A HISTORY OF STAFFORDSHIRE 



The consolidation of small farms was not so extensive in this county as 

 in some districts, farms being found of all sizes from 20 to 500 acres. 116 The 

 value of estates varied greatly from that of the great nobleman or rich 

 commoner worth 10,000 per annum to the holding of the forty shilling 

 freeholder of historic fame. 



The improvements in agriculture were, however, chiefly due to the 

 moderate proprietors of 200 to 300 acres, or to the high-class tenant farmers, 

 who had been the first to introduce new methods of cultivation and stock- 

 breeding. 117 



The rental of farms at this time ranged from IQJ. to 30^. per acre, but 

 as a large part of the land was in a backward state of cultivation the average 

 price would fall below 2OJ. 118 



' Few fortunes,' says Pitt, ' are made by farming, unless the farmer is 

 connected with some other employment,' and he sums up the farmer's troubles 

 as high rents and taxes, especially the poor rate and the malt tax, and the 

 rise in the price of labourers' wages, and of the price of agricultural imple- 

 ments and other materials. 119 



This was, of course, the time of the French War, of Corn Laws, of 

 great fluctuations in the price of wheat, and of a serious rise in the poor rate 

 due largely to a short-sighted and demoralizing system of administration. 

 These great fluctuations in price were welcomed by the capitalist farmers 

 who could withhold their stock till prices rose, but the small farmer was 

 often ruined by the low prices ; yet rents went up steadily. 120 The average 

 price of wheat per quarter rose from 43^. in 1792 to 75^. zd. in 1795, and 

 78.1-. jd. in 1796. In 1798 it had fallen to 5U. iod., but rose next year to 

 69^., and in 1800 was as high as 103-1-. Io ^- m 



In 1796 a considerable part of the county was waste and unimproved 

 land. Cannock Chase was still a wild heathery moorland tract, unsullied by 

 the smoke of coke ovens. Part of the east side of Dilhorne Heath had been 

 recently planted with potatoes which had produced excellent crops. ' In 

 fine,' says Pitt, ' in this part of the moorlands the potato harvest is of great 

 consideration, and the thirty thousand artificers and " yeomanry " there eat 

 very little wheaten bread.' l2 ' 2 



The wages of agricultural labour varied considerably in different parts of 

 the county, being highest always in the neighbourhood of manufactures, but 

 having increased within the last two years, according to Pitt, about 10 per 

 cent., this being due to the cutting of canals, in which work a labourer could 

 earn 2J. >d. or 3^. per day without beer, compared with the is. or is. 6d. 

 per day with beer, which is given as the average rate of an agricultural 

 labourer's daily wages in ijq6. 



Similarly, the recent erection of cotton-mills in various places had made 

 it extremely difficult to get female farm servants without paying excessive 

 wages. A dairymaid earned 3 ioj. to 5 per annum at this time, and an 

 under-dairymaid from 2 IQJ. to 3 ioj. ls * 



Admittedly the wages of the day labourer were inadequate to provide 

 him with the necessary provisions at current prices. Beef and mutton could, 



16 Pitt, op. cit. 25, 26. > Ibid. 16-17. "' Ibid. 26. 



" Ibid. 32. lw Cunningham, Hist, of Industry and Commerce, ii, 477-9. 



" WHtaktft Almanack, 1906. Pitt, op. cit. 129. m Ibid. 155-6. "' Ibid. 156. 



294 



