lo8 WESTMORLAND AGRICULTURE, 1800— 1900 



with intent to defraud the reveniie. In 1829 complaints were so fre- 

 quent against sellers of wheat, oats, flour, meal, etc., that the bulk 

 and quality were inferior to sample, and weight and measure so deficient 

 that the Mayor had the " tryer " in operation and gave orders to the 

 market-lookers to inspect all attending the market. In March, 1864, 

 the first prosecution under the Health Authority took place in Kendal, 

 when a butcher was fined £s and costs for exposing a diseased carcase 

 for sale — it was afterwards burnt at the Water-side : at Orton in the 

 May following a simUar fine was inflicted, and the carcase burnt in 

 the Market Place. 



The officers appointed in 1834 at the Court House to serve during 

 the following year were : — Swine and Goat lookers 2, Searchers of 

 Weights and Measures 2, Searchers of Grain, Meal and Flour 2, Market 

 and Shambles looker i. Flesh lookers 2. 



In 1821 wheat was sold by the load of 4J Winchester bushels, 

 barley by the Carlisle bushel, which was equal to 3 Imperial bushels, 

 oats by the load of 7I Winchester bushels, and oat-meal by the load 

 of 240 lbs. Fruit was sold by the pannier, holding about 16 quarts. 



A petition largely signed by " orchardists " was presented to 

 the Mayor in 1832, who granted their petition and gave notice that on 

 and after October 12th, 1832, all fruit had to be sold by weight, and 

 each pannier had to contain one score or 20 lbs., with the tare of the 

 basket clearly indicated on the outside. 



Until 1835 the fairs were proclaimed and " ridden " by the Mayor, 

 Aldermen and Chief Burgesses accompanied by a band of music. 



In 1843 a weekly cattle market was formed, but the movement 

 did not succeed, and a few years later, after the opening of the railway, 

 the first Fortnightly Cattle Market was held on Tuesday the 14th of 

 September, 1847. The first proposal had been to hold it in the Market 

 Place, but the number of cattle brought to the market was so great 

 that it was held on the New Road and afterwards removed to near the 

 railway station, where it has been held ever since. Between 500 and 

 600 sheep, 150 head of cattle, and a few calves were in the market 

 when it first started at 7 a.m. — fat beef and mutton brought 6d. per 

 lb. On September 25th, 1848, the numbers in the market were 1,216 

 sheep and 86 cattle. For the year 1849 the numbers were : cattle 

 1,452, calves 157, sheep 9,783, and lambs 3,895. By 1861 the market 



