The Corn Survey of the Hinkford Hundred, commissioned by Henry VIII: December 1527

This survey of the sixteenth century was prepared for the Crown to facilitate decision-making and resource (re)allocation by the the Corn Commissions instituted to cope with the East Anglian Famine of 1527–1528. The survey of the Hinkford Hundred of Essex, made by William Clopton for Hinckford in Essex in 1527, assumed that six persons needed one bushel (or strike) of breadcorn and one and a half bushels of drinkcorn per week. Note that DrinkCorn is barley. Beer was considered a very important source of nourishment. myxtelon is 'maslin', a mixture of different sorts of grain, such as wheat and rye. The servery is valuable for giving some idea of the population of the various parishes.For example, even then, Brundon was  tiny, with only nineteen inhabitants, which would probably be at the mill and hall.

Essex, hundred of Hynkford.

The certificate of all the corn sold and unsold in all the towns underwritten within the hundred of Hynkford, in the county of Essex, searched and viewed by Will. Clopton, Esq., one of the commissioners of our sovereign lord the King, over and above the allowance and sufficient sidd (seed) of barley, pease and oats and harres to sow the lands of every husbandman there this next seed time to be sown, as nigh as all the same corns could or might be by me extemyned and numbered; with the number of people inhabitants that are to be found and sustained within every of the said towns undernamed. The same view and search beginning the 15th day of December, in the 19th year of the reign of our sovereign lord King Henry the 8th, in manner and form as hereafter ensuingly doth appear.

• Belchamp Otton:—In men, women, and children, 113. In wheat, "myxtelon," and rye, 26 qrs. 3 bush.; barley and malt, 196 qrs. 2 bush.; pease, oats, and "harres," 63 qrs. 5 bush. Accounted to serve and sustain the said number of people in bread corn, after the rate of a bushel for every 6 persons a week during the space of 38 weeks, that is to say, from the 15th day of December to the Nativity of Our Lady next coming, 88 qrs. 3 bush. Accounted likewise to sustain the people in drink corn, after the rate of a bushel and a half to every 6 persons for a week, for the same time, 112 qrs. Thus there is a lack of bread corn for the town of 62 qrs.; of drink corn a surplusage of 84 qrs. 2 bush. Sum of the surplusage in pease, oats, and "harres," 63 qrs. 5 bush.
• Brondon:—Inhabitants, 19. In wheat, &c., 15 qrs.; in barley, &c., 50 qrs. Bread corn allowed for the inhabitants, 15 qrs. 1 peck; drink corn, 22 qrs. 4½ bush. And so there lacketh, of bread corn, 1 peck. In surplusage, of drink corn, 27 qrs. 3½ bush.
• Belcham St. Paul:—Inhabitants, 131. Wheat, &c., 16 qrs. 2 bush.; barley, &c., 41 qrs.; pease, 10 qrs. 5 bush. Bread corn for the inhabitants, 103 qrs. 5 bush. 1 peck; drink corn, 134 qrs. 4 bush. Lacketh in bread corn, 77 qrs. 3 bush. 1 peck; and in drink corn, 113 qrs. 4 bush.
• Borley:—Inhabitants, 104. Wheat, &c., 19 qrs.; barley, &c., 60 qrs. Bread corn allowed, 82 qrs. 4 bush. 1 peck; drink corn, 103 qrs. 2 bush. Lacketh, in bread corn, 63 qrs. 3 bush. 1 peck; and in drink corn, 63 qrs. 2 bush.
• Belchamp William:—Inhabitants, 106. Wheat, &c., 24 qrs. 4 bush.; barley, &c., 123 qrs.; pease, &c., 13 qrs. 6 bush. Bread corn allowed, 83 qrs. 5 bush. 1 peck; in drink corn, 105 qrs. 4 bush. Lacketh, in bread corn, 59 qrs. 1 bush. 1 peck; and in drink corn, 18 qrs. 2 bush. Surplusage in pease, &c., 13 qrs. 6 bush.
• Pentlow:—Inhabitants, 84. Wheat, &c., 19 qrs.; barley, &c., 40 qrs.; pease, &c., 7 qrs. Bread corn allowed, 67 qrs. 1 peck; drink corn, 112 qrs. Lacketh, in bread corn, 48 qrs.; and in drink corn, 72 qrs. In surplusage of pease, &c., 7 qrs.
• Foxherth.:—Inhabitants, 126. Wheat, &c., 20 qrs.; barley, &c., 110 qrs.; pease, 10 qrs. Bread corn allowed, 99 qrs. 3½ bush.; drink corn, 126 qrs. 4 bush. Lacketh, bread corn, 89 qrs. 3 bush. 1 peck; of drink corn, 86 qrs. 4 bush. In surplusage of pease, 10 qrs.
• Lyston:—Inhabitants, 60. Wheat, &c., 15 qrs.; barley, &c., 40 qrs. Bread corn, allowed, 47½ qrs.; drink corn, 70 qrs. 3 bush. Lacketh, bread corn, 52½ qrs.; and in drink corn, 30 qrs. 3 bush.
• Balydon:—Inhabitants, 223. Wheat, &c., 15 qrs.; barley, &c., 87 qrs.; pease, 16 qrs. Bread corn allowed, 153 qrs. 4 bush. 3 pecks; drink corn, 220 qrs. 6½ bush. Lacketh, bread corn, 138 qrs. 4 bush. 3 pecks; and in drink corn, 153 qrs. 6½ bush. In surplusage of pease, 16 qrs.
• Medilton:—Inhabitants, 89. Wheat, &c., 9½ qrs.; barley, &c., 74 qrs.; pease, 3 qrs. Bread corn allowed, 71 qrs. 1 peck; drink corn, 117 qrs. Lacketh, of bread corn, 61½ qrs. 1 peck; and drink corn, 43 qrs. In surplusage of pease, 3 qrs.
• Sum total:—Inhabitants, 1,055. Bread corn, 119 qrs. 5 bush.; drink corn, 732 qrs. Lack of bread corn, 572 qrs. 1 bush, 2 pecks; and of drink corn, 451 qrs. 7 bush. Total of pease, &c., 112 qrs. 5 bush. 

Signed: Wyllyam Cloptun.

from the Corn Survey. Henry VIII: December 1527, 11-20 Letters and Papers, Foreign and Domestic, Henry VIII, Volume 4, 1524-1530 - thanks to a transcription from British History Online