April 18—A person exposing elvers for sale fined in the mitigated penalty of 10s., at the instance of the Worcester Fisheries Association.
April 24—The Hon. W. H. Lyttelton presented a petition to the House of Commons from the parish of Oldswinford, complaining of the pressure of the poor rates. The rate there assessed on houses amounted to 29s. in the pound; on the rent of land employed in farming, to 32s.; and on several other kinds of land, to 61s. in the pound! The population was 4,381, of whom 1,868 received parish relief, and only 158 persons were able to contribute to the rates.
May 8—An elegant silver cup presented to Robert Felton, Esq., at a dinner at the Star and Garter, on his leaving the neighbourhood, “In testimony of the admiration of the donors of his ardent devotion to the public welfare, and of their esteem for the disinterested friendship and generous zeal which distinguished his social character.”
August 5—Viscount Sidmouth visited Worcester, and was presented with the freedom of the city.
November 19—The whole of the shops closed in Worcester during the time appointed for the funeral of the Princess Charlotte. The Mayor and Corporation attended divine service at the Cathedral, where a pathetic discourse was delivered by the Rev. Dr. Forester, one of the Prebendaries, from Luke viii, 52—“She is not dead, but sleepeth.”
Local Acts—For amending the act of last session as to repairing the Worcester roads; for enclosing lands at Cofton Hackett.
1818.
Trade began to revive and agriculturists again to be hopeful—principally as the result of the favourable exchanges bringing us large quantities of the precious metals from the continent, which gave ease to the banks and encouraged the liberal use of money in various undertakings. Thus employment became abundant, and the working classes were contented. The gradual disappearance of the precious metals for several years past had been a source of much disquietude to our statesmen, and was no doubt one cause of the great fall in prices which took place on the advent of peace; but it must principally be attributed to the absence of that demand by Government for men and money which, during the war, was so great. Consols averaged 79; wheat averaged 86s. 3d.
January—The Worcester Fire Office dissolved in favour of the Phœnix Fire Office.
January—The price of hops at this time averaged from £26 to £31 per cwt.