24 ENGLISH AGRICULTURAL LABOURER 



scribed to for thirty years, and who, because he had a spite 

 against the shepherd, refused to pay him the allowance of 

 6s. a week due to him by the rules of the club, until forced 

 to do so by a court of law. 



However, though the villagers of Halbcrton had bad 

 masters they had a good parson. 



" How is it possiblr," lie asked himself, "on such wretched 

 wages for a man to house, to feed and clothe not only himself 

 but his wife and children ; and to pay. in addition, the doctor and 

 the midwife when their services were required ; to provide. 

 shoes, fuel, liijit, such incidental expenses as school fees, and, in 

 fact, many other items which cannot be enumerated, but which 

 entered nevertheless into the cost of living." * 



He tried speaking to the farmers privately, but as this 

 proved fruitless lie preached a sermon which raised a ter- 

 rible storm in the parish. At the time a cattle plague was 

 raging, and he took foi his text, Behold the hand of the Lord 

 is upon t!:y cuttle. He. a-ked the farmers " if they did not 

 think that Ciod had sent the plague as a judgment upon 

 them for the manner in which they treated their labourers., 

 to whom they had been accustomed to give less considera- 

 tion than to their cattle." 



The farmers now became offensive. When the annual 

 tithe dinner took place it was pre-arranged that when tl:e 

 Vicar's health was proposed, the glasses instead of being filled 

 j-honld be reversed empty. After this, the Canon wrote a 

 letur to The 'J'iuicx giving a clear statement of the wages, 

 and of the condition of the agricultural labourer in the north 

 of Devon. 



This -taricd the migration movement. Letters came 

 from ail parts of Kngland and Ireland ; some from employ- 

 ers olfermg better wages and homes ; other containing 

 money put at the Canon's disposal for the COM of migrat- 

 ing families Then open war was declared against the. 

 Canon in his own district, not only by the farmers but also 

 bv the .-quires and clergy. 



At the KasUT Vestry in i<%7 one indignant farmer told 

 the Canon in language which cannot be printed that he 



1 P.nti-.h h'ural Lif? anil Labour, by F. G. Heath. 



