CHAPTER XLVIII. 

 PIG-INSURANCE. 



FEW people have probably ever heard of " The Woodford 

 Pig-Insurance Society " ; nor was Mr. William Conduit, 

 smith in the Wiltshire village of Woodford, ever, so far 

 as we are aware, " known to fame," except within the 

 very restricted area which first witnessed his great pig- 

 insurance scheme ; but it occurred to him one day 

 that it might be possible to insure the farm labourer 

 against the ruinous loss, through illness, of what is 

 ordinarily his greatest asset his pig. Even from the 

 slender revenue of a labourer it might be conceivable 

 that sixpence could be spared as an entrance fee for 

 admission to a pig club, and a premium of a halfpenny 

 a week might also be feasible. The idea was " mooted " 

 at a small public meeting consisting of seven labourers ; 

 it was voted to be a good idea, and the pig society 

 was started : the whole of the " meeting " plus the 

 originator of the scheme forming the first membership 

 of eight persons. The initial " capital " of the club was 

 five shillings and fourpence : four shillings entrance 

 fees of the eight " original members," and eight times 

 twopence each, " advanced " as four weeks of the 

 premium rate of halfpenny a week. Mr. Conduit was 

 very properly appointed the " secretary " of the club 

 or society. 



Fortunately, no Woodford pig, at that very critical 

 moment in the history of the undertaking, died. If it 

 had done so it is to be feared that the company of 



