BIRDS 157 



'H.' must represent Hawkshead, I wrote to the Vicar, who 

 kindly furnished a list of the Eavens killed between 1731 and 

 1784, after which the custom of paying head-money for Ravens 

 appears to have become obsolete. These notes cover a period 

 of fifty-three years, but rewards for Ravens are only forthcoming 

 for twenty-six years out of the fifty-three. The largest number 

 of Ravens paid for in any year was eighteen, i.e. in the year 

 1769, at a cost of six shillings. The next largest numbers pro- 

 cured were in 1774, when fourteen Ravens were killed, at a cost 

 of 4s. 8d. ; and in 1772, when sixteen were killed, and fetched 

 5s. 4d. The smallest number ever killed in a year was a single 

 bird, which happened in 1761, and again in 1762. The total 

 number paid for in twenty-six years, between 1731 and 1784, 

 was 174 Ravens, giving an annual average for these years of 

 rather more than six Ravens. The price is named in 1731, 

 '4 Ravens killing, 4d. p. piece, Is. 4d/ and this sum appears 

 to have been closely adopted during the half-century of accounts 

 audited. But the price varied in different parishes. In Orton, 

 where the Ravens killed were chiefly old birds, because they 

 appear singly, or in twos, the price was at one time only a 

 penny apiece, as in 1636 : 'Ihm for two Raven heads . . . i j d.,' 

 and in 1637, 'Ihm for a Raven head ... id.' Eventually the 

 price rose, because in 1661 we have an entry of ' 2 Raven heads 

 —00s. 04d.,' and in 1670, 'to Robert Shepherd for a Raven 

 head, £00, 00s. 02d.' The young fetched a penny when the 

 old birds fetched twopence, because we have entries in 1649, 

 'for 2 Raven heads, £00, 00s. 04d.,' and 'to George Wilson for 

 5 Ravens heades, £00, 00s. 05 d.' The five no doubt belonged 

 to a brood reared somewhere on Orton Scar. 



At the time that Ravens fetched fourpence each in Hawks- 

 head, the price set upon these proscribed birds was settled in 

 Cartmel, by an order of the 8th day of April 1751, fixed no 

 doubt in view of early operations in the field, and entered in 

 the Second Old Book of Cartmel Priory Church : c The Day 

 abovesaid it was ordered by the 24 and other present that for 

 the future all ravens killed within this parish, the person who 

 kills 'em by carrying them to Ch. or Chapell Warden shall have 

 Twopence for each head, to be paid by sd. Ch. or Chapell 



