204 Animal and Animal Products Trades 



From Surrey and Suffolk the turkeys and geese were driven on foot 

 to the London market. The Dorking market was the most famous 

 poultry market of all England. It was known for "the largest 

 Capons" and "the fattest Geese." Sussex also sent up poultry.^ 

 Suffolk and Norfolk turkeys were driven in droves of 300 to 1000; 

 over Stratford Bridge on the Stour Defoe declared 150,000 turkeys 

 passed on their way from Ipswich to London yearly; "and yet this 

 (was) one of the least Passages, the numbers which traveled by 

 New Market-Heath, and the open Country, and the Forest, and also 

 the Numbers that came by Sudbury and Clare, being many more." 

 The geese were marshalled in droves between 1000 and 2000. They 

 started after harvest and travelled through the stubble fields a hun- 

 dred and more miles, and arrived in London by the end of October in 

 fattened condition .- 



(c) Cheese and Butter. 



London drew its butter mostly from the east of England. In 

 1730, according to Maitland, there came by sea carriage from York, 

 Hull, Scarborough and Stockton 115,000 firkins, from Newcastle- 

 upon-Tyne 16,000, and from the County Suffolk 57,000 firkins. Of 

 the 105,000 firkins that came by land carriage one Abraham Daking 

 received 75,000. Altogether London was consuming 292,000 firkins 

 of imported butter.^ Four decades later it was reported that Suffolk 

 and Cambridge were sending up great quantities of salted butter, 

 and also York was beginning to contribute "no inconsiderate quantity 

 . . . though not so good in quality."^ Carmarthen in Wales had 

 "a great trade in butter for London."'' 



More than half the cheese consumed in London came from Cheshire. 

 This county sent up about 6000 tons; Hull and Gainsborough 1400 

 tons; Suffolk 1000 tons; and Newbury and Abingdon sent by Thames 

 barges 2400 tons. The total consumption by the city in 1730 was 

 thus 10,500 tons or more than 21,000,000 pounds." The Cheshire 

 and Suffolk cheese came by sea; the Oxford and Wilts cheese came 

 by the Thames; the other chiefly by wagon." Essex produced con- 



1 Defoe, Tour, I, 226. 



- Ibid., I, 61-3. 



•■> Maitland, II, 758. 



^ Postlethwayt, Die. s. v. British Empire. 



* Pocociie, II, 193. 



6 Maitland, II, 759. 



^Postlethwayt, op. cit.; Defoe, Tour, II, 38. 



