Account Books

Here are the first two pages from Roderick Roderick’s account book of 1838, now in the National Library of Wales in Aberystwyth.

Things to note:

• The toll-payments (see ‘gate’) vary hugely.  The cost of taking an ox through a turnpike was a universal charge of one halfpenny, i.e. 24 beasts to the shilling.  At Llanfair-ar-y-bryn (third entry) Roderick paid 6s 2d (148 beasts); at Rhydspence (just above the tear in the page) he paid only 3s 5d, for 82 beasts.  So stock was continually being bought and sold during the journey.
• ‘Cuse & nailes’, meaning cow-shoes (see Background History - Expenses).  A stock of these were kept, because plates would fall off during the journey.  They were wrapped in bacon fat to stop the rust, and a blacksmith was hired - it wasn't a DIY job.
• The amount of beer consumed may seem alarming, but we are talking of 'sea-beer' (as given to sailors), only one and a half percent alcohol.   This was cheaper than drinkable water.
• The high cost of grass, considering the owner of the field benefited from the manure.
• The route: Rhydspence Inn (shoeing station near Hay-on-Wye, just above the tear in the page) - Hereford - Ledbury - Moreton-in-Marsh ("Morton") - Buckingham - Leighton Buzzard ("Lighton") - Watford - Billericay.  There he received £5 from a Mrs B. Davis and paid off the boys and himself.