or barrels!
It is a singular circumstance and comment upon the much smaller extent
to which our food supply depended upon foreign countries then than now,
that, in the midst of all this perturbation and impending evil, wheat
was selling in Royston market as low as 32s. per load!

Even before the eighteenth century had closed Napoleon had been
suspected of designs upon England, and among the local Volunteers {68}
enrolled for service against a possible invasion, according to their
numbers none were more conspicuous for public spirit than the Royston
and Barkway men, enrolled under the command of the militant clergyman,
Captain Shield, vicar of Royston. The following notice of the temper
and disposition of the Corps and their Commander is characteristic:--

"The Royston and Barkway Loyal Volunteers, commanded by Captain Shield,
have unanimously agreed to extend their services to any part of the
military district in case of invasion."

The Rev. Thomas Shield, vicar of Royston, 1793 to 1808, was evidently
both a courageous and patriotic townsman, for among the characteristics
of him which come down to us is the statement that he would ascend the
pulpit wearing his surplice over his uniform, and having finished his
sermon would descend from the pulpit, slip off his surplice, and march
to the Heath at the head of his company of Volunteers for drill on a
Sunday afternoon! "A gallant band of natives headed by their military
Vicar, the Rev. Thomas Shield, in full regimentals, and accompanied by
good old John Warren, the parish clerk and music-master, as leader of
the Band, marched through the streets on Sunday afternoons to the sound
of the fife and the drum, and all the little boys in the place learned
to play soldiers." I have been unable to verify this to the letter,
but something approaching it, though not on a Sunday, took place on one
memorable occasion, when the ceremony of the presentation of colours
was performed in 1799, of which I give some particulars below:--

Thursday, 1st August, 1799, was a memorable day in the history of this
Corps and a great day for Royston; the event being the presentation of
colours to the Corps by the Honourable Mrs. Peachey, in the presence of
a very respectable company. At 11 o'clock the Corps, attended by
Captain Hale's troop of Hertfordshire Yeomanry, were drawn up on the
Market Place, where Mrs. Peachey was accompanied by Lady Hardwicke,
Lord Royston, and other noble ladies and