288 ON THE PRICE OF LABOUR. 



rarely do, we should trace the labourers among the occupiers of 

 the manor. 



The money wages were, however, the least part of the re- 

 muneration which the regular farm servants received. They 

 were also paid an allowance of grain at various intervals. 

 Thus the bailiff might be paid a quarter every six or eight 

 weeks, the ploughman every nine or ten weeks, the carter at 

 the same rate, the driver every ten or twelve weeks, the shep- 

 herd at the same rate, the daye every twelve or fourteen weeks, 

 the cowherd and pig-keeper every fourteen or sixteen weeks. 

 The grain served out was generally wheat, not always the best, 

 but cursal or scurril corn, such, perhaps, as Hampshire people 

 call tailings. One of the complaints made by the villains of 

 1381 is that their allowances are in inferior wheat. 



In the account given from Cuxham, vol. ii. pp. 626-7, we 

 have a statement of the allowances served out to the hands kept 

 regularly on the farm. It will be remembered that this is one 

 year of that severe famine which prevailed with little allevia- 

 tion during the years 1314-1322, and that therefore the farm 

 allowance could hardly have been of the best quality. Nine- 

 teen quarters five bushels of scurril wheat, nine quarters six 

 bushels of drage, and ten quarters six bushels of peas are mixed 

 for the c livery' of the servants. The carter and four ploughmen 

 each get a quarter every ten weeks. The shepherd, who is 

 engaged in keeping other persons' sheep for some time, receives 

 three quarters two bushels, that is, a quarter every sixteen 

 weeks. The cowherd gets a quarter every fourteen weeks. 

 The daye gets a quarter every fourteen weeks, but as she is 

 kept for a month in harvest-time, the allowance is given for 

 48 weeks only. The pigherd, who seems to keep all the pigs in 

 the village, receives only fourteen bushels, cc as there were few 

 pigs in the place." We may conclude that he took charge of all 

 that were suffered to range at stated times in the fields and 

 woods. Six bushels are allowed for the annual keep of a dog, 

 probably the shepherd's. 



But beside these allowances, three bushels of best wheat are 



