LABOUR AND WAGES. 643 



Threshing by the day is found in the first year, and in the 

 last but one. But between 1622 and 1689 I have not come 

 across a single entry. Threshing would naturally be one of the 

 poorest paid of men's occupations. It was generally carried 

 on during the short days, and under cover. The time there- 

 fore during which the peasant could be employed was brief, 

 for light was necessary, and he could be at work when the 

 state of the weather shut him out from other work in the 

 fields. Now my first entry of thresher's labour is at Gaw- 

 thorp in Lancashire, where he has only ^d. a day. The next, 

 in 1584, is at the same place, where his wages are put at 3^., 

 his board at $d. In 1590 the wages are 6d. at Gawthorp, and 

 at Worksop 6d. and $\d. In 1599 and 1600 Lord Spencer 

 pays 6d. ; in 1602, only *d. ; in 1622, *jd. ; so that a slight in- 

 crease is effected. In 1689 and 1691 the service is paid at 

 is. in Hurley, Berks, and in 1701 at is. in Foxcombe, Hants. 

 Most of these early entries are in the North, where wages 

 were naturally low, and were further depressed by the assess- 

 ments. 



Threshing rye costs at Worksop from %d. to *]d. a quarter in 

 1583, 8d. in 1587, while barley is threshed at 6d. In 1589 it 

 is again 6d. at the same place. In 1590 rye again costs 8</. 

 In 1592 and 1593 Lord Pembroke pays 6d. for oats, yd. for 

 rye. In 1599 Lord Spencer pays 7^. for meslyn and peas, 

 and in 1600 he gives 6d. for barley and meslyn. In 1601 the 

 same nobleman gives yd. for wheat and barley, while Lord 

 Pembroke pays 8d. for barley and 6d. for oats. In i6oa 

 Lord Spencer pays ~d. for wheat and barley, and in 1603 

 Lord Pembroke 6d. for oats. In 1621 Lord Spencer pays 6d. 

 for barley. In 1626 wheat is threshed for the owner of 

 Mendham (Norfolk) at is., peas at is. t rye at icd., barley at 

 *jd. At the same place, in 1627, wheat is at is., rye at io\d. t 

 barley at 7}^., oats at +d. In 1646, at Lavcnham (Suffolk), 

 \vhcat and barley are at is., oats at u.; an enormous rise. 

 But in 1648 wheat at Castor (Northants) is threshed at 

 8</. In 1699, at Foxcombe, oats cost yd. In 1700 wheat 



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