Part I

, pp. 610-13_], 1575-6.

... Also to the intent youth may be accustomed and brought up in labour and work, and thus not like to grow to be idle rogues, and to the intent also that such as be already grown up in idleness and so [be] rogues at this present, may not have any just excuse in saying that they cannot get any service or work, and then without any favour or toleration worthy to be executed, and that other poor and needy persons being willing to work may be set on work: be it ordered and enacted by the authority aforesaid, that in every city and town corporate within this realm, a competent store and stock of wool, hemp, flax, iron or other stuff, by the appointment and order of the mayor, bailiffs, justices or other head officers having rule in the said cities or towns corporate (of themselves and all others the inhabitants within their several authorities to be taxed, levied and gathered), shall be provided.... Collectors and governors of the poor from time to time (as cause requireth) shall and may, of the same stock and store, deliver to such poor and needy person a competent portion to be wrought into yarn or other matter within such time and in such sort as in discretions shall be from time to time limited and prefixed, and the same afterwards, being wrought, to be from time to time delivered to the said collectors and governors of the poor, for which they shall make payment to them which work the same according to the desert of the work, and of new deliver more to be wrought; and so from time to time to deliver stuff unwrought and receive the same again wrought as often as cause shall require; which hemp, wool, flax or other stuff wrought from time to time, shall be sold by the said collectors and governors of the poor either at some market or other place, and at such time as they shall think meet, and with the money coming of the sale, to buy more stuff in such wise as the stocks or store shall not be decayed in value....

6. REPORT OF JUSTICES TO COUNCIL CONCERNING SCARCITY IN NORFOLK[297] [_S.P.D. Eliz., Vol. 191, No. 12_], 1586.

May it please your honours, after the remembrance of our humble duties to be advertized; that for a further proceeding in the accomplishment of your honourable letters concerning the furnishing of the markets with corn, we have according to our former letters of the ixth of June last, met here together this day for conference therein. And perusing all our notes and proceedings together, we find that throughout this shire by such order as we have taken with owners and farmers and also badgers and buyers of corn and grain, the markets are by them plentifully served every market day with corn, and the same sold at reasonable rates, viz. wheat at xxiis., the quarter, rye at xvis., malt at xiiiis., and barley at xiis., of which kinds of corn the poorer sort are by persuasion served at meaner prices. And so we doubt not but it shall likewise continue according to our direction until it shall please God that new corn may be used. And hereof thinking it best in performance of our duties to advertize your honours, we humbly take our leave. From Attlebrigge the xith of July 1586.

Your ho: humble at commandment ...

[Signature of Justices.]

[Footnote 297: Quoted Leonard, _Early History of English Poor Relief_, pp. 316-17.]

7. ORDERS DEVISED BY THE SPECIAL COMMANDMENT OF THE QUEEN'S MAJESTY FOR THE RELIEF AND EASE OF THE PRESENT DEARTH OF GRAIN WITHIN THE REALM [_Lansdowne MSS., 48, f. 128, No. 54_[298]], 1586.

That the sheriffs and justices of the peace by speedy warning of the sheriff shall immediately upon receipt of these orders assemble themselves together, and shall take amongst them into their charge by several divisions all the hundreds, rapes, or wapentakes of the said county.

_Item_, every company so allotted out shall forthwith direct their precepts unto the said sheriff to warn the high constables, under-constables, and others the most honest and substantial inhabitants ... to appear before them, ... and upon the appearance of the said persons they shall divide them into so many juries as they shall think meet, giving instruction to the said sheriff to return as few of such as be known great farmers for corn or have store of grain to sell as he can; ...

_Item_, they shall first declare the cause why they are sent for ... and then they shall give them the oath following:--

The Juries' Oath.

You shall swear, etc., that you shall enquire and make true and due search and trial what number of persons every householder that hath corn in their barns, stacks or otherwhere, as well justices of the peace as others whatsoever within the parish of ..., have in their houses; what number of acres they have certainly to be sown this year with any manner of grain; what bargains they have made with any persons for any kind of grain to be sold by or to them; to whom and by whom and upon what price they have made the same, and what quantity of any manner of grain they or any other have in their barns, garners, lofts, cellars or floors or otherwise to be delivered unto them upon any bargain.

_Item_, what number of badgers, ladders, broggers or carriers of corn do inhabit within the said parish, and whither they do use to carry their corn they buy, and where they do usually buy the same and what their names be, and how long they have used that trade, and by whose license, and to see the same licenses of what tenor they are of.

_Item_, what number of maltmakers, bakers, common brewers or tipplers dwell within the said parish, and who they are by name, and how long they have used that trade, and how much they bake or brew in the week, and what other trade they have whereby otherwise to live.

_Item_, who within the same parish be the great buyers of corn, or do buy, or have bought any corn or grain, to sell again, or have sold it again since midsummer last.

_Item_, who within the same parish buyeth or have bought or sold any corn upon the ground, of whom and to whom hath the same been bought or sold and at what prices, and to certify unto us of the premises and of every part thereof.

That the said justices of the peace, having received ... the verdicts of the said juries, ... shall call ... such persons before them of every parish as upon the presentment so made shall appear to have corn to spare, and upon due consideration of the number of persons which each hath in his house according to their qualities, and of the quantity of grain the party hath toward the finding of the same or otherwise to be spent in his house and sowing of his grounds, allowing to every householder for his expenses in his house for every person thereof according to their quality sufficient corn for bread and drink, between this and the next harvest, and for their seed after the rate of the sowing of that country upon an acre; and (_sic_) that they shall bind all such as shall appear to have more of any kind of grain than shall serve to uses above mentioned, as well justices of the peace as other, by recognizance in some good reasonable sums of money to observe the orders ensuing, viz., ...

You shall bring or cause to be brought weekly so many quarters or bushels of corn as wheat, rye, barley, malt, peas, beans, or other grain, or so much thereof as shall not be directly sold to the poor artificers or day labourers of the parish within which you dwell by order of the justice of the peace of the division within which you do dwell or two of them, to the market of ..., there to be by you or at your assignment sold unto the Queen's subjects in open market by half quarters, two bushels, one bushel or less as the buyer shall require of you, and not in greater quantity, except it be a badger or carrier of corn admitted according to the statute, or to a common known brewer or baker, ... and you shall not willingly leave any part of your corn unsold if money be offered to you for the same by any that are permitted to buy the same after the usual price of the market there that day, neither shall you from the beginning of the market to the full end thereof keep or cause to be kept any part of your said corn out of the open sight of the market....

Ye shall buy no corn to sell it again.

Ye shall neither buy nor sell any manner of corn but in the open market, unless the same be to poor handicraftsmen or day-labourers within the parish where you do dwell that cannot conveniently come to the market towns by reason of distance of place, according to such direction as shall be given unto you in that behalf by the justices of the peace of that division within which you do dwell, or two of them, and to none of these above one bushel at a time.

That the justices of the peace within their several divisions have special regard that engrossers of corn be carefully seen unto and severely punished according to the law, and where such are found, to make certificate thereof and of the proofs to the Queen Majesty's attorney general for the time being, who is directed speedily to inform against them for the same, and to see also that none be permitted to buy any corn to sell again but by special license.

That they take order with the common bakers for the baking of rye, barley, peas, and beans for the use of the poor, and that they appoint special and fit persons diligently to see their people well dealt withall by the common bakers and brewers in all towns and places in their weight and assize, and effectually to enquire for and search out the default therein, and thereupon to give order for punishment of the offenders severely according to the law, and where any notable offence shall be in the bakers, to cause the bread to be sold to the poorer sort under the ordinary prices in part of punishment of the baker.

That no badgers of corn, bakers or brewers, do buy any grain, or covin or bargain for the same, but in the time of open market, and that but by license under the hand of the justices of the division where they do dwell, or three of them, and that they weekly bring their license with them to the market where they do either buy or sell, and that the license contain how much grain of what kind and for what place they are licensed to buy and carry, that there be set down upon the license the day, place, quantity and price the corn is bought at, that they take but measurably for the carriage, baking and brewing thereof, that they show their book weekly to such as the justice of the division wherein they dwell shall appoint, being no bakers or badgers of corn. And that those persons every 14 days make report to the justice of the division wherein they dwell how the people are dealt withall by the badgers, bakers and brewers. And that such as have otherwise sufficient to live on, or that are known to be of any crime or evil behaviour, be not permitted to be badgers of corn, nor any badgers to be permitted but such as the statute doth limit, and that none be permitted to buy or provide corn in the market in gross as badger or baker and such like, upon pain of imprisonment, until one hour after the full market be begun, that the poor may be first served.

That the said justices, or two or one of them, at the least, in every division, shall be personally present at every market within their several divisions to see the orders to be taken by the authority hereof to be well observed, and the poor people provided of necessary corn, and that with as much favour in the prices as by earnest persuasion of the justices may be obtained; ...

That all good means and persuasions be used by the justices in their several divisions that the poor may be served of corn at convenient and charitable prices.

That there be no buying or bargaining for any kind of corn but in open market, and that the justices in their several divisions restrain common maltsters of making barley-malt in those countries and places where there be oats sufficient to make malt of for the use of the people, and to restrain as well the brewing of barley-malt by or for ale houses or common tipplers in those countries and places, as also the excess use of any kind of malt by all common brewers in all alehouses and common tippling houses wheresoever, and that sufficient bonds be taken of all common brewers, maltsters and common tipplers, according to the true meaning of this article, and that the unnecessary number of alehouses and common tipplers be forthwith suppressed in all places, and that direction be given to all tippling houses, taverns and alehouses not to suffer any persons to repair thither to eat and drink at unseasonable times.

That the justices use all other good means that are not mentioned in these orders that the markets be well served and the poor relieved in their provisions during this time of dearth, and that no expense of any grain meet for bread to feed men be wasted upon feeding of beasts, neither that any be spent in making of a stuff called starch, as of late there hath been discovered great quantity expended in that vain matter being in no sort to be suffered to continue.

That the justices be straightly commanded to see by all good means that the able people be set on work, the houses of correction provided and furnished, and there idle vagabonds to be punished.

That the justices do their best to have convenient stock to be provided in every division or other place, according to the statute for setting the poor awork, and the justices to use all other good and politic means within their several divisions to continue and maintain the poor people in work within the parish, or at the furthest, within the hundred or division.

That the maimed or hurt soldiers and all other impotent persons be carefully seen unto to be relieved within their several parishes, hundreds or divisions, according to the law therefor provided, and that where the provisions formerly made be not sufficient it may be now for this time of dearth increased; and where one parish is not able to give sufficient relief to such their poor, that parish to have the supply of such parishes near adjoining as have fewer poor and are better able to give relief, and that no vagabond or sturdy beggar, or any that may otherwise get their living by their labours, be not suffered to wander abroad under colour of begging in any town or highway, and that the justices do presently give order that there be persons sufficiently weaponed to assist the constables of every town to attach such vagabonds both in their town-side and highways, and to commit them to prison without bail, but as two of the justices of the peace near that division shall order, and if the township shall not observe this order for the attaching and punishment of the said vagabonds, then the justices shall see due punishment by fine upon the whole township, or upon such parties in the town as shall be found in fault.

That the justices of the peace do once every month certify their doings and proceedings by force of these instructions unto the sheriff of the said county, in which certificate they shall also make certificate of such justices as shall be absent from any of these services, and the true cause of their absence, and shall also certify the usual prices of all kinds of grain in their markets for that month past, of all which the same sheriff to certify the Privy Council once in every forty days at the farthest, so as that default in any justice that shall be absent may be duly considered and corrected by authority of his Majesty's council as reason shall require, and so as such persons as are placed as justices for their credit may not continue in those rooms, wherein they shall be found not disposed to attend such a necessary and godly service as this is, but others of better disposition may supply those rooms, if there shall be need of any such number, as in most places is thought not very needful, the number being in common opinion more hurtful than profitable to justice.

And if any shall offend against the true meaning of these instructions, or any part thereof, or shall use any sinister means to the defrauding thereof, that such be severely punished according to the laws, and for such obstinate persons as shall not conform themselves the justices shall at their pleasure bind to appear before the Queen Majesty's Privy Council by a day certain, there to be further dealt with by severe punishment for the better ensample of all others....

[Footnote 298: Quoted Leonard, _Early History of English Poor Relief_, pp. 318-26.]

8. THE POOR LAW ACT OF 1601 [_43 and 44 Eliz. c. 2. Statutes of the Realm, Vol. IV,