A journalistic view of the Rhayader district from 1843
I wonder how accurate a description it was? Stuffing rags or turf in a window opening doesn't sound very likely. I know there was something similar in the Blue Books, turf walls, leaking roofs, dung heaps, but I do wonder if there is a degree of culture shock behind these viewpoints. Surely the Radnorshire housewife would have demanded as much comfort as possible in her hovel, a dry roof at least. While the dung/compost heap against the wall sounds like a good source of heat. I'm surprised that the councils haven't made it compulsory.
4 comments:
perhaps following http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Speenhamland_system. But frankly , I can't bear to read it, literally.
This looks very interesting, but I agree with the previous comment that it's rather difficult to read. Would it be possible to have a higher resolution scan, please Radnorian?
I don't feel that the hardship described has been exagerated. We're within a year of the Great Famine in Ireland, when the production of meat and grain was at its height, but the poor tenant farmer depended for his own nutrition entirely on potatoes. And the disatrous consequences of this had, of course, more to do with colonialism than plant pathology.
This might be a little better, click to enlarge.
Thanks!
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