J 8 RURAL ECONOMY IN YORKSHIRE IN 1641. 



to your sheapheard the night afore, that if hee hke the mom- 

 inge hee may bringe downe the sheepe by 8 of the cloeke ; yow 

 are allwayes to make choice of a faire and hotte day if yow 

 canne, because of your washers, and hkewise to have the sheepe 

 ready to tlirowe into the dyke betwixt 8 and 9 of the cloeke ; 

 and not afore, because the morninges are airish. Sheepe are 

 sixe score to the hundredth, and looke howe many hundreds 

 there are in your kee])inge ; yow are to provide a washer for 

 everie hundreth ; yett if yow have in your keepinge 2G score, 

 yow neede not provide above fower washers, for one goode 

 washer will well and easily wash sixe score or sixe score and 

 tenne in a day. Washers have in most places Sd. a score ; and 

 besides, such as are forced to goe to other townes for wante of 

 water att hoame, pay oftentimes 2d. a score for gatelawe, and 

 2d. a score towards the maintaininge of the sheepe-dyke, be- 

 sides that they pay to the washei-s. 



We neaver use to pay above 2d. a score for. washinge, but 

 onely what wee thinke good to bestowe on them when they 

 have done ; as if there chance to bee an odde score or more, 

 then doe wee perhapps give them a Id., 2d., or Sd. over, and 

 beside to make theire money eaven and theire wages all alike. 

 Our custome is alsoe (aboute noone, or when wee thinke they 

 have neare hande halfe done) to sende for a groates-worth of 

 ale and a white loafe ; and then to take a quarte or three pintes 

 of milke and boyle it, and then putte it to the ale and make 

 thereof two greate possettes in two scale-dislies ; and then doe 

 wee take the white loafe, and either gi-ate or cnunme the same 

 very small into the possettes ; then doe wee throwe in some 

 pepper and grated nutmegges, and make the same very hotte 

 therewith, and this kinde of drinke doe wee give to our wash- 

 ers as they stand in the wash dyke, and when they are in the 

 midst of theiie labour. The washei-s are to have waminge 

 given the night afore that they come aboute sixe of the cloeke 

 in the morninge, and helpe to damme and swell up the water ; 

 for a sheep-dyke shoulde allwayes bee of that deptli that it may 

 take a man to the buttocks. The best and readyest way for 

 kee|)inge in of the water and swellinge up of the same is to 

 sette downe broade and close doore or coupe-lynings against 

 some hecke or bridge ; or otherwise, if there bee none, then 

 may yow putte over two pebbles, one liigher then the other, to 

 serve for them to leane against ; and then wlieare yow see tliat 

 the water gets yssue and tindes vente, yow may thruste in and 

 ramme downe fawdes of strawe ; yett the dyke that is deepe 

 enougli of itselfe, that needeth neither stoi)pinge nor dam- 

 ininge, but ruunes continually and lettes the scuuuue and dirty 



