1800.
The present century opened in a tempest of war and confusion, which gave little prospect of soon exhausting its fury. Mention will be found below of several serious riots on account of the high price of provisions, which may be thus accounted for: The exemption from cash payments in 1797 had given great relief to the merchants and tradespeople generally, but had little effect upon the condition of the working classes; and the war had not yet withdrawn so many men from productive industry as materially to raise the rate of wages. The total number of levies for the army, from the commencement of the war to the end of 1800, was but 208,388. It had, however, continued sufficiently long to raise the price of all provisions enormously, and the very deficient harvests of 1799 and 1800 greatly increased this evil, and added to the distress. So much disquiet was excited by these causes that Parliament was called together for a second sitting in November, and all sorts of expedients were resorted to to increase the supply of food—bounties were granted on the importation of foreign corn—the use of corn in distilleries, or for making starch, was prohibited—the manufacture of fine flour, or the use of it in making bread, was forbidden, while the use of oats and barley was permitted and encouraged—bakers were prohibited from selling bread that had not been baked twenty-four hours—and, lastly, in the month of December His Majesty issued a proclamation exhorting the strictest economy in families on the use of every kind of grain, recommending that people should abstain from pastry, and on no account allow the consumption of bread in their households to exceed one quartern loaf for each person in a week. Statutes against “engrossing and regrating,” that had almost become obsolete, were also raked up and eagerly put in force against speculators, whether great or small, both by country magistrates and chief justices, though the great Holt had long ago laughed at them. The average price of wheat this year was 119s. 6d. per quarter; and Three per Cent. Consols averaged 63½.
January—A subscription entered into for the relief of the poor in Worcester, in consequence of the “high price of bread, butter, and other necessaries of life.” The parties at the public meeting, called to promote the subscription, pledged themselves “to reduce the consumption of flour and butter in their own families as much as possible, and earnestly recommended the same to all ranks of persons within the city and suburbs.” The subscription, in the whole, amounted to more than £700. The soup kitchen was opened before this time.
January 7—The post boy, carrying the mail with the letter bags from Worcester, for Bewdley, Kidderminster, and Stourbridge, was stopped about six in the morning, two miles only from Worcester, by a man on foot, who presented a pistol—cut the straps of the portmanteau and carried the mail away. A reward of £200 was offered by Government, but the offender was never apprehended.
January 14—The County Magistrates, at Quarter Sessions, ordered that “no makers of bread for sale, shall make, or sell, any superior quality of bread at a higher price than the standard wheaten bread; and that every peck loaf should weigh 17 lbs. 6oz., and every quartern loaf 4 lbs. 5 oz. 8 drams.” Price of wheat in Worcester market, 13s. 4d. to 15s. 6d. the bushel. Hops, £14 to £16 per cwt.
January 17—The “Worcester Fencible Light Dragoons,” retiring to England from service in Ireland, were thanked by Lord Cornwallis, Adjutant General of the forces in Ireland, for their services in that kingdom.
January 25—The magistrates of Worcester offered ten guineas reward for the discovery of the writer of “several inflammatory papers, reflecting upon their conduct,” which were found in the Foregate Street.
January 25—A labouring man robbed at Barbourne, Worcester, by footpads; and, two days after, a farmer, on horseback, was stopped at the same spot.
February 21—A man apprehended in Worcester market for “forestalling,” and committed to the assizes for trial.
March 9—A “Worcester Fire Office” established, with a capital of £100,000.
April 4—Disturbances in the Worcester markets, on account of the high price of provisions. The magistrates issued a notice that sellers would be protected. The consumption of butter greatly reduced in consequence of its enormous price.
April 7—The Corporation of Worcester offered premiums of 1s. 6d. for the first 100 bushels of potatoes brought into the market before the 1st July; 1s. for the second 100; and 9d. for the third. Claimants upon 240 bushels were paid. Wheat at 14s. 6d. to 18s. per bushel. Beef at least 9d., and mutton 10d. per lb.
April 25—The colliers of Stourbridge in a state of great disturbance from the scarcity. A squadron of the 7th Dragoon Guards sent into the neighbourhood.
May 2—Meeting of the gentry and inhabitants of Stourbridge; the Hon. Edward Foley in the chair; at which resolutions were passed, begging the farmers to bring wheat into that market to sell at 15s. per bushel, and barley at a price not exceeding 8s.
May 9—Disturbances at Redditch, which threatened to be very serious, but quelled by the Bromsgrove Volunteers, who stood a furious attack made on them by the mob with great firmness and prudence. Several of the rioters were apprehended, but discharged on finding sureties for their good behaviour.
May 15—Attempt on the King’s life in Drury Lane Theatre by Hadfield. Addresses from the Worcester Corporation were sent to the Right Hon. the Earl of Coventry for presentation, as recorder of the city.
May 30—Accounts of “Internal Defence Subscription” published, from which it appeared that £4,550 had been subscribed by the county, and £532 by the city of Worcester: spent equally in the augmentation of the Militia and the Yeomanry Cavalry.
June 10—Visitation and address by the Bishop, in which the scarcity was attributed to the war and inclement seasons. Use of “Church Catechism,” in the instruction of children, urgently enforced.
June 26—Honorary degree of M.A. conferred on Lord Foley, at the Oxford Commemoration of Founders and Benefactors of the University.
July 9—A further subscription entered into in Worcester for the relief of the poor, who had been constantly subsidised from the fund ever since the winter; 96,000 quarts of soup having been distributed amongst them, besides great quantities of potatoes and much money.
July 21—Lord Dudley and Ward purchased a large quantity of imported wheat at Liverpool, to retail to the poor at a reduced price. Price of wheat in Worcester market, 21s. to 22s. 6d. per bushel.
August 10—The price of wheat in Worcester market having fallen to 10s. and 13s. per bushel, the relief committee discontinued their labours. The promise of a plenteous harvest produced this change for the better.
August 15—The Mayor and magistrates of Worcester attempted to enforce sanitary regulations—such as cleansing “the kennels,” for they considered “all stagnate water injurious to health, and the exhalations from it the forerunners of contagious disorders.”
August—A great number of houses between Stourport and Worcester searched for unlawful nets, used for the taking of small fish in the Severn. Many such being found they were all publicly burned at Bewdley.
August 25—This evening, because the bakers in Worcester were unprovided with bread to sell, the populace assembled as soon as it was dark and began to demolish their windows, but the disturbance was soon put a stop to by the magistrates. A sudden rise in the price of flour on the previous Saturday had prevented the bakers from supplying themselves with the necessary quantity for the week.
September 12—The Mayor, magistrates, &c., of Worcester met “to ensure a more regular supply of the necessaries of life, at reasonable prices,” to their fellow citizens, and determine to erect a corn mill to be worked by steam.
September 19—A mare, belonging to Mr. Tully of St. John’s, ridden seventy miles on the London Road, from Worcester to Benson, in eleven hours and forty-nine minutes.
September 21—Meeting of farmers, &c., at Bromsgrove, when they agreed to supply that market, for three months, with wheat at 11s. 6d. a bushel.
November 21—“John Bunn, jun., flax dresser,” advertised his address. Sales of flax crops occasionally advertised.
November 27—£2,350 subscribed to the Flour and Bread Institution, for the benefit of the industrious poor. The institution bought foreign wheat largely, and sold to the poor at reduced prices. It was said in its results “greatly to exceed the expectations of its most sanguine promoters.”
December 1—Lord Valentia and Mr. Child supplied the Bewdley market with grain, at 12s. a bushel, to be sold to the poor, under the direction of the bailiff.
December 5—Mr. Burrow, saddler, of Worcester, purchased a large quantity of potatoes to sell again to the poor under the market price.
December 10—John Beet, of Rowley Regis, butcher, was convicted by the Droitwich magistrates, in the full penalty of 50s. for “cutting and gashing two cow hides and a calf skin, and for slaying them below the gambrel or knee.”
Local Acts passed this year—For continuing and enlarging powers of Bewdley Turnpike Trust; ditto Kidderminster Turnpikes; Act for repairing roads leading to and from the Hundred House.