1584 Dialogue Strife our Churche 4 I suppose ye are not of that minde, but y^t ye doe allow Innekeeping to be a lawful and honest vocation.

1656 Earl of Monmouth tr. T. Boccalini Ragguagli di Parnasso i. xlvii. 97 No nobler art, no more honorabler exercise, nor greater advantage could be had or made by great men, then that of Inn-keeping.

1742 London Mag. Feb. 58/1 The Trade..of Inn-keeping, Alehouse-keeping, or retailing spiritous Liquors, does not..deserve al that Regard which seemes to be shewn to it in this Debate.

1794 F. G. Waldron Heigho for Husband iv. ii. 50 This inn-keeping is such a fatiguing life; give me a drop more.

1871 J. Yeats Techn. Hist. Commerce 126 The general progress of society rendered innkeeping increasingly prosperous.

1904 Eng. Hist. Rev. 19 154 At an early date they [sc. Germans in Italy] seem to have practically monopolised the innkeeping industry.

1949 Illustr. London News 26 Mar. 423/1 (advt.) After a thousand years the spirit in which innkeeping at its best is conducted, the spirit of hospitality, is..unchanged.

2002 Derbyshire Life & Countryside Nov. 121/2 A charming village pub in the best traditions of British inn-keeping.

1745 D. E. Baker tr. ‘A. F. de Avellaneda’ Don Quixote I. vi. 51 Don Quixote..started up frighted at the Danger this amorous Inn-keeping Wife of Potiphar was like to bring him into.

1799 tr. G. E. Lessing School for Honor i. xii. 17 But hark thee, Paul; we must play this innkeeping scoundrel some trick.

1860 Ld. Lytton Lucile ii. i. 172 May each inn-keeping knave long thy judgments revere, And the postboys of Europe regard thee with fear.

1908 Churchman 21 Mar. 392/2 There is deliciously original humor..in the inn-keeping brothers, Peter and Joel.

1997 Feminist Teacher 11 156 She was..sold again to the innkeeping and fishing Schriver family of Kingston.

2012 N.Y. Post (Nexis) 28 Sept. 45 (caption) Adam Sandler, voicing Dracula, does his best work in years..as an inn-keeping vampire.