Royston Bellman to which we may listen with advantage and
perhaps derive a lesson from what followed upon his message--

"Oyez, Oyez, Notice is hereby given that the industrious poor, both
single and married of this parish, who are desirous of hiring a small
piece of land, are desired to apply at the Vestry Room on the Fish
Hill, to have their names entered to ascertain what each person would
like to have."

The result was that Mr. Valentine Beldam let 11 acres of land near
Larman's, or Lawman's Way, at the upper end of the town, to the
Overseers at 30s. an acre, and it was re-let in roods, half-acres and
acres at the same price to labourers.

For a time the scheme answered well and the state of each man's
allotment was reported upon to the Vestry; but in 1835 it was found
that "in consequence of the land hired of Mr. Valentine Beldam, and
others, being so badly farmed and the rents generally so far in arrear,
that the said land should be given up to the proprietors."

{115}

As to the trade of country towns, there were many more actual makers of
things than now, such as tailors and bootmakers, patten makers,
maltsters; and there were several academies, as the schools for the
middle class were called. Thus in Royston there were the
following:--Rev. Samuel Cautherley, and also Mr. Yorke, Melbourn
Street; John Kent, (gentlemen's boarding,) Back Street (now Mr. A.
Gosling's); Mrs. Towne, wife of the minister at the New Meeting in
Kneesworth Street (1804); Mrs. G. H. Raines, Ladies' School, Melbourn
Street (and also at one time in the house now Dr. Archer's in
Kneesworth Street); Henry Watson, Day School, Fish Hill, (under the
Vestry Room).

The old Post Office at the time of the Battle of Waterloo, was at a
cottage on the London Road, opposite White Hall, and was kept by Mrs.
Daintry and her daughter. The number of letters was very small and one
delivery and collecting of the money for them about ten o'clock in the
morning was sufficient.

Though mail bags were despatched at different hours of the night
according to the arrival of the mail coaches, it was thought
unnecessary for anyone to be on night duty, but the postmaster, or
postmistress, would appear at an upper window in a night cap and let
down the mail bag by a stout cord with a hook at the end, from which
the coachman would take it. The old rope and hook with which this used
to be performed through a small window at the old Buntingford Post
Office (l