SOCIAL AND ECONOMIC HISTORY 



the ( scarcity in the wildish and other parts of the kingdom occasioned by the 

 unreasonableness of the winter and spring foregoing this, hath drawn from 

 here great quantities of wheat, but especially of barley to London and other 

 places.' They hoped, however, that by a diligent adherence to the orders of 

 the Privy Council they might yet have sufficient to supply ' the greater part 

 of this county adjoining to those downs,' provided that it was not bought up 

 in the market for the supply of London and Kent. Prices remained at the 

 unusually high rate reported from Lewes in the previous February. 217 



A more hopeful report came from Pevensey in November of the same 

 year. In spite of diligent inquiry no trace of exportation, engrossing or 

 combinations of corn-masters and farmers had been found, ' none that we 

 know of carrying such uncharitable minds.' The supply was still very small, 

 but the price of wheat was not above 4^. 6d. or 4^. \d. the bushel, and barley 

 was usually sold at zos. the quarter, so that the justices, though willing if 

 necessary to continue the measures prescribed by the Council, hoped that 

 there was no longer any occasion for them to do so. 818 The last harvest had 

 indeed yielded ' such a plentiful increase as few years have exceeded, in many 

 places it yieldeth not so well to the bushel as in former years, but there is 

 sufficient to serve the county if not carried thence as last year.' 319 No 

 hoarding of corn was now practised at Arundel, the late high prices being 

 attributed to the proximity of the Surrey markets, to which purveyors 

 from London resorted. Best wheat was now (January, 1632) at 32^. the 

 quarter. 220 



Together with these reports on the condition of the corn supply and the 

 rate of prices the justices forwarded returns of their success in administering 

 the apprenticing laws, and putting down ale-houses and vagrants and 

 disorders of all kinds throughout the country. At the height of the bad 

 season, in May, 1631, it was reported from the Wealden division of Pevensey 

 rape that during the last three months about thirty poor children had been 

 apprenticed and sixteen ale-houses suppressed in a district of eighteen parishes, 

 and vagabonds and rogues had ' been by the constables so well looked into 

 that we think the country hath no cause to complain of their numbers ; and 

 some have been punished for harbouring of them.' 221 In Arundel rape the 

 return of the justices for the same date was to the effect that in spite of strict 

 orders to the officers and the offer of rewards to informers they had received 

 no presentments concerning abuses of inns and ale-houses. All poor children 

 of ten years old and upward who were fit to be apprenticed had been provided 

 with masters and particular note had been taken of all children above the age 

 of eight 



which are yet unfit to be put forth, with the names of the ablest inhabitants of every 

 parish who are fit to receive them .... and [we] have likewise taken a particular note 

 of the number of impotent people that are to be relieved in every parish. 



Large numbers of rogues and vagabonds had been punished and sent to their 

 birth-place or last habitation, and a new house of correction had been built 

 at Petworth, which had hitherto been annexed to the house of correction of 



J17 



S.P. Dom. Chas. I, vol. 192, No. 98. "' Ibid. vol. 203, No. 102. 



819 Cat. S.P. Dom. 1631-3, p. 210. " Ibid. 257. 



"' S.P. Dora. Chas. I, vol. 192, No. 99. 



195 



