33 



nencc they now ^>]>^^r. Walt, Bath and Wells, with Gerrard 

 Wood, reported from Wells on the 6th January, 1631, that in the 

 hundreds of Whitestono, Glaston, and the 12 hundreds, there 

 was a sufficient supply. That overseers had been appointed for 

 every market day to apprehend badgers, forestallers or engrossers, 

 and that some bakers had been suppressed, whilst others had 

 been " restrained " as to the quantity of corn they should bake. 

 They had ordered every " corn-master" to bring to market as 

 much as he could spare, and some of every Tithing had been 

 appointed to see this done. Wheat, 7s. 6d. ; barley, 4s. 6d. or 

 thereabouts, which was a " high rate." * 



From Fayland, on the 31st January, Eobert, Bishop of Bristol, 

 Sir Ferdinando Gorges, Kt., Rice Davies, and Richard Cole, for 

 Portbury, Bedminster and HartcUffe, found from the constables 

 and from twenty or thirty others who assembled before them 

 that there were 8,387 bushels of corn to ])e spared. This they 

 ordered to be sent to market by weekly instahnents, and the 

 names were recorded of all badgers, bakers or millers who 

 offended the laws.t 



For Frome, Kilmersdon, Bathford and Wellow, and the 

 Liberties of Hampton, Claverton, PhiUips Norton, Henton, 

 Witham Friary, East Cranmore, Mells, Leigh and Hill-House, Sir 

 John Horner,'Knt., Robert Hopton, and John Harrington certi- 

 fied " as near as they could." The hundred of Frome, with its 

 fifteen parishes near the forest of Selwood, and a great and 

 populous market town full of cottages, was reported very poor, 

 with 6,506 inhabitants, mostly clothiers, weavers and spinners. 

 Of wheat and rye, there were in store not more than 250 quarters, 

 barely enough to serve the inhabitants a fortnight. Of barley, 

 oats, beans and peas there were 241 quarters, aU of which would 

 not seed a third of the acreage to be sown. As the other 



* State Papers, 1631, Vol. clxxxii., fol. 17. 

 t State Papers, 1631, Vol. clxxxiii., fol. 49. 



