b. Licensed victualler, one who has a licence to sell food or drink, but esp. the latter, to be consumed on the premises; a publican.
1824. (title) The Licensed Victualler’s Almanack and Tablet of General Information for … 1825.
1841. Dickens, Barn. Rudge, xiii. Believing … that the publicans coupled with sinners in Holy Writ were veritable licensed victuallers.
1878. E. Jenkins, Haverholme, 26. They are hardly governed by the abstract principle that a Licensed Victualler is a … healthy institution, I suppose.
2. spec. a. One who supplies, or undertakes to supply, an army or armed force with necessary provisions; † pl. those engaged in bringing up victuals to an armed force.
Applied both to purveyors on a large scale, and to mere sutlers. † Victualler of Calais occurs as a special designation in the 15th century.
α. c. 1380. Sir Ferumb., 3144. Þe vytailers þay alto-hewe, & þe vytailles with hymen þai ladde.
1447. Ordinance of Exchequer, 35. c. 62 (6) A v. Item for the tresourer of Caleis, xl.s. Item for the vytayler of Caleis, xxxiii.s. iiii.d.
1489. Caxton, Faytes of A., I. xiii. 35. Dyspensatours and vitaillers of the oost.
a. 1513. Fabyan, Chron., VII. 459. The kynges hoost … was plenteously vytaylled by ye Flemynges and by other vytayllers.
a. 1548. Hall, Chron., Hen. VIII., 24 b. The duke of Vandosme … toke his aduantage and set on the victailers.
1591. Savile, Tacitus, Hist., II. lxxxvii. 104. With infinite vittailers and followers of the campe.
β, γ. 1375. Barbour, Bruce, XIV. 407. Thai raid till meit the vittelleris, That with ther wittale … Com, haldand to the host the way. Ibid., 429. Sum of thair mekill host has seyne Thair come, and wende weill thai had beyne Thair vittelouris.
1456. Sir G. Haye, Law Arms (S.T.S.), 116. Playntis of his men as to merchandis and vitalaris of the ost and otheris.
1487. Rolls of Parlt., VI. 407/1. William Rosse Esquier, Vittaler of the Towne of Caleis and Marches of the same.
1587. Holinshed, Chron. (ed. 2), III. 823/1. At last they met with a vitteler comming from the campe, which was their guide and brought them thither.
δ. 1591. Savile, Tacitus, Hist., IV. xv. 179. The victuallers and marchants [were] cut of.
1601. Ld. Mountjoy, in Moryson Itin. (1617), II. 200. The Victualer issues … but one pounde and a halfe of beefe per diem, to a souldier.
1633. T. Stafford, Pac. Hib., II. ii. (1821), 235. Although it seemeth to us by the Certificate of the Victualler, that you were better stored at your writing, then you knew for.
1681. Moores Baffled, 4. Which careful foresight nothing could hinder from being effectual, but the negligence of the Victuallers.
1709. Steele, Tatler, No. 39, ¶ 4. Charles II. victual’d his Navy, with the Bread which one of his Dogs chose…, rather than trust to the Asseverations of the Victuallers.
1802. James, Milit. Dict., Sutler and Victualler may be considered as synonimous terms as far as they relate to military matters.
attrib. 1688. R. Holme, Armoury, III. xvi. (Roxb.), 103/2. Things necessary for Armyes…. Victualler sutlers.
b. One who furnishes a ship or navy with provisions. Also agent-victualler (see quot. 1769).
In early use, one who undertook to provision a trading vessel in return for a share in the profits.
1432–50. in Cal. Proc. Chanc. Q. Eliz., I. Pref. 38. On balynger cleped the Cristofre,… and therof Wolfe maister, and Sir Ramfray Arundell and Sir John Trerys Knyghtes owners and vitallers.
1623. Whitbourne, Newfoundland, 26. Those men are yeerely hired by the Owners, and Victuallers foorth of ships in those voyages.
1626. Capt. Smith, Accid. Yng. Seamen, 35. The Ship hath one third part; the Victualler the other third; the other third is for the Company.
1647. Haward, Crown Rev., 20. Victualer of the Navy: Fee, [£]58. 0. 0.
1757. W. Thompson, R. N. Advoc., 18. The Victuallers and their Officers Report … being of equal Account, it will be needless to animadvert thereon.
1769. Falconer, Dict. Marine (1780), Agent-Victualler,… an officer stationed at a royal port, to regulate the victualing of the king’s ships, under the direction of the commissioners for victualing the navy.
1796. Nelson, in Nicolas, Disp. (1845), II. 248. Mr. Heatly, the great victualler, writes me that the supply he is now procuring, will be the first and last, for the Port of Genoa will be shut.
1809. R. Langford, Introd. Trade, 101. Beg your victualler to get the beef properly salted.
1834. Encycl. Metrop. (1845), VI. 341/1. To the Victualling establishment … [at Malta] there is attached an agent victualler and clerks.
3. A ship employed to carry provisions for a fleet or squadron (or for troops over-seas); a victualling ship.
a. 1572. Knox, Hist. Ref., Wks. 1846, I. 216. Besydis the galayis, being twenty twa then in nomber, thei had threscoir great schippis, besydis vittallaris.
1588. Losses and Distresses of the Spanish Navy, A iij b. They were in all, at their coming forth, a hundred xxxv. sayle, whereof foure were Galliasses, foure gallies, and ix. of them were victallers.
1625. in Birch, Crt. & Times Chas. I. (1848), I. 63. To your last of the fleet, you must add five victuallers, and as many horse-ships, having only seamen in them.
1668. Lond. Gaz., No. 238/3. All these Men of War are to be attended by a proportionable number of Galliots, Advice Boats, and Victuallers.
1712. E. Cooke, Voy. S. Sea, 454. A Dutch Squadron of about 13 Sail of Men of War and Victuallers.
1748. Anson’s Voy., II. ii. 131. We never were joined by any other of our ships, except our Victualler, the Anna Pink.
1780. Ann. Reg., 204*. Some men of war, which he had sent with a convoy of store-ships and victuallers to the island of Minorca.
1813. Southey, Nelson, I. 145. There were now above 100 sail of victuallers, gun-boats, and ships of war.
4. Sc. ‘One who deals in grain; a corn-factor.’
1808. Jamieson.
Hence Victuallership.
1450. Rolls of Parlt., V. 196/1. As in the vitelershipp of the Castell. Ibid. (1487), VI. 407/1. The Office of Vitellershipp of the forsaid Towne [Calais].
