BEDINGHAM, DITCHINGHAM & THE FARMS 9 



heavy land in this neighbourhood. Major John Margitson, my 

 father-in-law, and predecessor in this property, about thirty-five 

 years ago purchased a farm of 195 acres of heavy land for a sum 

 of 6,ooo/., or including certain necessary improvements 6,5oo/. In 

 1868 this farm was let for 25 2/., the tenant paying the tithe of 357. 

 In 1 88 1 the rent had fallen to 2oo/. Then came the bad seasons, 

 indeed they had already begun with the fearful year of 1879, and 

 the tenant, a worthy man of the old school who felt his age, had 

 neither the energy nor the capital to stand up against them. He 

 drifted into insolvency, and the farm was relet to another tenant 

 at a greatly reduced rent. This gentleman, although it was not 

 discovered at the time, was already practically insolvent. In the 

 end he went bankrupt also, and the estate lost several hundred 

 pounds. Now I was anxious to take the farm in hand, as at the 

 time I chanced to be able to command the 2,000!. capital which 

 would have been necessary to the venture. But my late friend and 

 agent, Mr. William Simpson, the well-known and respected Norfolk 

 auctioneer and valuer, dissuaded me from that course. By this 

 time, like everybody else, he was thoroughly frightened at the 

 outlook for farming, and assured me that I should certainly lose 

 i,ooo/. over the transaction. I bowed to his judgment and 

 experience and the farm was relet, this time for 507. a year as he 

 could only value the land at 8/. the acre I declined to go further 

 and attempt to sell it. Out of this magnificent revenue I am 

 expected to repair the house and extensive buildings, to bear the 

 ordinary landlord's charges, to find the seed for laying down 

 permanent pastures, and pay the tithe, which now, I believe, 

 has declined to about 257., or half the gross rental. Also, I am 

 called upon for subscriptions to local charities. By the way, can 

 it ever have been contemplated that the system of tithe should 

 work thus? When the farm let for 25 2!. the tithe seems to have 

 been about 357. ; now, when the rent is 5o/. the tithe is about 257., 

 a large proportion to the profits I was about to write, but, of 

 course, there are none. To own that farm costs a considerable 

 sum out of pocket annually. 



