vbl. sb. Forms: (see VICTUAL v.). [f. VICTUAL v.]
1. The action of providing or storing a ship, town, army, etc. (now esp. the Navy) with victuals.
α. 1462. Cal. Anc. Rec. Dublin (1889), 313. For the vitalyng of the sayd citte.
1462. Paston Lett., II. 102. My Lord Tresorer had put hym to a gret charge for the vetelyng of Mary Talbot.
1496. Naval Acc. Hen. VII. (1896), 165. Certeyn vitayle & fewell bought for vitaylyng of the seid Ship.
1544. Star Chamb. Cases (Selden), II. 281. His highnes proclamacion for the vittalyng of his highnes Toune of Callis.
1570. B. Googe, Pop. Kingd., I. E iij b. They looke to vittayling of Campes, when bloudie warres doe raigne.
1606. J. Clapham, Hist. Gt. Brit., II. I. ii. 179. By attaching some of the Roman ships … they became first acquainted with their manner of vittailing.
β. 1509–10. Act 1 Hen. VIII., c. 20 § 1. Victuale goyng oute of this your said Realme for the victualyng of your Towne of Calice.
1551. Sir J. Williams, Accompte (Abbotsf. Cl.), 88. Towardes the victuellinge of his maiesties armyes then at Portesmouth.
1603. Knolles, Hist. Turks (1621), 250. He commanded also the Prince … to make prouision for the victualing of his campe.
1650. Nicholas Papers (Camden), 168. It was become necessary for the victualling and seting forth your fleete.
1705. Lond. Gaz., No. 4091/3. His Royal Highness has … appointed … Captain Thomas Harlow to be a Commissioner of the Victualling.
1755. Magens, Ess. Insurances, I, 165. The dear Victualling of the Ship in America.
1834. Encycl. Metrop. (1845), VI. 339/1. A Comptroller of the Victualling of the Navy and of the Transport Service.
1849. Macaulay, Hist. Eng., iii. I. 390. There men might learn … how grossly the Navy Board had cheated the crown in the victualling of the fleet.
1901. Whitaker’s Alm., 154. Admiralty…. Director of Victualling.
b. The business of supplying food and drink for payment; supply of food for this purpose.
1534. in Gross, Gild Merch. (1890), II. 192. It ys enacted … that no person ne persons shall … exercise eny vytelyng, bying or sellyng … wythyn the seyd Town.
1552. in 10th Rep. Hist. MSS. Comm., App. V. 390. A comon housse or ynne for victuallinge and lodginge of … strangers.
1580. Lyly, Euphues (Arb.), 252. I keepe no victualling, yet is my house an Inne.
1891. Anthony’s Photogr. Bull., IV. 309. The average return saloon fare is £6 including very liberal victualling.
2. A supply of food for personal use.
1532. Acc. Ld. High Treas. Scot., VI. 119. To be in Edinburgh the v day of Januar with xxx dais wittaling.
1539. Cromwell, in Merriman, Life & Lett. (1902), II. 234. I haue delyuered vnto him money for two monethis wagies vitailling and al other thinges for that tyme necessary.
a. 1618. Sylvester, Letanie 4, v. They from thee prepared had Each one his sev’rall victualling, After his kind, herb, fruit and seed.
1792. N. Chipman, Rep. (1871), 27. The prisoner should pay to the gaoler one shilling and sixpence per day for his victualing.
1819. R. Anderson, Cumbld. Ball., 112. Teyme whispert, ’twad be best, For vittelin heame to run.
3. attrib. as victualling-bill, -board, -book, † booth, † cart, † cook, department (also transf.), dry store, establishment, -note, place, provisions, service, -ship, -society, yard.
1745. De Foe’s Eng. Tradesm., vi. (1841), I. 41. From whence proceeded that black trade of buying and selling navy and *victualling-bills, and transport-debts.
1809. R. Langford, Introd. Trade, 130. Bills victualling, bills issued by the Victualling board, bearing interest till due and paid.
1846. A. Young, Naut. Dict., 72. The master of any vessel outward-bound has to apply to the searcher for a victualling-bill, which is a warrant for the shipment of such stores as he may require.
1867. Smyth, Sailor’s Word-bk., Victualling-bill, a custom-house document, warranting the shipment of such bonded stores as the master of an outward-bound merchant-man may require for his intended voyage.
1757. W. Thompson, R. N. Advoc., 13. Half an Hour after the *Victualling-Board broke up, I was sent for.
1834–6. Encycl. Metrop. (1845), VIII. 380/1. The Victualling Board … consumes many hundred tons [of old hoops] annually for the service of the navy.
1867. Smyth, Sailor’s Word-bk., *Victualling-book, a counterpart of the ship’s open list, which is kept by the purser, to enable him to make the necessary entries in it.
1588. Roxb. Ball. (1887), VI. 394. And *vittaling boothes in plentie were, Where they sold meate, bread, cheese, and beere.
1578. Knaresb. Wills (Surtees), I. 134. One *victualling carte, a bord and a carte in the haie laith.
1568. Withals, Dict., 41 b/1. A *vittayling cooke.
1839. Penny Cycl., XIV. 343/2. To the eastward of Valletta … are … spacious stores for the *victualling department.
1878. Athletic World, 31 May, 99/2. Francis … led off with a clever double on the … chin. Bassano then retaliated on the victualling department [= stomach].
1757. W. Thompson, R. N. Advoc., 52. He was … appointed to inspect all the King’s *Victualling Dry Stores.
1834. *Victualling establishment [see VICTUALLING 2 b].
1858. Simmonds, Dict. Trade, *Victualling-note, an order given to a seaman in the Royal navy by the paymaster, when he joins a ship, which is handed to the ship’s steward as his authority for victualling the man.
1667. Pepys, Diary, 2 Aug. Though I lay down my *victualling place, yet, as long as he continues victualler, I shall be the better by him.
1770. Langhorne, Plutarch (1851), II. 837/2. He … furnished himself also with cattle and other *victualling provisions.
1757. W. Thompson, R. N. Advoc., 20. One … had been in the *Victualling Service from a Boy.
1665. Pepys, Diary, 28 April. Down the River to visit the *victualling-ships.
1711. Broadside, Sailors Danger & Hardship at Sea (title-p.), The loss of Seven large Transports and a Victualing Ship.
1858. Simmonds, Dict. Trade, *Victualling-society, a union or association of operatives, &c. to supply themselves with meat and bread, &c. at the lowest prices.
1757. W. Thompson, R. N. Advoc., 48. The Timber … sent into Portsmouth *Victualling-yard was … complained of.
1846. A. Young, Naut. Dict., 105. The Victualling Yards for the Royal Navy, where provisions and similar stores are deposited.
