508 ON THE PRICE OF LABOUR. 



day between 1418 and 1535 give an average of 6\d.> one 

 of the entries in 1442 being taken from London. Four entries 

 after 1540 give \v\d. Eleven entries of plasterer's work by the 

 day give an average between 1404 and 1532 of nearly $\d. 3 six 

 in the latter part of the period an average of nearly iid. Three 

 entries of painter's work give 6d., twelve of the dauber's (many 

 of the entries coming from London) give 6\d. between 1417 

 and 1534, one afterwards %d. The wheelwright gets ^d. in 

 1405, 6d. in 1437, and is. in 1581 ; the lathmaker $\d. between 

 1421 and 1505, \Qd. in 1582 ; the pavior 7^. in 1427, io\d. in 

 1575 ; the goldsmith 6d. in 1519. 



Some work is paid by the piece. Twenty entries of laying 

 tiles by the thousand give an average of is. $\d. between 1403 

 and 1482. This labour is paid at 2s. 8d. in 1570. Slates are 

 laid at an average of 3^. z\d. the thousand between 1430 and 

 1482, of 8s. in 1570. Slates are 'battered' at is. 6d. the 

 thousand in 1432, battered and laid at 2s. ^d. in 1444. Tiles 

 are made at 2s. the thousand in 1434. Laths are rent at is. >]d. 

 the thousand in seven entries between 1401-1493, and at 2s. 6d. 

 in 1568. These prices of labour by the piece represent a rather 

 higher increase than that discoverable in wages paid by the 

 day ; but the labour was probably exceptional, interrupted, and 

 demanded special skill. 



In Vol. Ill, pp. 644-660, 1 have printed certain rates of wages 

 paid by the Crown for labour on various royal works. The 

 source of these is certain volumes contained in the Rawlinson 

 MSS. of the Bodleian Library. Those of the reign of Henry VIII 

 were kept by one Needham, a surveyor of the king's works ; 

 those of Elizabeth's reign are navy and ordnance accounts. 



The king had the right of claiming the service of any artisan 

 who might have been already under contract with a subject, 

 and, as it appears, of impressing labour at all times and places. 

 The persons who were employed in the service of pressing were 

 paid highly, e.g. Vol. Ill, p. 657, ii, the pressmen received 55-. a 

 day for their services. Sometimes this official is open to a 

 bribe, when the interruption of building operations, owing to 



