130 The Early History of the Upper Wylye Valley. 
from the mills with the stuff. In the midst of this agricultural 
country there was a settlement of weavers upon the moor-like heath 
near Crockerton, working at the broad-cloth. The potter’s industry 
there, as we have seen, goes back to the thirteenth century, and 
another of its industries was the making of whetstones from the local 
stone. There are still old men who will look among the material 
of houses that have been pulled down, to see if any of the stone is 
of the kind that may be ground down into whetstones. The ague, 
which was the common complaint there, was due mainly to the 
standing water of the potters’ claypits, and partly to the sunless 
situation of the small valley. Higher up the river valley it was 
due to the marshy reed-beds and swamps. The carpenter’s 
industry has decayed, and so has that of the innkeeper. Here 
and there, on or near the main coach-roads, we come upon 
the traces of fine inns, such as “The Tippling Philosopher,” + at 
Monkton, which would be at the height of their prosperity at the 
close of the eighteenth century, when vehicles and roads were 
greatly improved. The milestones bear the date 1767, and part of 
the construction of the roads consisted in the cutting of steep 
hills, on which the marks of the older path can still be seen. 
Of the Reform movement in 1830 I have heard nothing, but it 
was not a burning question in this district. There were quite 
lately some memories from Hindon, above the valley, of election 
times when the borough returned two members, with scenes of 
disorder and a spirit of corruption. “There was no law at election 
times,” said my narrator. 
Some can still remember machine-breaking, when threshing- 
machines were first introduced. ; 
The condition of the working class during this time would be a 
fruitful subject, but it is out of place here, because many of the old 
conditions lasted till quite lately, and no great change occurred till 
the great migrations to Australia and America about 1860 onwards, 
and the still greater migration of the last twenty years common 
to all country districts. Even up to the nineteenth century the 

'There was an inn called ‘‘the Tippling Philosopher,” at Portskewett, in 
Monmouthshire, in 1875. What is the story ? 

PAG I me RON RS | AN nets I 
Se ans 
Pepi d 

