From another mailing list:
Marie Trevelyan in her book
"Glimpses of Welsh Life and Character, 1893
edition gives some very interesting prices of food, etc. in 1610 in
Wales.
"forty eggs for one penny, a bushell of wheat one shilling and sixpence,
in
1662 eleven pounds of beefe two shillings and twopence, two ounces of
tobacco one shilling. In 1666 one report said, sent to Bristol for good
Brandy and Comfits (spices) for it. Paid 31 shillings for the brandy, new
China tea 40 shillings a pound, two fat capons three shillings,1710, tea
was then thirty shillings a pound, 2 bushells of wheat sixteen shillings;
one yard of velvet fifteen shillings, clerical hat one pound, hind
quarter
of mutton three shillings fourpence, a whole lamb seven shillings and
sixpence, one pound of sugar for preserving quinces one shilling, one
pair
of find stockings for my girle, three shillings, a horse pillion for my
wyfe, eight shillings. The earliest use of potatoes in Wales seems to be
about 1765. Before the intro of the potato, scurvy water, scurvy grass,
and
scurvy-wort were in great request. One of the great delights of the
household was the arrival of the packman, sometimes called bagman.
Packmen
of old times were Welsh, but later on, when the people could speak broken
English, there was an influx of Scotch travelling drapers.... very
astute... lured the women into easy instalment systems..... some (folk)
still in (their) clutches for forty years..... the packmen were endowed
with the gift of the gab to an uncommon degree.... and it is not after he
has gone that the people are aware of having been cheated or deceived.
Before the warp and woof among the lonely mountains and valleys of Wales,
the stocking-man went his mysterious way, not to be seen again until the
May blossoms filled the land with beauty. (dealt in stockings, flannel,
generally grave, solemn-looking persons, very respectful in manner!)
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