ON THE PRICE OF BUILDING MATERIALS, ETC. 465 



at Ormesby cost ^d. in 1423, thirty-nine small ones at Dartford 

 in 1540, %d. each, and three at London in 1579, ^- each. The 

 hammers used at York must have been very heavy, and could 

 have been not less than from twenty to thirty pounds weight, 

 perhaps much more, the price of wrought iron ranging at this 

 time from 143. to Ss. 8d., and that of such iron as would be used 

 for hammers being at the lower rate. 



Three nippers are bought at London in 1579 at a s. Sixty 

 packneedles, probably for trussing wool, cost %d. in 1486. 

 Needles, if one can introduce them here, were bought at a 

 halfpenny at Ormesby in 1451, most likely for sewing sails, 

 as Ormesby was part of Fastolfe's estate, and supplied the barley 

 and malt in which this retired captain traded. Needles are 

 bought at $d. the hundred at Sion in 1496, at 3.$-. ^d. the hun- 

 dred for sail-making at London in 1561 and 1562, and at $d. 

 and 6d. the dozen in 1569. In 1573 several kinds are bought 

 for the dockyard : twenty dozen sail needles at 6d., and eight 

 dozen at $d. ; six dozen square needles at 6d., and three dozen 

 at 2s. ; three dozen steel of the best sort at 35-., and three dozen 

 Holland needles at is. %d. ; thirteen dozen best sail needles at 

 2s., thirty-nine dozen at T s. &/., and eight dozen, described as 

 great, at is. 6d. In 1578 three dozen small needles are bought 

 in Woolwich at %d. 



In 1521 two paring irons are bought at St. Osyth at 4^.; in 

 1486, six percers in Cambridge at 8d. ; in 1401, a pair of iron 

 pincers at Heghtredebury at 4^., and in 1579 six in London 

 at 6d. 



Two saws are bought by the Radcliffe bailiff in 1406 at 7<f., 

 a new saw in 1457 at York for is. id., a handsaw at Stamford 

 in 1501 for is. $d., two in 1562 at is., and eleven in 1574 at 

 25^., twelve for the navy in 1548 at is., and two long saws in 

 London in 1555 at 2s. 6d. It is not easy to distinguish 

 these articles or their use. In 1437 the buildings at All Souls' 

 led to the purchase of four stone saws at 3,$-. 8d. each, and a 

 whetstone for the masons' tools which cost is. ^d. In 1552 a 

 stone saw six feet and twelve 'pollices' long was bought for 



VOL. IV. H h 



