41 



combe, miller, taken on the 30tli November, who stated that on 

 the 14th September, being fair-day at Wiveliscombe, Bickliam 

 came to his house and asked him to buy for him forty bushels of 

 peas, which he intended for a merchant to whom he Avas indebted 

 for salt, and he bought four bushels for him, at 3/4, of Margaret, 

 wife of Davy Westbrooke, and delivered them at Bickham's house, 

 and Bickham was " earnest " with him to bring in forty bushels 

 more which he had bought, but of whom " he knew not."* 



After a good harvest the prices noAV dropped, wheat going to 5s. 

 a bushel, and these reports seem to have been gradually discon- 

 tinued. On the 1st Dec. Gr. Poulett, Eob. Cuff. Abraham BuitcU 

 and Wm. Bull wrote, that strict enquiry had been made in the five 

 hundreds about Bridgewater, but no hoarding, combination, or 

 secret transportation could be heard of, and had there been any, 

 the "jealous eyes of the watchfull poore" would by some means 

 have discovered it. As to the cause which kept up the price 

 they could only attribute it, by conjecture, to the late exportation 

 to Ireland, as since then the harvests had not allowed any " sur- 

 plaidge."t 



The last in the list, as before, is from Sir John Horner 

 and Ro. Hopton, who having summoned the constables of their 

 hundreds to appear at Frome on the 14th Nov., by their 

 presentments made on the 24th, found that there was 

 very little or no old corn left, not sufficient to serve a 

 quarter of a year, the inhabitants being all " buyers." 

 There were no ingrossers, and all corn was sold openly in the 

 market or to poor neighbours. The reasons adjudged for the 

 dearness were the failure of the crops three years before; the 

 great quantities exported from Bristol, and that " much of the 

 arable land was being converted into pasture."^ 



• State Papers, 163], Vol. cciv., fol. 35, ]3th December. 



t State Papers, 1631, Vol. cciv., fol. 4. 



: State Papers, 1631, Vol. cciv., fol. 112, Dec. 



