24 



Bathforum, Wellow, Kilmerstou and the Liberties of the same. 

 From enquiries made hefore them at Frome they found there were 

 very few cornmasters, the country in great part being forest or 

 woodland, and the rest very barren for corn. Their supply came 

 from Wiltshii-e. One of them attended weekly, in turn, to see 

 the market well served and that the people were fairly dealt with. 

 As to badgers and carriers of corn, many resorted to Frome, that 

 being the only market, vriih corn to sell. They found them 

 useful, " therefore we toUerate some of them, othervvyse the people 

 would not be able to have corn in our market for their money." 

 The great increase in the number of people engaged in the trade 

 of clothmaking, was one reason of the scarcity Anth them, 

 also for some years last past the earth had not yielded a good 

 increase, and further, the " great neglect of tillage upon many 

 great farms."* 



Passing over four years, an example occurs of hoAv ^nde the 

 prices could be in a short time. At Lady-day, 1628, Avheat was 

 2.3/- per quarter. At Lady-day, 1629, it Avas .32;- and at the 

 same time in 1630 it was 37/11. The weather being then 

 unseasonable there Avas again a great scarcity and prices rose by 

 Michaelmas to 54/6, and to 64/- at Lady-day, 1631. 



With this gi'eat rise, there came the usual difficulty with the 

 poor, which threatened more than the usual trouble, as with it 

 now, there Avas a strong and Avide-spread pohtical discontent, 

 against the tendencies and proceedings of the new King, Charles I. 

 Extra care Avas taken to meet the emergency. Circumstances 

 make this business of no small importance, wrote Sir Thomas 

 Barrington to Lord Dorchester.t So great AA'as the anxiety at 

 headquarters, that the following doggerel AA-hich AA'as nailed on a 

 church door in Kent, Avas thought Avorthy by the Sheriff of being 

 sent to the Council. 



* .State Papers, 1623, Vol. cxliv., fol. 24, No. 12. 

 t State Papers, 1630, Vol. clxxxvii., fol. .^1, 



