The History of Bread: From Pre-historic to Modern Times

Name: The History of Bread: From Pre-historic to Modern Times
Author: Ashton, John

Ashton, John

Bread -- History

Apelderham, Sussex.—John Aylemer holds by court roll one messuage and
one yard [thirty acres] land.... And he ought to find at three reap
days, in autumn, every day, two men, and was to have for each of the
said men, on every of such reap days, viz., on each of the two first
days, one loaf of wheat and barley mixed, weighing eighteen pounds of
wax, every loaf to be of the price of a penny farthing; and at the
third reap day each man was to have a loaf of the same weight, all of
wheat, of the price of a penny halfpenny.

Chakedon, Oxon.—Every mower on this manor was to have a loaf of the
price of a halfpenny, besides other things.

Glastonbury, Somerset.—In the thirty-third year of Edward I., William
Pasturell held twelve ox-gangs of land there from the abbot, by service
of finding a cook in the kitchen of the said abbot and a baker for the
bakehouse.

Hallaton, Leicester.—A piece of land was bequeathed to the use and
advantage of the rector, who was there to provide ‘two hare pies, a
quantity of ale, and two dozen of penny loaves, to be scrambled for on
Easter Monday annually.’

Lenneston or Loston, Devon.—Geoffrey de Alba-Marlia held this hamlet of
the King, rendering therefore to the King, as often as he should hunt
in the Forest of Dartmoor, one loaf of oat bread of the value of half a
farthing, and three barbed arrows, feathered with peacock’s feathers,
and fixed in the aforesaid loaf.

Liston, Essex.—In the forty-first year of Edward III., Nan, the wife
of William Leston, held the manor of Overhall, in this parish, by the
service of paying for, bringing in, and placing of five wafers before
the King, as he sits at dinner, upon the day of his coronation.

Twickenham, Middlesex.—There was an ancient custom here of dividing
two great cakes in the church among the young people on Easter Day;
but, it being looked upon as a superstitious relic, it was ordered by
Parliament, in 1645, that the parishioners should forbear that custom,
and instead thereof buy loaves of bread for the poor of the parish
with the money that should have bought the cakes. It is probable that
the cakes were bought at the vicar’s expense; for it appears that the
sum of one pound per annum is still charged upon the vicarage for the
purpose of buying penny loaves for poor children on the Thursday before
Easter. Within the memory of man they were thrown from the church
steeple to be scrambled for.

Wells, Dorset.—Richard de Wells held this manor ever since the Conquest
by the service of being baker to our Lord the King.

Witham, Essex.—By an inquisition made in the reign of Henry III., it
appears that one Geoffrey de Lyston held land at Witham by the service
of carrying flour to make wafers on the King’s birthday, whenever his
Majesty was in the Kingdom.

Of bread, as given away in charity or by dole, the examples in England
are almost numberless; still a few somewhat redeemed from common place,
and extracted from the Report on Charities, may interest the reader.[19]

Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.

Opening the text

The History of Bread: From Pre-historic to Modern TimesAshton, John

History

The History of Bread: From Pre-historic to Modern Times

Ashton, John

Bread -- History

Apelderham, Sussex.—John Aylemer holds by court roll one messuage and
one yard [thirty acres] land.... And he ought to find at three reap
days, in autumn, every day, two men, and was to have for each of the
said men, on every of such reap days, viz., on each of the two first
days, one loaf of wheat and barley mixed, weighing eighteen pounds of
wax, every loaf to be of the price of a penny farthing; and at the
third reap day each man was to have a loaf of the same weight, all of
wheat, of the price of a penny halfpenny.

Chakedon, Oxon.—Every mower on this manor was to have a loaf of the
price of a halfpenny, besides other things.

Glastonbury, Somerset.—In the thirty-third year of Edward I., William
Pasturell held twelve ox-gangs of land there from the abbot, by service
of finding a cook in the kitchen of the said abbot and a baker for the
bakehouse.

Hallaton, Leicester.—A piece of land was bequeathed to the use and
advantage of the rector, who was there to provide ‘two hare pies, a
quantity of ale, and two dozen of penny loaves, to be scrambled for on
Easter Monday annually.’

Lenneston or Loston, Devon.—Geoffrey de Alba-Marlia held this hamlet of
the King, rendering therefore to the King, as often as he should hunt
in the Forest of Dartmoor, one loaf of oat bread of the value of half a
farthing, and three barbed arrows, feathered with peacock’s feathers,
and fixed in the aforesaid loaf.

Liston, Essex.—In the forty-first year of Edward III., Nan, the wife
of William Leston, held the manor of Overhall, in this parish, by the
service of paying for, bringing in, and placing of five wafers before
the King, as he sits at dinner, upon the day of his coronation.

Twickenham, Middlesex.—There was an ancient custom here of dividing
two great cakes in the church among the young people on Easter Day;
but, it being looked upon as a superstitious relic, it was ordered by
Parliament, in 1645, that the parishioners should forbear that custom,
and instead thereof buy loaves of bread for the poor of the parish
with the money that should have bought the cakes. It is probable that
the cakes were bought at the vicar’s expense; for it appears that the
sum of one pound per annum is still charged upon the vicarage for the
purpose of buying penny loaves for poor children on the Thursday before
Easter. Within the memory of man they were thrown from the church
steeple to be scrambled for.

Wells, Dorset.—Richard de Wells held this manor ever since the Conquest
by the service of being baker to our Lord the King.

Witham, Essex.—By an inquisition made in the reign of Henry III., it
appears that one Geoffrey de Lyston held land at Witham by the service
of carrying flour to make wafers on the King’s birthday, whenever his
Majesty was in the Kingdom.

Of bread, as given away in charity or by dole, the examples in England
are almost numberless; still a few somewhat redeemed from common place,
and extracted from the Report on Charities, may interest the reader.[19]

Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.

The History of Bread: From Pre-historic to Modern Times

The History of Bread: From Pre-historic to Modern Times

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