Old Hampshire Mapped
Cobbett's Hampshire
Transcription (52)Stoke Charity
rents
Winchester
Hinton Bailey, Mr
taxes
Looking, now, back again, for a minute, to the little village of Stoke-Charity, the name of which seems to indicate, that its rents formerly belonged wholly to the poor and indigent part of the community. It is near to Winchester, that grand scene of ancient learning, piety and munificence. Be this as it may, the parish formerly contained ten farms, and it now contains but two, which are owned by Mr. Hinton Bailey and his nephew, and, therefore, which may probably become one. There used to be ten well-fed families in this parish, at any rate: these, taking five to a family, made fifty well-fed people. And, now, all are half-starved, except the curate and the two families. The blame is not the land-owner's; it is nobody's; it is due to the infernal funding and taxing system, which of necessity drives property into large masses in order to save itself; which crushes little proprietors down into labourers; and which presses them down in that state, there takes their wages from them and makes them paupers, their share of food and raiment being taken away to support debt and dead-weight and army and all the rest of the enormous expenses, which are required to sustain this intolerable system. ...
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