The Globe Insurance Company, who in 1797 published a formidable three-volumed work on 'The State of the Poor' and in it gave this example of one of the Duke of Grafton's tenants who lived at Roade: 'Richard Walker was a thirty six year old labourer, married with a daughter of nine, three boys aged seven, six and three, and a one year old baby. His pay as a labourer was £20 a year, but he got breakfast and free beer free. Three of his children went to the lace school, Richard paying for their education and "thread". They earned about 6d a week. Richard was honest and industrious, and by ringing the church bell twice daily he earned another £1. 6s. 0. a year. He also picked up a pound a year as a barber and by digging graves at the Baptist chapel. At harvest the whole family, bar the baby, collected corn worth about £3 10. 0. Thus the total family income was about £27 a year. It is not surprising that there was nothing to spare, for Richard's expenses came to £27. 16. 2. not including fuel at 50/-. His rent, 8/- a year, which shows that he must have been living in a very cottagy cottage, was very low, for most other labourers were paying 1/- a week. However hard Richard Walker and his family worked there was never a penny over for a frippery or a celebration of any kind.'
The same conditions applied more or less to all labourers working for the dukes, the earls and other landowners in our area. But had Richard Walker died, whilst his widow might have had a small pension from the Duke, all she would have been entitled to was half a crown a week from the overseers of the poor and a shilling per week for each child.
