SOCIAL AND ECONOMIC HISTORY 



fulling mill unoccupied ' because of the plague ' and makes references, 

 unfortunately almost illegible, to a decrease in the work rendered by the 

 villeins, for the same reason."^ 



The immediate result of the terrible mortality was to render labour 

 scarce, and therefore valuable. Wages rose with a bound and the labouring 

 class, refusing to remain tied down to their own manors, began to seek the 

 best markets for their labour. The nobles and landowners viewed this change 

 with alarm, laws were passed to counteract these dangerous tendencies and to 

 keep wages down, and justices were appointed, for Bedfordshire "' as for the 

 ■ other counties, to enforce these Statutes of Labourers. Unfortunately records 

 of their proceedings in this county appear to be lacking, with the exception of 

 one document."' This sets forth that in 1352 Roger atte Well engaged 

 to serve Simon Challeyeof Caddington in reaping, mowing &c. from the feast 

 of St. Margaret (20 July) to Michaelmas for los. and his board ; Thomas atte 

 Well bargained to serve Simon Power of Streatley as carter for twelve weeks 

 for a quarter of corn and 6s. ; Stephen atte Well agreed with William 

 Whytyng of Luton to do harvesting from i August to Michaelmas for 8s. 

 and board ; Geoffrey atte Well engaged to serve another Luton man 

 as ploughman for twelve weeks for a quarter of corn and 6s. Sd. ; and John 

 atte Well, presumably a man of greater ability than the others, arranged to 

 serve John Draper of St. Albans in the work of a merchant from i August 

 to Michaelmas for 20s. and board ; but John de Sekford arrested them all and 

 carried them off to the manor of Sharpenhoe, claiming, and establishing his 

 claim, that they were villeins belonging to ' Conteshale.' 



The insurrection under Wat Tyler in 1381 seems hardly to have 

 touched Bedfordshire,^*" except as being provocative of an incident at 

 Dunstable. When, in June of that year, the disturbance took place at 

 St. Albans, there happened — says the Dunstable Chronicle — to be some Dun- 

 stable traders at St. Albans, who, on returning home, went to the priory a 

 little before vespers, with certain demands. Thomas Hobbes, ' the worthless 

 mayor of Dunstable ' {Dunstapliae capitalis pravus) made a pretence of having 

 come with authority from the king to demand a charter from the prior. 

 Two persons — one of whom was a knight — had taken refuge in the priory 

 from the violence of the mob, and they advised compliance with Hobbes's 

 demand. But the mob quarrelled among themselves about an article in the 

 demanded charter excluding neighbouring butchers and fishmongers from 

 selling goods there. At last, however, the charter was granted — under 

 compulsion — and sealed. But after the king had suppressed the insurrec- 

 tion, and severe punishments were being inflicted, the prior endeavoured to 

 get the charter back ' by fair words,' but failing in that, he took his case to 

 St. Albans, where the charter was cancelled. The prior was unwilling to 

 follow the example given elsewhere of avenging himself by bloodshed, and he 

 takes just credit to himself for having, at risk of life and property, delivered 

 his townsmen from the consequences of their rebellion. It would, however, 



"' Inq'. p.m. 23 Edw. Ill, pt. i, no. 75. "' Rot. Pari. (Rec. Com.), ii, 455, 458. 



"° County Plac. Beds. no. 9. 



"" Froissart (fihron. x, 1 14), seems to be mistaken in naming Bedfordshire as one of the counties which 

 played a leading part in the rising. Six Luton men, however, forfeited their goods as 'fugitivi pro insurrec- 

 cione ' ; of these John Barbour had goods worth 8/. gJ., but the possessions of the others, of whom one was 

 a tailor and one a weaver, ranged between is. and z/.; Reville, Souslivement des Travoilleurs, 276. 



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