The development of an agricultural economy in Royston began with the founding of the Roys Cross Priory in 1184. The Priory included a dairy, brewery, granary and mill along with the domestic and religious buildings. Land was set aside for the pasture of sheep and the growing of crops such as barley.
A Royal Charter granted by King Richard I in 1189 allowed the Priory to hold a weekly market on Wednesdays and a fair during Pentecost week. The Priory regulated the market and collected tolls from those who wished to sell their goods, such as cheese, vegetables, butter, eggs, poultry and grain.
The priory became the catalyst for the development of agriculture and trade in the local area. People travelled from the neighbouring villages as well as towns further afield to visit the market and buy and sell their goods.
By the time of the dissolution of the monastery in 1537 the corn (corn refers to all cereal grains) market had grown to one of the largest in the country and a large malting industry had grown with it. Even Queen Elizabeth I knew of the market. When told trade from Spain may be restricted the Queen remarked: ‘A figge for Spaine so long as Royston Hill afforded such plentie of good malts.’
By the 1600s malting was the main local industry. Small malts, where locals could turn small amounts of barley into malt to be sold on, were running alongside larger scale operations. The arrival of King James with his court had both a positive and negative effect on the malting industry. The court filled the inns in the town and provided a market for the resulting beer but the demand for the use of the town’s horses and wagons for the king’s transport had a devastating effect on the industry.
Wool combing and spinning were popular cottage industries. Sheep were farmed by the Priory and the remains of medieval sheep pens known as the Devil’s Hopscotch, can still be seen on Therfield Heath. By the end of the 18th century, 2500 sheep were being grazed on the Heath each summer. Cattle were herded and farmer’s wives would go to the butter market (under which the Cave was discovered in 1742) to sell the butter and cheese.
Farming practices underwent an enormous amount of change in the 18th century. More efficient farming practices, such as crop rotation, and developments in technology led to a revolution in agriculture.
In the early 1700s, farming was carried out on narrow strips of land rented by farmers from the Lord of the Manor. These farmers were known as tenant farmers. Those who could not afford to rent land had the right to grow crops or raise animals on common land. This changed with the introduction of the Enclosure Act in 1773. Enclosure fenced off land under private ownership and removed the right for common access. Enclosure had a devastating impact on those who could not afford to buy land as their access to common land was removed. Many of these farmers were forced to work as laborers for low wages.
Developments in agricultural machinery such as the introduction of steam driven ploughs and threshing machines in the late 1700s increased efficiency but meant less workers were required to work on the farms. The use of threshing (removing the grain from the stalk) machines to replace manual labour bought the discontent of the labourers to a head. On 28th August 1830, the destruction of a threshing machine in Kent began a series of revolts across the country, known as the Swing Riots. Local damage caused by the riots included £1500 worth of crops destroyed in Guilden Morden, a threshing machine was damaged in Bourne, a large proportion of Ashwell was burnt and the majority of the farmsteads in Bassingbourn were destroyed and a riot occurred at Fowlmere. A fire at Great Shelford led to the arsonist, John Stallan, being hanged after the piece of material which started the fire was found to have come from one of his wife’s dresses.
Throughout this period, Royston Market had continued to thrive. In 1782 the time of the market was changed from 3pm to 11am, allowing the farmers to retire to one of the many pubs and inns in the town for their lunch and to discuss business. The market was held in the current market square and in the yard of the Green Man pub. In 1829 the corn exchange was provided as an indoor market place for the town by Lord Dacre.
In the late 19th century auction yards for Nash, Son and Rowley, and Kennedy’s were built around the corn exchange. Auctions for crops, animals and furniture continued there until the mid 20th century. Farm machinery could be bought from Halsead and Kestells on the other side of Market Hill.
The British Agricultural Revolution
The population of Britain tripled between the mid 1700s to the mid 1800s. At the same time agricultural innovations led to cheaper, more efficient and productive farming techniques.
One of the factors in the revolution was the introduction of the Norfolk Four Course Crop Rotation system by the agriculturalist Charles Townsend. Crop rotation had been in use for some time but had always needed the fields to have a fallow year where no crops were grown. The Norfolk System changed this by introducing clover and turnips to the rotation of wheat and barley. The clover reintroduced important nitrates to the soil and animals could be grazed while it was growing. Turnips provided food for animals in winter so they could be farmed all year round. Previously animals had to be slaughtered each winter as farmers did not have the food to feed them.
Innovations also occurred in farm machinery. Significant developments included Joseph Foljambe’s Rotherham swing plough in 1730, Andrew Rodgers’ winnowing machine in 1737 and Andrew Meikle’s steam powered threshing machine in 1787. These machines were mass produced and had parts which could be replaced if they broke meaning they didn’t have to be completely replaced making them a more affordable investment for farmers. Often they required less manpower to use, which, while cheaper for the farmers, led to many laborers being out of work. The introduction of mechanised threshing was a contributing factor in the Swing Riots in the 1830s.
The Royal Agricultural Society was established in 1842 and led research into soil types and the benefits of different fertilizers. Their findings led to increased crop yields. As the agricultural revolution progressed, food became more accessible and cheaper. The better nutrition led a healthier population and an increase in life expectancy.
Malting
The malting industry thrived in Royston and the surrounding villages. Low alcohol beer was drunk everyday as an efficient way of hydrating and getting calories.
Malting is a vital process in the manufacture of beer. Floor malting was the most common method in the 17th century and continued until the 1850s. Malting contained several steps:
Grain, usually barley, was soaked in water
The wet grain was spread out on the malting floor until it had begun to germinate. The grain was turned by hand using wooden shovels to keep it aerated.
Once germinated, the grain was heated in a kiln to stop the germination process.
The grain would be sent to the brewery to be mashed and turned into beer.
In the late 1800s aerating boxes and turning machines were developed, reducing the amount of manual labour involved.
Wool production
The processing of sheep wool into yarn was an important source of employment for women in the town. Spinning wheels were found in most homes and were often given by the Parish to the needy to help them earn money. In 1770 a girl could expect to earn six pence a day from spinning wool.
Traders would oversee the distribution of wool and would sell the resulting yarn at market where it was transported north by wagon to the newly established mills in the north. Wool combing and grading were also carried out by hand. Experienced sorters would separate fleeces into four grades of wool. The graded and combed wool were also sent north to the mills. Increased industrialisation and improved transport put an end to the cottage wool industry in the mid 19th century.
