The Exorbitant Price Of Corn

[vox]

Sheffield Aug 28 1856 The exorbitant Price of Corn having lately risen to 18/- a Load, has been attributed to the Buyers ingrossing and keeping it back, which has so exasperated the Populace, that they have unlawfully risen and broke open Storehouses, Mills &c and committed many Outrages, that there was a Necessity of taking some Measures to quiet them by selling 200 Load at 15/- immediately; and other Methods were taken to quell the Mob, punish the Rioters, and prevent the future bad Consequences. Two of the Principals were since capitally convicted, and suffer'd accordingly. It is heartily wished the great Sufferings of the Poor will prevail on some charitable and humane Persons to state the Case between them and their Oppressors, the Ingrosser, the Fore-staller, the Miller and Baker, fairly and impartially, and lay at the foot of the Throne a dutiful and loyal Address, most humbly beseeching his Majesty would graciously please to give Orders that may effectually prevent the great Abuse of the Poor.

[Guest skeets]

Sheffield Aug 28 1856 The exorbitant Price of Corn having lately risen to 18/- a Load, has been attributed to the Buyers ingrossing and keeping it back, which has so exasperated the Populace, that they have unlawfully risen and broke open Storehouses, Mills &c and committed many Outrages, that there was a Necessity of taking some Measures to quiet them by selling 200 Load at 15/- immediately; and other Methods were taken to quell the Mob, punish the Rioters, and prevent the future bad Consequences. Two of the Principals were since capitally convicted, and suffer'd accordingly. It is heartily wished the great Sufferings of the Poor will prevail on some charitable and humane Persons to state the Case between them and their Oppressors, the Ingrosser, the Fore-staller, the Miller and Baker, fairly and impartially, and lay at the foot of the Throne a dutiful and loyal Address, most humbly beseeching his Majesty would graciously please to give Orders that may effectually prevent the great Abuse of the Poor.

HI vox lt appears there was similar trouble about corn around 1812, according to the writings of one of my ancestors Joseph Fearnehough nephew of my g g g grandfather,. he writes,<around this time the harvest was very poor and the price of corn went up to 7shillings a stone and it was very bad at that,when a loaf was baked the outside was like husk and the inside would draw out like stringy paste, AS the cutlers and file makers were only earning around 12/-a week they were very bad off, and they went about the streets with a loaf dripping in blood stopping in front of provision shops compelling the owners to clear their flour stocks at 2/6 a stone, later the authorities compensated the traders for their losses out of the rates.> Cheers skeets

[DaveH]

Sheffield Aug 28 1856 The exorbitant Price of Corn having lately risen to 18/- a Load,

As far as I know corn and other grain crops had their own set of Imperial weights and measures.

I have not come across "a load" before as an exact measure of quantity, but I assume from skeets following post that corn is in fact weighed and traded in stones.

I take it that this would still be an Imperial stone of 14lb weight.

[Stuart0742]

As far as I know corn and other grain crops had their own set of Imperial weights and measures.

I have not come across "a load" before as an exact measure of quantity, but I assume from skeets following post that corn is in fact weighed and traded in stones.

I take it that this would still be an Imperial stone of 14lb weight.

Don't they use Bushels and Pecks for weighing grain

A Bushel is 8 gallons

4 Pecks to a Bushel

When I have been to a mill they just seem to talk about sacks

[vox]

HI vox lt appears there was similar trouble about corn around 1812, according to the writings of one of my ancestors Joseph Fearnehough ------

Cheers skeets

Yes skeets. Richard sent me this bit of info to post and I looked into a bit further because I was going to add to it.

I soon realised that some of the things I made note of were concerning different dates/occasions. It all got a bit complicated and I have to admit to getting myself confused and putting it to one side for another time.

[DaveH]

Don't they use Bushels and Pecks for weighing grain

A Bushel is 8 gallons

4 Pecks to a Bushel

When I have been to a mill they just seem to talk about sacks

Yes, - that is the specific Imperial units I was refering to.

As a Gallon is a volume not a weight it would be relatively easy to make sacks to a size which would hold several gallons of grain when full, so an 8 Gallon sack would be a bushel.