Now! Then! Painter Joseph Farington hears of food price inflation at Catterick Bridge

8 September 1801: Painter Joseph Farington hears of food price inflation at Catterick Bridge

Joseph Farington. 1923. The Farington Diary, Vol. 1 (July 13, 1793, to August 24, 1802). Ed. James Greig. London: Hutchinson and Co. Get it:

Excerpt

We left Bedale and went to Catterick Bridge, 7 miles, to breakfast. This is an excellent inn and has been kept by Mr and Mrs Ferguson 25 years. Here we were for the first time since we left London only charged one shilling for breakfast, though we had beef and ham. Yesterday we paid eighteen pence each, and nowhere less than fifteen pence. The neighbourhood of Catterick is filled with gentlemen’s houses. The river Swale runs by the inn, and at Bolton-on-Swale, two miles and half distant, Henry Jenkins was born and lived. He died at the astonishing age of 169. His epitaph is in the church there. Mrs Ferguson spoke of the vast difference in the prices of many articles since she came to Catterick Bridge: Butter, 21 ounces to the pound, was then sold for 6d., now for 18d.; a chicken, then for 4d, now for 16d and 18d.; land lets in this neighbourhood from one guinea to 50 shillings an acre; corn that has been up to one guinea is now sold for 9s. 6d.; mutton 8d½; beef 9d; veal the same.

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To facilitate reading, the spelling and punctuation of elderly excerpts have generally been modernised, and distracting excision scars concealed. My selections, translations, and editions are copyright.

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Original

September 8.—We left Bedale and went to Catterick Bridge, 7 miles, to breakfast. This is an excellent Inn & has been kept by Mr & Mrs Ferguson 25 years.—Here we were for the first time since we left London only charged one shilling for breakfast though we had beef & Ham. Yesterday we paid Eighteen pence each and no where less than fifteen pence. The neighboroud of Catterick is filled with gentlemen’s Houses.—The river Swale runs by the Inn, and at Botton upon Swale, 2 miles & half distant, Henry Jenkins was born and lived. He died at the astonishing age of 169. His epitaph is in the Church there. Mrs Ferguson spoke of the vast difference in the prices of many articles since she came to Catterick Bridge—Butter, 21 ounces to the pound was then sold for 6d—now for 18d.—a chicken then for 4d, now for 16d & 18d.—Land lets in this neighboroud from one guinea to 50 shillings an acre.—Corn that has been up to one guinea is now sold for 9s 6d. Mutton 8d4—Beef 9d Veal the same.

181 words.