16 RURAL ECONOMY IN YORKSHIRE IN 1641. 



they have a notch in the midst that they beinge once knocked 

 in they cannot come forth againe ; they are made to keepe the 

 spelles fast in theire heades ; whearefore there is in each ende 

 of the uppermost spelle one, and Hkewise one in each ende of 

 the netliermost spelle, beinge putte or placed on the outside of 

 the heades to keepe them from sHppinge off: the 6th thinge is 

 8 pennie nayles, which are in number twelve for each barre ; 

 for if the barres shoulde bee cutte soe thinne till a 4 pennie 

 nayle woulde nayle the swords and spelles togeather, they 

 woulde not bee halfe so stronge : the 7th thinge necessary to 

 a ban-e is stakes, and yow are allwayes to sende as many 

 stakes to the fielde as barres exceptinge 4, and that is because 

 they use noe stakes att the 4 comers : the 8th thinge belonge 

 to barres is fold-hankes or hankinges, as they call them, which 

 is as thicke againe as plough-string, beinge a loose kinde of 

 two plettes, which is usually sold for 3 half-pence and some- 

 times for 2d. a knotte ; there should bee in everie knotte 

 18 fathames ; and yow are to make your hankes 3 quarters of 

 a yarde in length, and to putte to everie severall barre yow 

 sende to field a hanke, and to the four corner bari'es two 

 hankes a peece and that because they want stakes. 



When yow sende your barres to field, yow are to lay them 

 in 4 severall rowes, crosse over the shelvinges of the waine, 

 and none of them in the body of the waine ; nor nothinge else, 

 exceptinge onely the stakes. 



Wee sent this 5th of Jvme 44 baiTes to the field, jvst 40 

 stakes and 48 hanks. 



There is att Malton ashen barres ready made, which are 

 usually very streiglit and riven very thinne, allmost like unto 

 latte-wood, soe that they usually nayle on theire swords and 

 daggers with 4 penny nayles ; and these may bee bought for 

 Gd., Id., and sometimes 8(^. a baire. 



In setting of their barres, they are allwayes to minde to sett 

 that side of the baiTcs inwurde towainls the sheepe that the 

 swords and daggers arenayled on ; and likewise to fasten tlieire 

 hankes to the barre-heades, and that betwixt tlie two middle- 

 most spelles ; exceptinge for the 4 corners, which have two 

 hankes a peece, and have the one of them fastened betwixt the 

 two uppermost spelles and the other betwixt the two nether- 

 most ; and the way to make the ])iirres fast is to j)titte that 

 barre that liath the hanke, iimerniost, next to the shee))e ; ami 

 the ende of tlie other l)iirre that wanteth an hanke is to bee putte 

 in the middle betwixt the barre and the stake, and soe the hanke 

 that is fastened to the innermost bane is onely to bee ptitte 

 thrfiugh the middle-s|)elles of the other barre, and soe to bee 

 slijijiod (>\tr the heade of the stake. 



