Thus in December 1630 in four of the hundreds of Essex arrangements were made for supplying the people with corn at home. The chief inhabitants "of theire owne accords" laid in a store for the poor allowing 7_d._, 18_d._ or 2_s._ the bushel and giving an equivalent amount in money to those that did not bake their own bread[444]. Next month we hear that this plan had been adopted in most of the shire; every parish had its store and the poor were served at 18_d._ and 2_s._ a bushel under the usual price. Sometimes when grain was scarce, bread and money were given instead. Our informant states that this provision of corn for the poor at cheap rates had had a considerable effect in lowering the price of grain[445]. From every hundred of Norfolk a report of the state of the corn supply of the poor was received, and some arrangement of this kind is usually reported. In some hundreds two degrees of poverty were recognised. The very poor only paid half-a-crown a bushel for their barley, but "the labourers y^t had nott so much neede" were served at three shillings[446]. [444] The hundreds of Dunmow, Uttlesford, Freshwell and Clavering. _D. S. P._, Chas. I., Vol. 177, 43. [445] Jan. 7th, 1631. _Dom. State Papers_, Chas. I., Vol. 182, 20. [446] Hundred of South Greenhoe and half hundreds of Grimshoe and Wayland. Rye was also sold to the very poor at 3_s._ 4_d._ and to the poor at 4_s._ May 1631, _Dom. S. P._, Chas. I., Vol. 191, No. 78. Other stores in Norfolk are reported as follows: i. At Blofield, Walsham and Taverham barley was sold to the poor for 2_s._ 6_d._ rye at 3_s._ 4_d._, and buck for 20_d._: all far under the market rate, Vol. 186, 16, Vol. 190, 20. ii. West Flegg, East Flegg, Happing and Tunstead a sufficient quantity of barley and buck "for the most part in euery towne throughout all the sayd hundreds is set aside to be issued to ye poore at a reasonable rate." Vol. 192, 19, (_D. S. P._, Chas. I.). iii. In Earsham, Diss, Deepwade and Henstead corn was provided for the labourers in every parish. _D. S. P._, Chas. I., Vol. 191, 79, Vol. 186, 16. iv. A like arrangement was made in Forehoe, Mitford and Humbleyard, Vol. 190, 8. In this county therefore the store for the poor was probably generally adopted all over the county. This plan does not seem to have been general in Yorkshire, but it was adopted by at least eight hundreds[447]. There are moreover many examples of stores of this kind in Hertfordshire and some in every Eastern county except Northumberland and Lincolnshire[448]. The fact that special mention is made of poor labourers shows that relief was not confined to the disabled or to paupers. It was given in the eastern counties more than in the western probably because the scarcity was more felt in the east and the poor were in greater distress[449]. [447] Eight hundreds of York, Vol. 177, 31. See App. XI.