48 RURAL ECONOMY IN YORKSHIRE IN 1641. 



not of the whole sheaves. Tlie foreman is to bee forewarned 

 that he seeke out three or fower pikestowers aforehande, and 

 some keyes and false shehnnges ; secondly, that hee lay strawe 

 in the bai'ne floore, wheare the waine wheeles are to goe, to 

 prevent the wheeles from breakinge and raysinge the floore ; 

 thirdly, that hee have a blocke ready to lye afore the w^heeles ; 

 and fourtlily, that in mowinge hee neaver lye out his sheaves 

 beyonde the balkes but rather within the balkes ; for to lye 

 them out eaven with the balkes is a meanes to keepe the mowe 

 from sattlinge soe w^ell as otherwise it woulde doe. 



For Mowinge of Haver. 



Mowers are to have lOd. a day ; and outliggers, or those that 

 gather after them, have usually 6d. a day ; binders and stookers 

 have (for the most parte) 8d. a day. Our usuall custome is 

 (after that wee are begunne to sheare) to sende to IMalton, and 

 there to hire Moore-folkes the Satterday followinge ; wee 

 usually hire fower mowers ; three binders, which wee often- 

 times employ aboute stookinge alsoe, or forkinge of a waine ; 

 and usually one boy, for an outligger, or to serve to trayle the 

 sweathrake. They weare wont, in former times, to hire att 

 Malton good and able mowers out of the Moores for 2s. 2(1. and 

 2s. -id. a weeke and finde them meate, drinke, and lodginge ; 

 they used likewise to hire there, able younge followers, for bind- 

 inge and stookinge, for 20d. a weeke and theire meate ; and 

 boyes, for lyinge out and traylinge of the sweathrake, for lofZ. 

 a weeke and theire meate ; but nowe of late wee give to our 

 mowers 3s., and finde them meate and drinke ; and to the bind- 

 ers wee hire there 2s. 4cZ. ; and for outliggers 20d. a weeke, and 

 meate, drinke, and lodginge. The foreman is to sette them up 

 boardes for bed.steades, and to lay in strawe ready against that 

 time ; they usually make three beddes ready for them in the 

 folkes chamber ; and if there bee any more, they make the rest 

 in the barne, killne, or some other convenient bowse for that 

 pui-pose. 



In mowinge of haver, yow are to provide for every mower an 

 outligger, or one to gather after him, as yow are alsoe to doe in 

 all the graines that are to bee mowen ; yow are to allowe but 

 one binder to three sythes, unlesse your oates bee exceedinge 

 ranke and stronge, and then it will bee sufficient for one binder 

 to binde after two sythes, or howesoever for two binders to 

 binde up five sweathes. One stooker will stooke after two 

 Ijinders or sixe sythes, and oftentimes after seaven or eight leyes, 

 if the binders favour him but soe faiTe as to tlirowe aU his 

 sheaves to one lande, but wee seldome desire to have them 



