chattels of Peter Birket, late of Borrands," taken after his decease in 1661, will furnish a pretty accurate idea of the monetary worth of certain articles of farming stock at that time:—"One outshoote of hay, £1 6s. 8d.; one stack of hay without dores, 10s.; one scaffold of hay, 10s.; one mare and one colt, £3; five geese, 4s.; 13 sheepe, £3; one cock and five hens, 2s.; one calfe, 10s.; two heiffers, £3; one heiffer, £2; one cow, £2 10s.; another cow, £3 10s." Whether this gentleman was a fair representative of his class or not we are unable to say, but if so, the small farmers of Lancashire, to whom he appears to have belonged, were not over indulgent in articles of dress or comfort, for the whole of his wearing apparel was valued at no more than £1, whilst his bedding realised only 5s.
In 1725 the Lancashire justices arranged and ordered that the rate of wages in all parts of this county should be:—
A bailiff in husbandry,
or chief hind £6 0s. 0d. per year, with board.
A chief servant in husbandry,
able to mow or sow 5 0 0 " "
A common servant in husbandry
of 24 years of age and upwards 4 0 0 " "
A man servant from 20
to 24 years of age 3 10 0 " "
A man servant from 16
to 20 years of age 2 10 0 " "
The best woman servant,
able to cook 2 10 0 " "
Dairy man, or lower servant 2 0 0 " "
Woman servant under
16 years of age 1 10 0 " "
The best of millers 5 0 0 " "
They also appointed the hours of labour for those hired by the day to be, between the middle of March and the middle of September, from five in the morning until half-past seven in the evening, and during the remainder of the year from sunrise to sunset, resting half-an-hour at breakfast, an hour at dinner, and half-an-hour at "drinking," as the meal corresponding to our "tea" was termed. "In the summer half," added the magisterial mandate, "the labourers may sleep each day half-an-hour; else for every hour's absence to defaulk a penny; and every Saturday afternoon or eve of a holiday, that they cease to work, is to be accounted but half a day." The day wages, as fixed by the same authorities, were:—
The best kind of husbandry labourer 12d. without, and 6d. with board.
An ordinary labourer 10d. " and 5d. "
A male haymaker 10d. " and 6d. "
