SOCIAL AND ECONOMIC HISTORY 



Altogether the rules of the manor of Mansfield suggest, as compared 

 with those of Southwell and Gringley, an active and thriving little community 

 in which the accumulation of wealth is to be anticipated. Such an accumu- 

 lation may have been less probable in the more servile communities : but 

 the impression of prosperity is on the whole confirmed by a consideration of 

 wages, which seem to have been fairly up to the average of the time. 



As regards agricultural wages, indeed, there seems to have been a slight 

 depression, though it is difficult to speak with certainty, as the local variations 

 were great. In Gringley * 6 about 1297 a free tenant's ploughing was reckoned 

 at 3*/., and a bondar's at 2<J. a day ; both received four loaves daily. Ploughing 

 half an acre was reckoned at \d. At Laxton,* 7 a few years earlier, a day's 

 ploughing was rated at id. and food : while at Wheatley, in the reign of 

 Edward II, the use of the large eight-oxen plough for one day was reckoned 

 at 8</., and the ploughing of an acre at about is. Harrowing at both 

 Gringley and Wheatley was usually reckoned at id', a day ; sometimes food 

 was given and sometimes not. Mowing was reckoned at 2</., and haymaking 

 at id. or \\d. a day. Reaping at harvest was reckoned at \\d. and food, and 

 general harvest work at 2.\d. and two loaves. These figures appear to be a 

 little below those given for the same period by Thorold Rogers. 48 



As regards agricultural produce, the information obtainable is too slight 

 to base any generalization on it. What indications do appear, however, 

 suggest that it was fairly cheap. At Gotham, indeed, 49 about 1275 a quarter 

 of wheat was sold for 6s. %d. and a quarter of barley for 5^., prices rather 

 above than below the average ; at Mansfield at about the same time barley 

 was apparently expected to be about 2od. and oats about u. 6<r/. 50 Similarly 

 about sixty years later at Winkburn 51 corn was about 3^. and malt 2s. ; 

 malt at Gringley 5 " in 1297 was ls - ^- Hens appear to have averaged 

 about id. each ; all which prices are considerably below the averages given 

 by Thorold Rogers at similar times. 



Respecting the great agricultural product of wool, there is no very 

 definite information during the I3th century, but it must have been important, 

 and the trade through Nottinghamshire in it must have been great, since in 

 1340 a tax was levied on all wool according to the price which it commanded 

 in Nottingham market. Nottinghamshire wool itself was about 5 a sack, 

 increasing in 1343 to about 7 ; in both cases the price was a little below 

 the average. 53 



This lowness of agricultural wages and prices alike may have been simply 

 due to the abundance both of produce and of labour. This idea is supported 

 by the results of the Inquisitiones nonarum in 1291 : the value of the ninth 

 sheep, lamb and fleece in Nottinghamshire (exclusive of Nottingham town) 

 was nearly 15,000. Proportionally to the size of Nottinghamshire this was 

 considerably above the sums levied in many of the Midland counties, the 

 county town payments being excluded. 



That agricultural labour was the chief industry in the county is also 

 suggested by the high wages of mechanics and artisans, if these high wages 



16 Rentals and Surv. R. 536, 25 Edw. I. 



" Inq. p.m. 15 Edw. I, C, file 48, no. 5 ; 17 Edw. I, C, file 54, no. 6. 



48 Thorold Rogers, Hist, of Agrlc. and Prices, \, 320-2. * 9 Inq. p.m. 3 Edw. I, C, file 9, no. 6. 



60 Harrod, Hist, of Mansfield, 59. " Larking, Knights Hospitallers in Engl. (Camd. See ), 1 15 



" Rentals and Surv. R. 536, 25 Edw. I. M Par/. R. (Rec. Com.), ii, 120-1, 138. 



271 



