19 



In 1623 the dearth contimicd, ami again letters of enquiry were 

 sent out with orders, that means should be taken to have the 

 prices moderated. On the 8th May, Sheriff Edward Popham 

 made his report and transmitted with it the various certificates of the 

 Justices as returned to him.* Henry Berkeley, Matt. Ewens and 

 Ja. Farewell, replied on the 10th Feb. for the hundreds of Catsash, 

 Horethorne, Bruton and Norton Fens. After allowing a " com- 

 petente pporcon of breade corn and malt for their o-\vn expend- 

 inge," there would remain in bushels in 



All badgers of corn and engrossers were "restrayned ;" bakers 

 there were none of note, and "for ought" they could find, there 

 was " not any corn master within those four hundreds but without 

 constraint fully purposeth to sell betweene this and the next 

 harvest all the corne he can possibly spare."t 



On the 19th Feb. Rice Davies and Eich, Cole sent in a cer- 

 tificate of their enquiries of the corn masters in Portbury, taken 

 at Fawland Cross. There were in store and to spare, of wheat, 

 rye, and barley, 2,427 bushels, which would " hardly serve for 

 the provision of the other inhabitants of the hundred." There 

 were no "broggers", nor "badgers," and the hundred being 

 without a market town, the corn was earned to Bristol and 

 Wrington, where the price of wheat was 5s. and barley 3s. 4d. J 



* State Papers, 1623, Vol. cxliv., fol. 24, 

 t 1623, Vol. cxliv., fol. 24, No. 1. 

 X 1623, Vol. cxliv., fol, 24, No. 2. 



