APPENDIX XI.

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Letter from Sir Thomas Barrington concerning the eight hundreds of Yorkshire (Dom. State Papers, Chas. I. Vol. 177, No. 31. 21st Dec. 1630).

The following letter is substantially like many other justices' reports relating to the corn measures of 1629-1631. This document, like a few others of the same kind, preceded the issue of the Book of Orders of Jan. 1630/1; and was sent in answer to previous orders of the Privy Council[758]. It is addressed on the back "To the right Honle my most hond Lo. the Lo. viceCount Dorchester[759] at his lodgings in Whitehall"; and has attached to it a seal with a crest and also the date 1630.

My Lo., the assurance yt I haue of yor Lops desyre to understand ye carefull and successfull execution of ye late commaunds wch we haue receiued, and feareing least ye high Sheriff may delay ye retourning of owr certifficates; I shall take the bouldnes to aduertize yor Lop that haueing attended the seruice inioyned by his Mats instructions and yor Lops letters in eight hundreds of this Countie, (as yor Lop will find when ye Cirtificates are retourned) we haue followed those directions giuen us conserneing Badgers[760], Millers etc. a sort of people yt did much rayse ye prizes of Corne; but I hope we haue preuented it for ye future, som of them being bound to ye Sessions, others ouerlooked wth a strict eye that theay offend not as theay haue done; we find the Marketts to be well serued; and tharefor no compulsion yet needes to be used as yet; we haue furthermore taken care (wch I conceiue to be yor Lops chiefe ayme) that the poorer sort be prouided for by ye laying in of Corne in euery Toune sufficient to satisfy them for this yeear, and yt at such rates, as ye scarcytye and dirth of theise times will be ye less bitter unto them, when theay shall haue it 18d. and 2s. in ye Bushell cheaper then ye Markett can afford, as vpon calling ye countrye together we haue easyly perswaded them heearunto, & ye most parishes haue allready begun this worke, wch if it answar not yor Lops desyres I shall be sorye yt I was one of ye first moouers heearin; in ye same forme yt I exprest unto yor Lop when I wayted upon you; wch haueing tendred to yr Lop and other Justices in theise parts I found them so well to approoue it (as yt yor Lop will find) we haue followed yt way wth a ioynct consent; by wch meanes it appeears playnely yt ye prizes of ye marketts are fallne and doe weekely fall, wheate being in diuerse Marketts where I haue attended this seruice at 7s. ye bushell and vis. vid. whare lately it was sold at 8s. vid.; for ye laborers and all ye poorer sort being supplyed at home who are the greater nomber, the rates of graine must of necessytye fall to be less. My Lo. I feare I haue ben toe troublesom in this tedious discourse, but yor Lop knowes circumstances make ye busines of no small consequence, wch it hath pleased his Maty so gratiously to consider & yor Lops so carefully to order, wharein if thare be any thing yt yor Lop will be pleased to commaund me, I shall willing obaye, and so shall yor Lop euer find me deuoted to yor desyres in any thing, whareby I may becom seruiceable to ye Countye, or to yr Lop in particular, whose fauors have ingaged me to study how I may any way express myselfe most,

Hatf. Bro.

Yor Lops faithfull seruant

10r. 21, 1630.

Tho. Barrington.

My wife wth me offers yor Lop and yor noble La. obliged seruice thare being nothing we more desyre then to heear of yor good healthes.


                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                           

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