Social Life and Domestic Habits. 129 



After the Union with England in 1707, amid a good 

 deal of grumbling over that event, the consumption of 

 " fleshes and wheat bread" sensibly increased with the 

 growth of trade among the better-to-do of town popula- 

 tions. In the rural districts there was little improve- 

 ment in that way for a long while after. And change 

 was by no means universally welcomed when it came. 

 It is amusing to note the vehemence with which many 

 of the writers in the Old Statistical Account (A.D. 1782- 

 94) bewail the degeneracy creeping in through extra- 

 vagance in dress and luxury in respect of food, and so 

 on. The minister of a Banffshire parish asserts that 

 " a very great change as to diet and dress has taken 

 place during the forty years last past." Prior to that era 

 " neither tea kettle nor tea could be found but in two 

 families " in his parish. " Two hats only appeared at 

 church ; a lady adorned herself with the plaid, and a 

 gentleman was not ashamed of homespun clothing. But 

 now most families drink tea once, many twice, a-day. 

 The ploughman appears at church and market with his 

 hat, linen, and good broad cloth, and it may be taken 

 for granted that the country belles will exert themselves 

 to outshine the country beaux." Another writer tells us 

 that "about fifty or sixty years ago there were not 

 above seven tea kettles, as many hand bellows, and as 

 many watches in Forfar; now tea kettles and hand 

 bellows are the necessary furniture of the poorest house 

 in the parish, and almost the meanest menial servant 

 must have his watch." A third, who is even more 

 explicit, says : " The dress of all the country people 

 in the district (central Aberdeenshire) was some years 

 ago, both for men and women, of cloth made of 

 their own sheep wool, Kilmarnock or Dundee bonnets, 

 and shoes of leather tanned by themselves. Then 

 every servant lad and maid had a quey or steer, 

 sometimes two, and a score or two of sheep, to 

 enable them to marry and begin the world with. Now 

 every servant lad almost must have his Sunday coat of 

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