94 



WESTMORLAND AGRICULTURE, 1800-1900 



A return was made by John Crosby, of Kirkby Thore to the 

 Agricultural Gazette in 1850 of wages paid for agricultural labour. 

 The prices may be taken as those pertaining to the Bottom of Westmor- 

 land : — Weekly wages of men, 11/- ; ditto harvest time (with meat, 

 drink and lodgings), 12/- ; female labourers, daily wage lod. to i/-. 

 Clover mowing, 2/- per acre. Meadow grass, 2/6 to 3/- per acre. 

 Reaping wheat per acre, 7/- to 9/-. Thrashing and cleaning wheat 

 per bushel, 3d. Digging per yard in length in clay sub-soil, 3J feet 

 deep 14 inches wide at the top, and 3 inches at the bottom, id. to ijd. 

 Ordinary cottage rent, 50/- to 60/- per year. 



In Government pubhcations issued in 1900, 1905, and 1910 the 

 average adult male labourer's wage in Westmorland, including allow- 

 ances of every description, such as board and lodging, which was 

 taken as equivalent to 8/- per week, was 18/9, 20/-, and 19/9 per 

 week in the years 1898, 1903, and 1907 respectively. 



Casual labourers or " darrickers " are employed only to a small 

 extent and usually live in cottages in the adjacent villages to where 

 they are employed, not infrequently they board with the farmer. 

 From returns made by the Rural District Councils the rate of cash 

 wages for such labourers per week was : — 



1895. 1897. 



Jan. June. Jan. June. 



East Ward R.D.C. . . 16/- 16/- 16/6 18/- 



South Westmorland R.D.C. 20/- 20/- 20/- 20/- 



West Ward R.D.C. . . 15/- 15/- 15/- 15/6 



These rates are exclusive of all extras and allowances. In the 

 East and West Wards in many cases free cottages are provided, in 

 some cases with gardens ; potatoes and milk are allowed in other cases. 



1903- 

 Jan. June. 

 19/- 19/6 

 20/- 21/- 

 17/- 18/- 



