£. s. d.
25 0 0 10o Maij, 1631.
300 0 0 eod die.
100 0 0 xjo Maij, 1631.
400 0 0 xiijo Maij, 1631.
175 0 0 xxiijio Maij, 1631.
400 0 0 xxviijo Maij, 1631.
132 0 0 23tio Julij, 1631.
450 0 0 2do Nov., 1631.
80 0 0 22do Dec., 1631.
121 0 0 14 Junij, 1632.
---------
2183"
SLAUGHTER OF DOGS AND CATS.
The onslaught made on dogs found in the streets of Worcester, when the
cholera was expected three or four years ago, suggests an extract from
history bearing on the point. In the Droitwich records, the bailiff's
accounts for the year 1637, a time of great pestilence, contain the
following among other entries:
s. d.
"To Wm. Watkins for burienge of doggs and katts in
the sicknesse time 5 0
To Wm. Harris for mendinge his gunn to kill doggs Aug. 26. 0 18
To Ed. Turke for killing two katts 0 4"
In the parochial records of the city of Westminster for the year 1603
mention is made of one person having "massacred the amazing number of
500 dogs;" and in 1605, 83 others. Thus it seemed the practice of
making a hecatomb of dogs and cats on these sad occasions. Can any one
explain the reason of this? Was it that these animals were deemed to
be peculiarly obnoxious to the pestilence, and that it was contagious?
Similar practices prevailed in ancient times: we read in the "Iliad"--
"On mules and dogs the infection first began;
At last the vengeful arrows fix'd on man--
For nine long days throughout the dusky air,
The pyres, thick flaming, shot a dismal glare."
TRACES OF THE STUARTS IN WORCESTERSHIRE.
The following notes contain a few historical facts, either not fully
related, or omitted altogether in the local histories, relative to the
progresses of Charles I and his son through this county during the
Civil Wars:
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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