RURAL ECONOMY IN YORKSHIRE IN 1641. 19 



water passe away, that, I say, is the onely sheepe-dyke." A 

 sheepe-dyke woukle allwayes bee the deepest towards the hither 

 side wheare the sheepe are thro^¥ne of ; because it is the most 

 ease to them that throwe them in, to the washers, because they 

 are not troubled to fetch and carry them, and alsoe to the sheepe 

 themselves, because then they neaver stande neede of throwinge 

 in twice. The barres shoulde allwayes bee sette after such a 

 fashion that they bee \vide att the fan-e ende and come straiter 

 and straiter towards the dyke. If any of yoiu" barres stande 

 upon an hill, yow are to sette open them, and then the sheepe 

 will more easily goe in and sattle dowuewards from the entrance 

 or gate wheare they goe in. Soe soone as yom- sheepe are all 

 in, yow are foi-thwdth to sende in somebody to throwe out your 

 lambes oute of the penne, for feare that your starke sheepe 

 treade them under foote and smuther them. Yow are alsoe to 

 provide two men, the one to gette the sheepe, and the other to 

 stande att the dyke-side and throwe them in ; the shepheard 

 is alsoe to stande att the dyke-side, and to pidl of the loose 

 woU from every sheepe as they are brought mito him, and afore 

 they bee throwne into the dyke ; and for this businesse hee is 

 to have a poake brought and tyed by the string to a barre- 

 spell att the dyke-side, into which hee is to putte his wooll : the 

 washers, allsoe, as often as they meete with any loose wooll, are 

 to throwe it to the side, and the shepheard is to take it and 

 putte it in the poake : for if it chance to sTvdmme do\^^le, there 

 are allwayes childi^en, boyes, and girles, with bushes and whinnes 

 made fast to the endes of stickes, with which they take the 

 wooll as it swimmeth downe. When your sheepe are allmost 

 halfwashed, yow are to ch-awe in the barres straiter, and not to 

 lette them have soe much roome, and then they will bee gotten 

 with lesse chasinge. Yow are allsoe to see that the landing- 

 place bee good, and that your sheepe dirty not their wooll as 

 they come forth of the dyke. 



Many men will chppe tlieire sheepe the thirde day after that 

 they are washed ; and others againe will lette them goe fower 

 or five dayes ; and some allmost a foi-tnight before they clippe 

 them ; but this is to bee considered of accordingly as men finde 

 theire wooU to bee risen ; for if theire wooll bee weU risen, a 

 man may ventm*e (if hee thinke goode) to chppe them the next 

 day, but howsoever the third day. Yette if the wooll, on the 

 other side, bee not weU risen, many will drive theire chppinge 

 a weeke ; for, of a certaine, wooU wiU rise more in a weeke 



^ See imcler the year 1645 in tlie Account Book The semi-cii-cular dyke then 

 made in the rnnniug brook still remains, and was, till ATithin a few j'cars, the resort 

 of the whole conntn' side. 



