EARLY TUDOR GARDENS 
89 
covenanted together, to sell their victuals at unreasonable prices 
—butchers, brewers, bakers . . . costermongers, or fruiterers, 
£10 fine or twenty days imprisonment and bread and water 
for his sustenance, second offence £20 and the pillory, third 
offence £40 or pillory and ears cut off.” 
The increase in the number of orchards seems to have 
rendered their legal protection necessary, as another very 
curious Act was passed : “ 37th Henry VIII., c. 6., sect. 3.— 
. . . Any person maliciously, willingly or unlawfully, after the 
said first May (1545), cut or cause to be cut off the ear or ears 
of any of the King's subjects otherwise than by authority of 
the law, chance-medley, sudden affray or adventure : (6) or 
after the said day maliciously, willingly, or unlawfully bark any 
apple-trees, pear-trees, or other fruit-trees of any other person 
or persons : (7) that then every such offender and offenders 
shall not only lose and forfeit unto the party grieved treble 
damages for such offence or offences, the same to be recovered 
by action of trespass, to be taken at the common law, but 
also shall lose and forfeit to the King's Majesty and his 
heirs, for every such offence X £ sterling in the name of a 
fine.” 
Saffron continued to be largely used and grown for the 
market, and sold at a high price. In the accounts of the 
Monastery of Durham, " Crocus,” or saffron, is of frequent 
occurrence. In 1531 half a pound was bought in July ; the 
same quantity in August and in November, a quarter of a pound 
in September, and a pound and a half in October. These 
items give some idea of the consumption. In 1539-40 the 
saffron was bought from Thos. Freeman, of Doncaster, and 
of a merchant from Cambridge. To the latter, for six and 
a half pounds of “ crocus,” £7 8s. was paid. In 1538 it 
was bought at “ Braydforth fayre.” Although it was 
not cultivated at all in the North, and, as the above quota¬ 
tions show, had to be imported from the Eastern counties, 
saffron commanded almost as high a price in that part of the 
country. At Hunstanton, in Norfolk, on “ March 26th, 1536, 
one ounce of saffron cost 8 d. and old saffron I2d. the 
ounce.” 1 
1 Le Strange, MSS. Household Books. 
