15 



Amongst the Ashmoleaii MSS. there arc some miscollaneous 

 memoranda made by one Dr. Simon Forraan, of Salisbury, an 

 astrologer, and a man well-known in his day, which happen to 

 refer to this time. For the quarter from 1.3th December, 1585, to 

 the 11th March, 1586, by calculation, he found aries in 12th 

 ascension with the sun and venus in her detriment, from which 

 lie concludes, that a great dearth of several sorts of cattle is 

 signified, and amongst them, of " cows in Somersetshire." 

 Accordingly, during the winter and lent follomng, the " dearth of 

 kine" was so great that butter in Somerset was 6d. a lb. instead of 

 the usual 3d. ; cheese 3d. instead of from 2d. to 2|d., and 

 " swine and cattle did die in abundance." Wheat was 4s., barley 

 2s. 6d., and "had not the justices made the farmers thresh out 

 their corn, it would have been 7s. or 8s." the bushel. Even at 

 the lower prices there was a great famine amongst the poor. 

 In one place they went to the barns and threshed out the 

 corn "whether the farmers would or no," and many "uproars 

 were like to be, for want of corn, yet there was enough in the 

 realm if it had been brought forth, but men would not bring it 

 forth, till they were compelled." To meet the emergency rye was 

 brought into Bristol from Dantzic and sold at ten groats the 

 bushel, yet at Midsummer many of the poor were likely to starve 

 and made "uproars," Avhilst some "hanged themselves from 

 want." At this time cothed {i.e. starved) sheep were £5 a 

 hundred, " rother beasts" very dear, eggs four a penny, some- 

 times seven for twopence. In 1588 best beef was a penny per lb.* 



In 1591 again, extra precautions for relief seem to have been 

 necessary and some curious briefs or licenses to collect charity, 

 were issued under the hands and certificates of the local justices. 

 On the 27th November a " Protection," for the poor house of 

 Langport Westover, in the county of Somerset, was granted to 

 Sir Richard Pepyn, " guider " (? master) there, to " gather " in the 



» Ashmolean MSS., No. 0866, Bodlean. Walter Yonge's Diary, 



