BoAr: FNQ: C18 Economics

http://boar.org.uk/ariwxo3FNQ887.htm Latest edit 24 Apr 2008.

The Bourne Archive

FNQ

Fenland Notes and Queries. Edited by Rev. W.D. Sweeting, Rector of Maxey.

Part 49. April 1901.

This quarterly periodical took the form of a forum in which people sent in questions about the history, ecology and so on of the Fens and the region’s environs and others replied with some sort of answer. Some ‘answers’ seem to have been spontaneous, so qualifying as ‘notes’.

Economics.

887. – Cattle Salesman’s Account, 1759. – Mr. Saunders, who sent the sheep described in this account to Smithfield for sale in 1759, was a farmer and landowner at Spalding. His residence was not far from the present Cowbit Railway Station, but in Spalding parish. The account is interesting as we note the prices sheep made at Smithfield nearly 150 years ago. The charge for selling made by Mr. Stanton, only 11s. 6d., seems very small; and the drover’s charge was under 50s., which is very reasonable, considering the time it would take for the sheep to be driven to London, about 100 miles.

Direct for Me at the King’s Head in West-Smithfield

46 Sheep sold for Mr. Saunders the 30 Day of March, 1759.

6	Barnet.........32.......	9	12	Selling.............................		11	6
6	Bluck...........30.......	9		Pens, Toll and Hurdles.		3	10
6	Kent............28.......	8	8	Expences and Help.......		3	10
5	Feast...........28......	7		Letter.............................			?
4	Wise............28......	5	12	Dro Chamberlin............	2	9	?
3	Goatham....28......	4	4	Grass..............................			?
9	Hilliat.........24.......	10	16		3	?	?
3	Dodd...........24......	3	12	To Chamberlin..............	5?	?	?
4	Sedgwick....23.....	4	12
46		62	16		6[2	16	10]

Samuel Stanton

I regret that part of the sheet, where notes of interrogation are printed above, has been injured.

Lindum House, Aldershot. W. E. Foster, F.S.A.

Commentary.

This article is most enlightening when viewed in conjunction with FNQ 918 and FNQ 895. Here, in 1759, prices between 23/- and 32/- were obtained at Smithfield, the London meat market, for a live sheep. In 1814 it had gone up to a range of 100/- to 118/- . In 1816, men were rioting (that is to say, inviting their own hanging) for lack of the means of buying food at current prices for labour on the one hand and flour on the other.

FNQ