Theydon Garnon Register 1795

In 1795, the Rector of the parish of Theydon Garnon, the Reverend Thomas Abdy entered the following entry in the parish registers.

“It may not be amiss at the close of this year to note in the register of this parish some of the remarkable occurrences of the year 1795. The crops of wheat throughout the kingdom, at the harvest 1794, proved very deficient, insomuch that a scarcity, almost amounting to a famine, was apprehended. About midsummer, the privy council published a resolution, that they would eat no fine bread in their families, only such as by law is denominated standard wheaten bread.

The grand jury, at the midsummer assizes, and justices of the peace
at the midsummer quarter sessions, went farther than this, and resolved that no bread should he eaten in their families made of flour of better quality than such as contained the whole weight of a bushel, except seven pounds of coarse bran.

No puddings, or pastry of any kind, were used in this county generally. The price of wheat rose to thirty guineas per load of 40 bushels, Winchester measure. Government imported some wheat from Prussia and from America, but the samples were bad in themselves, and for the most part musty. The distress of the poor throughout the kingdom has been, and still continues, very great.

Large subscriptions have been raised for them, and the poor's rates have swelled enormously. In this parish we have had since Easter two ls. 6d. and two ls. rates. A new ls. 6d. is wanted, and must be granted immediately; and, most probably, another ls. before Easter, amounting to 7s. in the pound. The old average was 3s. 6d. in the pound.

A severe frost began on the 20th December,1794, which continued, with very little intermission, to the first of March, 1795.

The crops of wheat were injured by it; the spring crops promised extremely well, and, as far as they have been threshed, yield well to the flail: the wheats are extremely bad.

The two houses of parliament, in the month of December, resolved, that none of the members of either house will allow more than two thirds of the general quantity of wheat to be used in their families; the reduction to be procured either by adding one third of barley, rice, or oatmeal, or reducing the quantity of bread bought for their families one third, and circular letters were written by the privy council to all magistrates and gentlemen in the kingdom, and by the bishops to the several clergy in their dioceses, recommending the same plan to be adopted.

The last market-day, 1795, wheat sold at Epping and Ongar at 28l. per load of 40 bushels. The distilleries throughout the kingdom have stopped by act of parliament.”