But in 1801 the same articles cost him: 

s. d.

A bushel of wheat 16 0
" malt 9 0
1 lb. of butter 1 0
1 lb. of cheese 4
Tobacco 1
--------
L1 6 5
========

His wages were now 9s., and his allowance from the rates 6s., so that there was a deficiency of 11s. 5d.

The increase in the cost of living in the last thirty years is further illustrated by the following table: 

1773.       1793.       1799.       1800. 
L  s. d.     L  s. d.     L  s. d.     L  s. d.

Coomb of malt          12  0     1  3  0     1  3  0     2  0  0
Chaldron of coals    1 11  6     2  0  6     2  6  0     2 11  0
Coomb of oats           5  0       13  0       16  0     1  1  0
Load of hay          2  2  0     4 10  0     5  5  0     7  0  0
Meat, per lb.              4           5           7           9
Butter,  "                 6          11          11        1  4
Loaf sugar, per lb.        8        1  0        1  3        1  4
Poor rates, in the L    1  0        2  6        3  0        5  0

It was again proposed by Mr. Whitbread in the House of Commons that wages should be regulated by the price of provisions, and a minimum wage fixed; but there was enough sense in the House to reject this return to obsolete methods.

After March, 1801, prices commenced to fall, owing to a favourable season and the reopening of the Baltic ports, which allowed imports to come in more freely, for most of our foreign corn at this time came from Germany and Denmark.  At the end of the year wheat averaged 75s. 6d., and with fair seasons it came down in the beginning of 1804 to 49s. 6d.  Beef at Smithfield was from 4s. to 5s. 4d. a stone, mutton from 4s. to 4s. 6d.[530] This great drop in prices was accompanied by an increase in wages, the labourer from 1804 to 1810 getting on an average 12s. a week[531]; the cost of implements rose, so did the rate of interest, and the cry of agricultural distress in 1804 was heard everywhere.  More protection was demanded by those interested in the land, and accordingly a duty of 24s. 3d. was imposed when the price was 63s. or under; a bounty was paid on export when it was 40s. or under; and wheat might be exported without bounty up to 54s.

However, 1804 was a very deficient harvest, owing to blight and mildew, and by the end of the year wheat was 86s. 2d.  The harvests till 1808 were not as bad as that of 1804, but not good enough to lower the prices.  Also, owing to the Berlin and Milan Decrees of Napoleon and the Non-intercourse Act of the United States of America, imports were restricted so that at the end of 1808 wheat was 92s.  In this year the exports of wheat exceeded the imports, but it was due to the requirements of our army in Spain; and 1789 was the last year when exports were greater under normal circumstances.[532] 1809 was a bad harvest, so was 1810; in the former rot being very prevalent among sheep; and by August, 1810, hay was L11 a load and wheat 116s., only large imports (1,567,126 quarters) preventing a famine.  Down wool was 2s. 1d. per lb., beef and mutton 8-1/2d., cheese 8d.[533]