Contrast
[ Home ] [ Name Index ] [ Contrast ] [ Prices ] [ Quarterage ] [ NTH Mercury ] [ Carey House ] [ Settlements ] [ Removal ]

Life in the Parish of Moulton, Northamptonshire
A Hundred Years Ago.

 With extracts from the Books of the Churchwardens, Overseers, and Highway Surveyor, the Parish Registers and the “Northamptonshire Mercury” 1795.

 Collated by Sidney Madge[1], Member of Northampton and Oakham Architectural Society, author of Moulton Church and its Bells. (1895) etc.

The Northampton Mercury, Friday, December 27, 1895

1 – 1795 and 1895: A Contrast

A hundred years ago wheat was scarce and provisions dear.  In July black teas were selling at prices ranging between 3s. 4d. and 10s. per lb.; green teas from 3s. 8d. to 18s. ; a lb. of chocolates might be purchased for 3s. 6d. or 4s. 6d.; while best coffee cost 7s. per lb., and inferior coffee 3s. 6d.  During the same month the price of wheat ran up from 80 to 112 shillings a quarter; rye reached 80s. at the end of the month (it was 56s. at the beginning);  barley figured at 34s. – 48s.; oats 23s. – 34s. a quarter; and beans stood at 48s – 52s during the months April to August.  Loaves were of two kinds, both costing 6d. there was the Wheaten loaf and the Household loaf.  The wheaten loaf weighed 2lb. 7oz. 12drs.  On the other hand, the Household loaf was regulated to weigh 3lbs. 4 oz. 9drs. at the beginning of March, and only 2lbs. 4ozs 4drs. at the end of July.  Further information as to the fluctuations in the value of corn will be found below.

We shall see later, that one hundred years ago a penny purchased the lives of three sparrows or a hedgehog indeed, in July they were so plentiful that 2d. would procure the heads of a dozen sparrows and 2½d. a dead hedgehog.  Every inducement was held out for their destruction; hence it is not surprising to find that no less than 2,310 sparrows and nine hedgehogs died an early death – as many as 360 being paid for in a single day.

In 1795 a new brush cost 2s 4d.; 2s procured the services of the bell ringers on  George III’s birthday; a letter travelled from Leicester for 4d.; oil cost 1s.; what price a beer was we know not, but Mr Arnold, the bell-founder, managed 2s. 6d. worth on July 2^nd and his men 3s.  On one occasion, a year or two later, a man charged 2d for his work at the bells, and 3d for beer necessary to perform the task!  Cartage was managed at the rate of 8d. per cwt.; law claimed a shilling stamp for a £100 receipt; 1s 6d paid for a lock, and 1s. 2d paid for a new mop; hair, for mixing with lime, cost 1s. 6d. a bushel; whilst 12s procured a bell-rope.  To write out accounts 2s. was necessary, with 2s extra for making a levy.  A hundred years ago the master of the “free school” had a salary of £5; for the Sunday School £3 18s. was the payment accepted by the master and mistress separately.

Bell-metal cost 30s a cwt. to cast – hence the cost of re-casting six new bells amounted to £95 5s. 6½d. (63 cwt. 2qrs. 2lbs.); 1lb of material for new bell-clappers was worth 9d.; and 8d. per cwt. was allowed for old metal . Altogether the new bells cost £115 2s. 7d. of which sum the bell-founder claimed £104 7s. 1½d.

In 1795 parchment sheets cost 5s.; Churchwardens’ expenses at the Bishop’s visitation ran up to £3 6s., to which must be added £1 6s for “Courtless”, making £4 12s. in all.  A dole of bread amounted to £2 10s. or £2 10s. 6d.; bread and wine for sacramental purposes cost 9s. at Easter; and 6d. was the means whereby a Vestry might be called at any time (five were actually called).

The Highway Surveyors paid 6d. for a ?oad of stones; a new stone-pit cost £2 12s. 6d., with 1s. for measuring the same – and note also, that whereas a man might earn a shilling for measuring a stone-pit, yet stone-pits could not be dug unless 2s. worth of beer was supplied!  The scale for workmen on the roads was this: working one day 1s. 6d., six days 8s., seven days 9s. 4d., and twelve days 16s.; four days 5s. 6d., but, eight days only 10s. 8d.; in other words eighteen pence a day, or 8s a week.  On this scale employment was found for 5 infirm persons during 77 days; in addition nine others were engaged at a cost of nearly £14 repairing the roads for 238 days – 136 days at 18d., 42 at 10d., 39 ½ at 8d., and 20 ½ at 6d.  A man could buy a shovel for 2s. 8d.; slabs cost 14s., with 2s. for a man to look after them!  Lime was purchased for 1s., and beer cost the authorities 4s.; “Highway stuff” was worth 3d. a load; 6d. was the value for measuring a horse pond; whilst an occasional warrant required 4s.

A hundred years ago the population of Moulton was less that half that of to-day.  Marriages were seven in number, baptism 27, and burials 30. in 1701 there were about 450 inhabitants; in 1791 more than 650.  From 1740 to 1780 baptisms exceeded burials by 150; there was a decrease of 25 during 1781-1790, followed by an increase of 70 in the next ten years. From 1791 to 1861 the population increased at the rate of 160 per cent., reaching in the latter year nearly 2,000.

We find the parish irregularly taxed.  In 1795 four levies were made, realizing £166 3s. 2½d.  In 1895 (February to October) £716 was raised by means of six rates.  But in the former year there was a church levy, whereas none of the present rates exceeded 8d. in the £.  In 1795 the then levies were as follows:-

Compare this with the statement of rates raised in the parish of Moulton for the year ending 1895, kindly furnished me by Mr. W. T. Bonsor, of Moulton:-

The contrast between the years 1795 and 1895 is best illustrated by placing side bye side details such as below;

The Northampton Mercury, Friday, January 3, 1896

I – 1795 and 1895: A Contrast

i.       The Parish.  In 1795 the parish consisted of 2,998 acres, all enclosed.  Prior to 1772, the only portions enclosed were Thorplands (204 acres), and a portion of 51 acres belonging to Mr William Barber.  “An account of all and Singular the Allotments to the several Proprietors in the open and common Fields of Moulton in the County of Northampton upon enclosing the same in the year 1772, together with the valuation on such respective allotments made by the Commissioners under the acts of Inclosure” – such is the description given in the Vestry Book, where the number of allotments is shown to be 76, averaging 36 acres each, and the total valuation £1,787 16s. 0¾d.  In 1795 “George Hatton Esq, and the Honble. Mary Mostyn, Spinster” were possessed of 386 acs. 38pls. (worth £257  11s. 2¼d.); the Vicar Rev Wm Stanton M.A. of “the hundred and seventy acres in the North Field, East Side, & twenty four acres in the Park Field, West Side” – 194 in all (£119); the Rector of Blatherwick, 32acs. 2rds. 30pls. (£1 1s 4¾d.); the heirs of John Worley, “ one hundred and one acre two roods and nineteen Perches – another allotment of two Acres and three perches, & also another allotment of twenty three acres one Rood & nine Perches” – total 126 acres 3 roods 31 poles (£88 14s.); Ann Rogers, 137 acs 2rds. 19pls. (£87 7s. 6d.); Walton Pell, 142 ac. 2r. 15p. (£96 10s 7½d);  John Garlick, 124ac. 11p. (£107 3s. 9½d.); John Watts, 106 a. 6r. 6p. (£81 13s. 16d.)

            What the exact rateable value of the parish was a hundred years ago may not with certainty be stated. To-day it is £5,289.  In 1890 the rateable value was put at £5630; in 1877, £7,189; and three years earlier (1874), £6,814, with a gross estimated rental of £8,139.  In 1795 the area of the parish was 2,998ac. 12p.; in 1874, 3034 acres; and in 1895 3,140 acr4es 1 rood 19.52 poles (ordnance survey).

           A hundred years ago the village was “considerably over half-a-mile in length,” and consisted of more than 130 families.  Moulton in 1895 is a much decayed ever decreasing village of some 300 families and is twice as expensive as in 1795.  In the latter year there was a church, chapel (Baptist), “Free School” and several private schools – the most notable being “Moulton School” kept by William Chown, the poet.  A hundred years later we have the same church and chapel – the former restored 1884-6, the latter enlarged 1870 – Wesleyan Methodist Chapel (1835), and Primative Methodist Chapel (1864); with Sunday School for Church (1843), Baptists (c 1870) and Wesleyans (1878), and a School Board controlling the National School (1843), and an Infants School (1878).

  ii   The Vestry:  In 1795 the power of the Vestry was on the wane.  Successor to the Court of Tithing – presided over, in 795, by the “Tithing Men” in 1795 by the Vicar – and linked by the Hundred Court to the County Court, the Vestry has now ceased to be regarded as the Council Chamber of the parish.  In 1770, when the pasture land was held in common by the whole community, and when 91½ per cent. (2,743 acres) of land in the parish was unenclosed, each family could turn his cattle into the pasture – subject to the control of the overseers, who, being elected by the people, had occasion “to see that no one trespassed on the rights of his neighbour, or turned too many cattle into the common pastures”.  And as to the powers of the Vestry, it could “order at what date the cows and horses of the parishioners were to be turned into the common for grazing; it could give leave to the parishioners for making enclosures; it ordered how many animals were to be turned into the common pastures.  It appointed the parish officers – the overseers of the poor, the waywardens and churchwardens.” (Rev. P.H. Ditchfield, F.S.A., “Our English Villages”.) 

            Gradually its power has declined, yielding place to Boards and Councils, until now its authority is merely ecclesiastical.

  iii. Civil and Ecclesiastical Parish:  Civilly Moulton is in the Mid Division of the County Northampton, Hundred of Spellhoe, Union of Brixworth, Petty Divisional and County Court District of Northampton, sending a District Councillor to the County Council, and forming a Parish Council of 13 members.  Ecclesiastically it is in the Rural Deanery of Haddon (End portion), Archdeanery of Northampton, and Diocese of Peterborough (since 1540).

  Turning now to the different Boards and Councils in Moulton, reference may briefly be made in order following:-

  iv.  School Board: formed 1876, consisting of 5 members.  Controls two schools – National (1843) for 190 scholars, and Infants (1878) for 112 children.  In 1796 there was a “free school” strangely contrasting as regards expense with the schools of to-day.  The contrast in this respect is worth noting:

  The items of this expenditure (year ending Sept. 29, 1895) are as below:

[2]

v.                   Burial Board:  Formed in 1880, and consists of five members.  A very neatly arranged cemetery of two acres was laid out in 1881 at a cost of £300, on the east side of the ancient Grove.  About 250 burials have since taken place.

vi.                 County Council, Moulton Division: Came into operation 21^st April 1889.  The present representative was elected 12^th Jan 1894.  The division embraces 8 parishes, with a united population of 3,500 persons, Area 12,288½ acres. 

vii.                Parish Council: Came into existence in 1894: consists of 13 members.  Among present improvements may be mentioned the lighting of the streets, Wednesday September 11^th 1895, and … documents.