Wool And Wine

        Circumstances surrounding the family frequently influence the activities of the day. For over 100 years my Jones surname ancestors seem to keep their activities in one general area of the earth. [See posts of August 28, September 10, July 29 and, most recently 2nd September.]

       Having managed life on both sides of Offa's Dyke for many generations, wool and cattle, along with lead and salt, seemed some of the activities that kept the home fires burning. Llwyn-Ynn was the grazing side of the fence and, Llwyn-Onn was the get things ready for the world that would continue to need such items.

       Seward in his book states in the 1330s that England was, "...a poor little country whose wealth was its wool" (p.25). On page 31 he goes on to state, "The Flemish were the cloth-makers of Europe and depended on English wool".  At the same time, he notes that Bordeaux "...owed its prosperity to the English connection..." and that, "...wine flowed into England in such quantities as to make it cheap for all save the poorest..." (p. 23). It would certainly seem like a few pints might be a good idea after the Black Death! Wool for wine, who would have thought such a thing to keep folks going along the branches of the family tree? " Wool and Wine"... it was!    

       For Desmond Seward's book, see post August 3, 2023 and February 5, 2023.  A map on page 265 shows the geographic location of Bordeaux (France) and its relationship to England. It was considered an English possession in 1337.