Wigan Album

If this invoice was lost it would cause a stink!. Sorry I couldn't resist.

Just noticed, it says BOUGHT OF instead of BOUGHT OFF

Ron Hunt, bought of is correct in this instance, today we would say bought from but this was 1869.

Where there's muck there's money! A very worthy sentiment!

Love these old bits of paper ,Ron.Bought of was the correct business term.Expensive bit of muck though!

£1 10/- in 1869, is today equivalent to:

£117.00 using the retail price index

£794.00 using average earnings.

Which does seem very expensive.

The conversions come from here:

http://www.measuringworth.com/ppoweruk/

The term manufacturer does not apply to manure or muck and the price seems extortionate. Possibly the "manure" was a manufactured fertiliser, suitable for potatoes

Advertisement from the Kendal Times of 1869:

ESTABLISHED 1846. ABRAHAM LLOYD.
Manufacturer of CONCENTRATED BLOOD AND BONE MANURES,
For Grass, Clover, Wheat, Barley, Oats, Potatoes, Mangolds, Turnips, &c.

PHOSPHO PERUVIAN GUANO, Superphosphate of Lime, Raw and Boiled Ground Bones.

Standish Lower Ground near Wigan.

Sole Agent: MR. GEORGE JOHNSON, KENDAL,
of whom all particulars may be had, and all orders entrusted to him will be punctually attended to.

From this it may be that Sir George Musgrave of Eden Hall had expensive tastes - this was no pile of steaming manure from the fields - this was the real thing - the product of centuries of birds' droppings in far away Peru. No wonder it cost a bomb.

I wonder if it payed for itself, in terms of the increase obtained in potato yield. I have never found them to be particularly responsive, but no doubt that varies between different growing conditions.

Thanks Rev David.for your observations. In farming terms it was " Bag-Muck"