). It was stocked and
worked with 10 cows, 150 sheep, 30 oxen, 12 horses, four servants and
boys, eight labourers (average L20 a year each), and two maids. In the
annual expenditure is put down the modest allowance of L100 for
house-keeping of the farmer and his family (exclusive of servants), and
the total then comes out at

Year's produce . . . . . . . . . . . L1,599 13 0
Expenditure . . . . . . . . . . . . L1,146 0 0
-------------
Profit . . . . . . . . . . . . . . L453 13 0

Trade was not so much an every day affair in those days as now, but
persons obtained their supplies in large quantities and on special
occasions. In harvest time therefore little was doing at the shops,
and the tradesmen in the High Street were accustomed to form themselves
into neighbouring groups of four or five, and, taking up their position
outside their shops, smoked their pipes, while one of their number
would read the news, nearly always coloured at that time by the doings
of Napoleon, or the French. About the beginning of the century, Mr.
William Henry Andrews, son of the astronomer, as a man having the most
talent for reading, was in particular request at these quiet siestas
between the intervals of trade.

{108}

They discussed agriculture and the weather with a relish over their
"sixpennyworth," and often laid wagers as to the result of the harvest.
Here is an item in Royston--

"1795. Aug. 25--Mr. Bottomley lays S. Coxall sixpennyworth that the
price of a quartern loaf will be as low as sevenpence the best sort in
two months--24th Oct. paid."

Who had to pay there is little doubt, for the bet was a rash one in a
season which had seen wheat at 113s. in that very August. The crop did
not realize Mr. Bottomley's expectations, for the official average for
the year was 75s. 2d. per quarter, from which we infer that Mr.
Bottomley paid his "sixpennyworth."

Royston Market is spoken of in official announcements at the end of
last century as "an exceedingly good market town." Though the market
was open, the inns and inn yards were freely resorted to, especially in
inclement weather, and the Green Man Yard was made to do duty to some
extent as a Corn Exchange, for in 1785 when the house was to let, we
find it stated that it had "large garden and stables and ten corn
shops." Barley was the chief item of sales, and it is said as much as
4,000 quarters has been s