[178] Privy Council Register, Vol. XIV. p. 277. On Jan. 2nd, 1586/7, letters were sent to the "Lordes Archbishopes of Canterbury and Yorke signifyinge her Majesties care for the releefe of the poore in this tyme of derthe and scarsety for redresse wherof certen orders, by her specyall commandement, are devysed by theyr Lordships; for furtherance of which purpose theyr Lordships are prayed to geve order to the Bishopes and Ordynaryes under theyr Dioces to instruct the curates, ministers or preachers of the Word to exhorte the (people is here struck out) of habylytye to extend charitye to the poore and them to beare this visytation of God with patyence &c." Letters to the same effect were written to the Lord Presydent of the Northe and the Lo. Pres. of Wales, also "to all the sheeres of the Realme dyrected to the Shryves and Justyces of the Peace."
[179] Lansdowne MSS., Vol. 48, No. 54. Printed in the Appendix.
[180] Lincolnshire. The justices have divided themselves and sent a list of those allotted to the different divisions. Dom. State Papers, Queen Elizabeth, Vol. 189, No. 35. From Surrey the names of the justices allotted to the different markets are enclosed. Ib., Vol. 189, No. 37. The names of the justices for the several divisions of Huntingdonshire are enclosed, with a report signed by the Bishop of Lincoln and a Henry and an Oliver Cromwell, &c.
[181] Berkshire. The justices attend the markets and "see the selling of each kind of graine there at such prices as shall seme most fittest." D. S. P., Vol. 189, 49.
Warwickshire. The justices of Hemlingford have attended the markets "aswell to see the poore people provided necessarie corne as also to use or best endeavours to ease them in the prices therof as much as we could." Ib., Vol. 198, No. 77. III.
[182] D. S. P., Vol. 189, 50. The justices have licensed a certain number.
[183] Detailed reports were sent from Gyltcross, Shropham, South Greenhoe, Wayland and Grimshawe. Vol. 191, 12. See Appendix. Most of the replies sent in 1587 report the appointment of juries to search the barns for corn. Dom. State Papers, Queen Eliz., Vol. 199, 43. I. II.; Vol. 200, 16. The justices responsible for the nine hundreds of Caistor Sessions say that in their division there were 13,536 "handicraftesmen and poore people that have no corn."
[184] Vol. 198, No. 42. Considerably over a hundred farmers are ordered to bring definite quantities of each kind of grain to particular markets, generally either that of Woodstock or that of Oxford.
Vol. 199, No. 43. The farmers of Buckinghamshire have been bound to bring their corn "by porcions weeklye to such marketts as we thinke most fittest."
In Lancaster order has been taken that those who have to sell "shall bring and sell the same in open markette or otherwise to their poore neighbours." Vol. 200, No. 54. IV. In the hundreds of Caistor Sessions also the poor people might buy away from the markets and the farmers might deduct any grain sold to them from the quantity they were to bring to market. Vol. 198, No. 21.