Appendix: poor laws, Appendix No. III | British History Online

Journal of the House of Lords: Volume 63, 1830-1831. Originally published by His Majesty's Stationery Office, London, [n.d.].

Citation:

'Appendix: poor laws, Appendix No. III', in Journal of the House of Lords: Volume 63, 1830-1831( London, [n.d.]), British History Online https://prod.british-history.ac.uk/lords-jrnl/vol63/p704c [accessed 23 December 2024].

No. III.

No. III.- Letter from T. Partington Esquire, enclosing a Statement shewing the Outgoings and Income of Ten Acres of Land cultivated by the Surplus Labourers of the Parish of Barcombe, from Lady Day 1829 to Lady Day 1830.

My Lord, Offham, 30th Dec. 1830.

I feel it necessary to apologize to your Grace for not having forwarded the enclosed at an earlier Period; but it was not 'till the Beginning of this Week that I could have an Opportunity of making the necessary Inquiries from the Parish Officer who was acquainted with the Detail of the Business.

[4]

The Concern, as you will see, has been by no means advantageous; and the Effect of it, in other respects, has been found objectionable, as it led many Farmers to employ a less Number of Labourers through the Winter than they would otherwise have done. They are now arranging a Plan among themselves to provide Work upon a more enlarged Scale on the Farms, and which, it is hoped, may be so managed as to leave a very small Proportion of the Population unemployed.

I should add, that the Parish to which I allude labours under considerable Disadvantage, the Farms being in general small, and many of them occupied by Persons residing and occupying Farms in other Parishes, from whence they are induced to bring many Labourers to carry on the Business, to the Exclusion of the Parishioners, at least to a certain Extent.

I have the Honour to remain,

Your Grace's faithful and obedient Servant,

T. Partington.

From Inquiries made since I returned Home, I find that the Prices of Wheat calculated upon in late Adjustments of Rent have been as low as 15l. per Load. I said in my Examination 16l.

It may perhaps not be altogether useless to notice that the Average Prices of Wheat for the Five Years from 1792 to 1797, (both inclusive,) according to the Corn Receivers Returns, throughout England and Wales, were 14l. 14s. 9d. and according to the Eton College Audit Books, (which is perhaps a fairer Criterion for the Southern Districts,) 16l. 4s. 4d. These Tables may be found in the Supplement to the Encyc. Brit. Vol. 3, p. 369.

London, 5th Jan. 1831.

Statement.

Expence.				£	s.	d.
Labour in cultivating Ten Acres of Land, including the Labour employed in getting up the Crops by the Surplus Labourers of the Parish (the Work was mostly done by the Day, at from 1s. 3d. to 1s. 6d. per Day, or at 4s. per Pole)				72	7	6
Expence of Seed purchased				5	7	6
Expence of Manure, and Carriage of Do.				40	4	0
Sundry other Expences attending the getting in and disposing of the Crops				8	16	10
				126	15	10
Produce.	£	s.	d.
Potatoes, sold at from 1s. 3d. to 1s. 6d. per Bushel	47	12	5
Ditto now in Hand, at 1s. 3d.	8	8	6
Other Crops (Beans)	41	12	6
Total Produce				97	13	5
Loss (besides the Rent of the Land)				29	2	5

In the Two preceding Years, in which Potatoes only were raised, the Loss exceeded 60£. per Ann. exclusive of Rent.