GO RURAL ECONOMY IN YORKSHIRE IN 1641. 



two are the longest and best strawe for thatchinge of stackes, 

 and strawe wherewdth a workeman commeth the most ridde ; 

 and yow neede make no reckoninge which of those two it bee, 

 for there is noe ditference but onely that rye stiuwe is the more 

 usuall, if it bee to ))ee had ; but sometimes for wante of these 

 wee have beene forced to hawme wheate and rye stubble and 

 therewith to thatch our stackes, and then our manner is to 

 mixe haver-strawe with it to make it cragge well, that is, to 

 drawe out and lappe about the ende of the wispes, to keeps 

 them fast. Wee pi-ovide (for this labour) onely one to drawe 

 out the stubble and lye it smooth in the bottle, and allsoe to 

 serve the thatcher ; those that serve have aUwayes haver strawe 

 lyinge beside them, whearwith to make their bandes, and aUsoe 

 to mixe amongst the stubble. The thatcher lyeth on his thatche 

 noe lower than the eize, that is, wheare the stacke l)eginneth to 

 come in ; and bee goeth up in height till liee come within a foote 

 of the toftpe ; but on the toppe of aU liee layeth noe thatch, but 

 onely loose strawe, which hee calleth the rigginge ; and then 

 doth hee twyne hey-bands, and ctist over the stacke to keepe 

 the said rigginge from blowinge away. 



In thatcliinge of stackes, they thatch onely the sides, and 

 neaver the endes, because the endes are layd out easily, by 

 degrees, till they come to the very toppe of all. A good thatcher 

 will in one day thatch a whole side of the stacke that standeth 

 on the longe hehne in the staggarth. Our usuall manner is for 

 the foreman to rigge our stackes, and then is hee to have two 

 to helpe him, viz. ; one to drawe out the stubble and make it 

 into bottles, and another to give liim the bottles and bandes up, 

 and to make the bandes fa>st att the eize ; and his manner is, 

 fii'st, to lay his stubble crosse overtliwart the ridge of the 

 stacke, that the i-aine may iiuuie downe, and then upon that 

 doth hee lye more stubble eaven on the topj)e of the ridge, 

 thereby supposinge that the bandes which goe crosse the 

 stacke will have tlie more power to keepe it downe, and soe 

 that which lyeth above to keepe that fjist and tirme which lyeth 

 under it. They make theire bandes usually eyther of hey or 

 haver strawe, but most commonly of haver strawe, and att 

 makinge of these bandes there are to bee two folkes, viz. ; one 

 to sitte beside the strawe and feede the bande therewith, and 

 another to g<je backewards with the rake to drawe f()rth and 

 twyne tlie same. Looke howe many yards the stacke is in 

 length, they make fur every yard two bandes ; for the bandes 

 arc not to bee above halfe a yard asunder, whearof the two 

 bandes that are nexte the endes of the stacke liave in eyther 

 ende of them two peeces of wood tyed, to keepe the endes of 



