Page:VCH Herefordshire 1.djvu/484

 A HISTORY OF HEREFORDSHIRE been raised little or not at all during the previous twenty years ; for there was no market for corn or cattle. The county tradesmen, having comparatively no custom, purchased little from farmer or butcher. Dress and poverty of living indicated the straits to which farmers were reduced. ' The state of the poor and labouring classes,' he said, ' is worse than I ever remember it, and every week becoming more so, as the property of the farmer decreases.' ^^ The great obstacle to all agricultural improvements was stated to be the tithes ; as they were then enforced it was impossible for the farmer to cultivate under them. Eminent land surveyors of the time stated that they were not expected to value the tithes according to the sum the owner could get by collecting them, but in proportion to the injury the farmer could be made to suffer by being compelled to set out every trifling article of tithe. This made the tithe-owners, and especially the clergy, very unpopular ; the churches were deserted, the Sacrament ceased to be taken ' by far the greater part of our peasantry, who became annually more profligate and idle, and better calculated to cut the throats of the higher orders than to till the soil.' The tax on malt also pressed injuriously on the cornfields, and its repeal was anxiously demanded. The vexatious and impolitic tax on horses engaged in agriculture had been repealed, but did not afford much relief. The distress was also inevitably felt with great severity by the land- owner ; several in the county had become bankrupt, and one lady in 1816, whose half-year's rent amounted to ^^1,250, had received ;^85. The taxes levied during the war were most burdensome, and must have considerably discounted the high prices ; and it was some time after peace was declared before they could be substantially reduced. The following is a statement of the taxes and tithes paid on a Herefordshire farm of about three hundred acres in 1815 : — Property tax paid by landlord and tenant Great tithes „ „ „ Small „ „ „ „ Land tax ... .. Tax on windows .... Poor rates, paid by landlord. „ „ tenant Cart-horse duty paid by landlord on three horses „ „ „ tenant „ Duty on two saddle horses, paid by landlord. » gig • • • ■ -. „ one saddle horse, paid by tenant Landlord's malt duty on 60 bushels of barley. Tenant's duty for making 120 bushels of barley into malt N.B. — No cider made for years New rate for building shire hall, paid by landlord. „ „ „ „ tenant Surcharge'* ........ £ 5. d. 95 16 10 64 17 6 29 IS

1 +

24 I 6 10

40

2 1 1

7 2

9

6 6

2 13 6 21

42

9

3

2 8

^383 II It is not surprising to hear ' that the principal distresses that have occurred have been seizures under the Crown for taxes.' But it was the tithe system that created most discontent, and on one farm of 1 20 acres the tithe and poor rates alone exceeded what had till recently been paid in rent. The poor rates for the parish of Holmer, from 1 8 1 2 to 1 8 1 6, were : — To Easter, 18 1 2. 600 16 10 750 o o 700 o o 620 o o 570 o o 1813 1814 1815 1816 The parish of Kentchurch presented a striking example of the heavy burden of taxation in 1816, for it paid in direct taxes a greater sum than the lands of the whole parish could be let for. It is worthy of notice that during this time of severe distress those cottagers who had a piece of land to keep a cow or ox on never applied for parish relief " The wages of the agricultural labourer, which had averaged ^s. (yd. a week in the period 1760-80 rose in 1811-14 to 12/. 9a'. per week, but, owing to the enormous rise of the price of food clothine' &c., he was no better oif. And after 18 14 wages began to fall rapidly. Thorold Rogers, Work 'and Warn chap, xviii. ' « Agric. Stateofthe Kingdom, being replies to a circular letter sent by the Board of Agriculture (1816), 105. 414