BAD SEASONS 157 



The winter of 1683-4 was marked by one of the severest 

 frosts that have ever visited England. Ice on the Thames 

 is said to have been eleven inches thick ; by Jan. 9 there 

 were streets of booths on it ; and by the 24th, the frost 

 continuing more and more severe, all sorts of shops and 

 trades flourished on the river, ' even to a printing press, where 

 the people and ladies took a fancy to have their names 

 printed and the day and year set down when printed on 

 the Thames.' Coaches plied, there was bull-baiting, horse 

 and coach races, puppet plays and interludes, tippling ' and 

 other lewd places' a regular carnival on the water. 1 Altogether 

 the frost which began at Christmas lasted ninety-one days 

 and did much damage on land, many of the trees were split 

 as if struck by lightning, and men and cattle perished in 

 some parts. Poultry and other birds and many plants and 

 vegetables also perished. Wheat, however, was little affected, 

 as the average price was under qos. a quarter. In 1692 

 a series of very bad seasons commenced, lasting, with a break 

 in 1694, until 1698, always known as the 'ill' or 'barren' 

 seasons, and the cause was the usual one in England, 

 excessive cold and wet. In 1693 wheat was over 6os. a 

 quarter, and in Kent turnips were made into bread for the 

 poor. 2 The difference in the price of farm produce in various 

 localities was striking, and an eloquent testimony to the 

 wretched means of communication. At Newark, for instance, 

 in 1692-3 wheat was from 36^. to 40^. a quarter, while at 

 Brentford it touched 76^. ; next year in the same two places 

 it was 32 s. and 86^. respectively. In 1695-6 hay at Newark 

 was 13^. 4,d. a ton, at Northampton it was from 35^. to 40^. 



In 1662 was passed the famous statute of parochial; 

 settlement, 14 Car. II, c. 12, which forged cruel fetters for! 

 the poor, and is said to have caused the iron of slavery to 

 enter into the soul of the English labourer. 3 The Act states, 



1 Evelyn's Diary. * Tooke, History of Prices, i. 23. 



8 Fowle, Poor Law, p. 63. 



