Note 742 — APPENDIX V.

Badgers, kidders and broggers were all names applied to dealers, especially to dealers in corn and other provisions. By the 5 and 6 Edw. VI. c. 14 badgers and kidders or kyddiers licensed by three justices were exempted from the penalties attached to forestallers and regrators; no one not so licensed might buy corn to sell again. In a statute of Elizabeth (5 Eliz. c. 12) they are again mentioned and the conditions of their license were made more stringent; no one was to be licensed unless he were a resident householder and the licensed dealer had to place security with the Clerk of the Peace that he would not forestall or engross corn. The words "badger" and "kidder" continued to be used in the licenses granted to corndealers as late as the eighteenth century. The word "brogger" does not occur so frequently. Murray states that it is apparently an unexplained corruption of broker, and he quotes Stow's Survey (1754), II. V. XV. "They were called Broggers in a statute of Richard II.—none to be Brocars in any mystery unless chosen by the same mystery." See also 25 Hen. VIII. c. 1, where the word is applied to a seller of meat.