SOCIAL AND ECONOMIC HISTORY 



apparently slightly below the former level/* At Little Hormead in 1338-9 

 the quarter cost is. zd. only/" and at Ashwell was only u. lod. as late in 

 the agricultural year as February." 



Peas and drage seem to follow the same lines of price. In 1297 P^^^ 

 stood at 5J. a quarter at Langley."^ Presumably they rose higher towards 

 13 15—16 ; in 1324-5, in autumn, they were worth 6j, a quarter."' Within 

 the next few years their price seems to have fallen, like that of other cereals, 

 over a long period. In 1338-9 the quarter at Little Hormead was only 

 zs, ^° ; at Standon in 1347-8 the price was y. in June, falling to is. 8(3'., and 

 after harvest time to is. \d?^ Similarly in the neighbourhood of St. Albans 

 in 1342—3 the Lent price was y. and the November price 2J-. io<^." 



Drage was about equal to peas in value. In 1297 *^^ quarter cost \sP 

 At the same place, Langley, the price was doubled in 131 6-1 7.'''' After this 

 time it shows a steady fall. It was down to 5J-. \d, at Langley in 1324-5," 

 and at Symondshyde in 1326 only y. to y. 2^." From 1339 to 1349 the 

 prices mentioned are is. 4^., 2j. %d. and 4J." 



The prices of barley and of malt naturally keep close together. Barley 

 was about 4J. the quarter before 13 15 and malt 4J. 6^.™ In 13 16-17 malt 

 rose to loj. 3^^.," and barley presumably with it. By 1323 at Little 

 Hormead barley had fallen to 3J. 4(3'.,^° and at Symondshyde in 1326 seed 

 barley was 4J." ; at Standon in 1 347—8 the price in June was 5J. \d. a quarter,** 

 and malt was ^s. at the beginning of summer, falling in August and September 

 to 4J-. bd. a quarter.*' The prices of barley and malt, perhaps, did not share 

 the general fall after about 1320 ; they seem only to have dropped to their 

 former level. 



It is important to notice that the rise of prices which occurred about i 3 1 6 

 was not followed by a corresponding increase of wages, the reason being 

 probably that the rise was sudden and temporary. There was, however, a 

 tendency towards higher wages about 1340, although prices were low. The 

 class of labourers was growing, but the small freeholder and the villein alike 

 were wilUng to take up the land which the lord was pleased to part with. 

 In this period rents are more significant than wages. 



The cattle trade did not hold a very great place in Hertfordshire. On 

 some few manors there were dairies, or the cows were let out at farm, but 

 usually the cows only supplied the domestic need and sometimes not even 

 that. Where murrain was endemic cattle farming cannot have been an 

 engaging pursuit. The price of cows varied in 1250 to 1340 from 5J. to 

 10 J., while that of oxen went up to i6j.** 



From the 13 th century large flocks of sheep were kept in the county.^*"" 

 Endemic murrain seems to have become violent in 1274, and to have lasted 



85 Mins. Accts. bdle. 869, no. 8 ; Add. Chart. 28737. *« Mins. Accts. bdle. 866, no. 5. 



^'' Ibid. bdle. 862, no. 6. • «8 i^id. bdle. 40, no. 740. 



«' Ibid. bdle. 866, no. 29. ™ Ibid. no. 5. 



'1 Ibid. bdle. 869, no. 8. '2 jtid. bdle. 867, no. 22. 



^3 Ibid. bdle. 40, no. 740. '* Ibid. bdle. 866, no. 21. " Ibid. no. 29. 



'* Add. Chart. 28737. " Mins. Accts. bdles. 866, no. J ; 869, no. 8 ; 867, no. 22. 



78 Ibid. bdle. 866, no. 19. ''» Ibid. no. 21. «" Ibid. no. 3. 



«l Add. Chart. 28737. 82 Mins. Accts. bdle. 869, no. 8. «' Ibid. 



8* Ibid. bdle. 866, no. I ; Exch. Proc. bdle. 144, no. 133 ; Stowe MS. 849, fol. 50 et seq. ; Mins. 

 Accts. bdle. 866, no. 17. 



85'8 e.g. at Caddington 60, Hitchin 128 ; Exch. Proc. bdle. 144, no. 133, co. Herts. 



IQI 



