CHAPTER VI 



I 400- I 540 



THE SO-CALLED 'GOLDEN AGE OF THE LABOURER' 

 IN A PERIOD OF GENERAL DISTRESS 



In this period the average prices of grain remained almost 

 unchanged until the last three decades, when they began slowly 

 and steadily to creep up, this advance being helped to some 

 extent by defective harvests. In 1527, according to Holinshed 

 it rained from April 12 to June 3 every day or night ; in May 

 thirty hours without ceasing ; and the floods did much damage 

 to the corn. In 1538 incessant deluges of rain prevented the 

 corn being sown in the spring, and grain had to be imported 

 from Germany. The price of wheat was a trifle higher than 

 in the period 1359-1400 ; barley, oats, and beans lower ; rye 

 higher.^ Oxen and cows were dearer, horses about the same, 

 sheep a little higher, pigs the same, poultry and eggs dearer, 

 wool the same, cheese and butter dearer. The price of wheat 

 was sometimes subject to astonishing fluctuations : in 1439 

 it varied from Ss. to aSs. 8d.; in 1440 from 4s. %d. to 35^'. 

 The rent of land continued the same, arable averaging 6d. 

 an acre,^ though this was partly due to the fact that rents, 

 although now generally paid in money, were still fixed and 

 customary ; for the purchase value of land had now risen to 

 twenty years instead of twelve.^ The art of farming hardly 

 made any progress, and the produce of the land was con- 



^ See table at end of volume. The shrinkage of prices which occurred 

 in the fifteenth century was due to the scarcity of precious metals. 



^ Thorold Rogers, History of Agriculture and Prices, iv. 128. The 

 rent of arable land on Lord Derby's estate in Wirral in 1522 was a little 

 under dd. a statute acre; of meadow, about \s. (id.— Cheshire Sheaf 

 (Ser. 3), iv. 23. 



^ Thorold Rogers, op. cit. iv. 3. 



