We don't have much further on Edward and Margaret. We only assume that Edward senior was now an agricultural labourer and traveled to find employment. We also assume that we find the family in a labourer's cottage somewhere out of the village of Brockenhurst itself. It being deep in forest country, we will add that the family have a large black pig which will trail its equally black piglets around in the autumn. With us as guests, Margaret has out some small beer, cheese and wheat bread.
Wheat is an important local crop and the mainstay of baking.
Most food is made from local produce and home cooking is important particularly when wages decline in the winter. The Hampshire labourer was often accused of indolence. This restricts us in the topics we can discuss. We have to select something that can be dealt with by general knowledge rather than by any insight or broad view of what is happening at the time. We try a question about turnpikes in the hope that we can find out about the toll gate smashing that is becoming increasingly common but are surprised when Edward merely looks bewildered.