parish which unfortunately has no materials of its own, the roads must still remain in their original impassable state, suffering perhaps the taunts and reproaches of those very neighbours whose illiberal refusal of assistance is the cause of their ragged state. This custom of each parish reserving to itself its own materials was at that time so politely attended to by the surveyors, that even, though supported by an Act of Parliament, they declined taking materials, if the land-owners objected to it, although the Turnpike Acts were so very explicit in authorising every thing of this kind for the benefit of the public at large, and indeed even of the very individuals who, like the dog in the manger, refused the necessary supply.

Even at the present day, the system of mending the roads does not seem to have improved much, as, in the course of the last summer, the Editor of these sheets observed a very awkward part of the road on the rise and turn of the hill between Burley and Whitwell, covered for some perches along the centre with immense fragments of ragged stone, thicker and harder than even the heads of the surveyors who had directed them to be laid down, and this without any mixture of sand or gravel to fill up their interstices. Here, it seems, they were laid, in hopes that coaches, carts, and waggons, would gratuitously pulverize them; but coaches, carts, and waggons, like the rich wayfarers in the parable of the Good Samaritan, turned on one side, to their own manifest risk too, without attempting to smooth the rugged surface. In fact, such was the style of this modern improvement, that, had it been laid entirely across the road, it must have produced a complete system of blockade and non-intercourse between Oakham and Stamford.

These are circumstances which fastidious critics may think beneath the notice of topography; but even if we had no hopes of producing amendment by our strictures, we may still be permitted to elucidate "Beauties," by the contrast of such horrid deformity!

There are no MANUFACTURES of any import in this county, which

which Mr. Parkinson, we believe, with great justice, attributes solely to the want of water, and scarcity of fuel, and not to any deficiency of inclination, of spirit, or of capital. Some trifling circumstances, however, connected with manufacture, will come in under the subsequent divisions.

The POPULATION of the county are very properly described as being healthy, and well fed; there has not, however, even of late years, been any great increase amongst them; which circumstance, in a county solely agricultural, shews evidently, that England is not independent of Commerce, at least, that without commerce, which is the only stimulus and vent for manufactures, our population, and consequent real strength as a nation, could not possibly have increased to its present extent.

In the last century, on averages taken at intervals of ten years, it appears, that the greatest number of baptisms in any one year, were 270 males, and 252 females; whilst the burials amounted to 249 males, and 224 females. From this we might naturally conelude, that a small increase would take place; but as that was not the case, we are the more disposed to credit an assertion we have heard in the county, more than once, that the want of employment sends many into the neighbouring districts. This evil may, perhaps, in some measure, be corrected in future, by the additional labour necessary in an improved mode of cultivation, and generally arising from enclosures; but that it has existed, and still exists at the present day, will appear from the recent

census.

During the last half century the average of marriages were 110 annually, but there is no actual census of the population before 1801, when there were found to be 7978 males, and 8378 females, making a total of 16,356. Of these, 3995 were employed in agriculture, 1928 in trade, and the remainder 10438 were unemployed; the latter number, of course, including the gentry, clergy, perhaps, a great proportion of the females, and the greatest part of the youthful population.

These, on the whole, were found to occupy 1536 dwelling

houses,

houses, 470 farm-houses, and 672 cottages, at an earlier period; but in the census of 1801, the inhabited houses were 3274; the families occupying them 3563; and 87 houses uninhabited.

By the recent returns to Parliament the males amount to 7931; the females to 8449; being a diminution of the one sex of 47, and in the other an increase of 71, making in the whole an absolute increase of only 24 in ten years, or 16,380 for the sum total.

Under the present head it will not be irrelevant to notice some curious particulars of the internal regulations of the county, communicated by Thomas Barker of Lyndon, Esq. in 1791 *, from which it appears, that in the early part of the seventeenth century, the rates of wages for all kinds of servants, and even workmen, were actually assessed by the Justices at Oakham, in 1610. By these regulations a man-servant, who could make a rick, and kill a hog, had fifty shillings per annum; but if he could not make the rick, or kill the hog, he had only forty:

a chief woman-servant to cooke, bake, brew, and make malt, and oversee the other servants," had twenty-six shillings and eightpence; but if she could not oversee the servants, only twenty. three and fourpence: the wages for mowers in harvest were fivepence per day with victuals, and tenpence without.

It was also settled that, “ a freemason which can draw his plot, work, and set accordingly, having charge over others, before Michaelmas, eightpence; but twelvepence without meat" and the justices decreed, that "every person givinge above the wages appointed shall suffer ten days' imprisonment, and forfeit ten pounds; and that every person takinge above the wages ap pointed shall suffer one and twenty days' imprisonment."

The STATE OF THE POOR is such an object of consideration, that we have endeavoured to collect all the information possible respecting it; all which tends much to the credit of this small county.

When Sir F. M. Eden wrote, the general employment of the industrious

• Archæologia, Vol. XI. p. 200, et seq.

dustrious poor throughout Rutland was knitting stockings, and spinning linen and jersey, afterwards wove into tammies by poor weavers in the southern parts of the county. Something of this trade still exists, but, we believe, without any increase; and at present nothing else remains for their employ but agricultural labour, and the encouragement offered to them by the Society for promoting Industry. The wages of both sexes run from nine to fifteen shillings per week, and the women are much employed in field work during the summer months; but this latter would be much increased if more attention was paid to weeding and hoeing, &c.

Notwithstanding this comparative want of employment, the Poor's Rates are low in general, a circumstance said to arise from a great many cottagers being allowed small portions of land just sufficient to keep one or two cows, though not enough to prevent them from attending to daily labour. This is certainly a judicious arrangement; and though it does not extend to all the parishes, it is to be hoped that the beneficial effects which have been found to attend its adoption in every case will convince the different farmers and landholders, of its propriety.

The rates have for some years been pretty stationary; no material increase has, in fact, taken place in the greater number of parishes, except, as Mr. Parkinson tells us, in Bishbrooke, where, in seven years, they have risen in the proportion of four to one. To counterbalance this, they have decreased both in Lyddington and in Winge, a circumstance that speaks in favour of enclosures; for both these parishes were mostly open in 1794, when Mr. Crutchley expressly stated, that the poor's rates were highest in the uninclosed parishes.

We have not seen any statement of the rates later than Mr. Parkinson's Survey, by which it appears, that the highest were then at Oakham, Flitteris, North Luffenham, and Preston, being five shillings in the pound, whilst at Seaton they were five shillings on three quarters of the rent; at Uppingham, they were only four shillings; at Ayston, Egleton, Whitwell, &c. they were

as

as low as one shilling in the pound; and Leafield only paid one penny per acre towards the Oakham poor's rate. In Martinsthorpe there was no poor's rate whatever.

Though, as was before observed, there has been no increase of the poor's rates during the last few years; yet between 1771, and 1803, the total increase of county rates was from 28871. to 12,6741.

In that latter year, the average was about 3s. 5d. in the pound, and the principal items of expenditure was as follow:

For Out-poor, 62151.; for In-poor, 20611.; in suits of law, 3991.; for church-rates, roads, and other county expenses, 41801. It appears also, that some partial attempts to make the poor assist in their own support took place, but on a very small scale. 181. 8s. 7d. were expended in supplying out poor with materials, and 391. 18s. 8d. were earned; whilst 91. 5s. were expended in the work-houses, and their earnings there amounted to 1031. 7s. 7d. The out-poor relieved amounted to 498, and those inside to 169, with about 300 children; and there were 83 children in schools of industry.

Upon the whole, it appeared, that the persons relieved were in a proportion of 8 in a 100; that there were 23 Friendly Societies, containing 1704 members, about 10 in a 100; that the average of all rates was about 15s. 6d. per head; and that the expenditure for poor amounted to 10s, 74d. per head of the popu lation.

There is no doubt that the SOCIETY FOR PROMOTING INDUSTRY has been of essential service. It was first proposed by the Reverend Thomas Foster of Tinwell, who took infinite pains in its establishment, its first object being to encourage industry in those not already chargeable to the parishes, by supplying them with wheels, and the rough materials for spinning, &c. It was finally established by Act of Parliament in 1785, and it now receives one per cent on the Poor's Rates from most of the parishes, to which several very handsome benefactions have been added. The sum thus raised is expended in giving pre

miums