70 RURAL ECONOMY IN YORKSHIRE IN 1641. 



wee founde it better then an howse, for that they coulde see 

 both sooner in the morninge and later at night. Our shepheard 

 had (the last yeare) 4s. for a godspenny, a score sheepe wintered 

 and sommered amongst ours, and ol. in money es per annum, 

 and he founde himselfe meate and drink ; wee hyred him againe 

 this thirde of November, and hee hath (this yeare) 2s. for a 

 godspenny, and is to have more ol. per annum, and 16 ewes and 

 7 hogges wintered with ours, and hee to finde himselfe as he 

 did afore ; he is also to have his hogges, ewes and theire 

 lambes sommered ^vith ours. At Martlemasse, the shepheard 

 is to deliver in his sheepe, and to give in his account, viz. ; to 

 make an account of all the sheepe that weare committed to his 

 charge,* and then doe we provide ])itch and tarre and marke 

 them all We marked our sheepe this 4tli of November in the 

 north ende of the West Hall East-close ; we first marked the 

 field sheepe, and putte them forth ; and then brought the hogges 

 out of the Carre and marked them by themselves, and then 

 carryed them againe into the Carre. Om- tarre cost us (this 

 yeare) dd. a gallon, and our pitch three half pence the pownde ; 

 wee putte nowe six pownde of pitch to a gaDon of taiTe 

 to make the markinge tougher and better to bee discerned ; 

 some advised to putte eight pownde of pitch to a gallon of 

 tarre, but that is thought to make the markinge over brittle, 

 and to breake sooner, and marie away ; for tarre maketh the 

 markinge tough ; yett oftentimes wee putte eight powTide of 

 pitch to a gallon of tarre, for the more pitch the blacker mark- 

 inge. When yow intende to marke, yow are first to proNnde as 

 many barres as will serve to keepe in the sheepe ; and for this 

 purpose 16 barres are sufficient for 300 sheepe, although there 

 bee neyther hedge nor wall to keepe them in on noe side ; but 

 wee usually marke them in the comer of some clo.se, wheare 

 they may be fenced in on two sides with some hedge or wall ; 

 yett if it bee so, wee usually sette barres all alonge by the 

 hedge or wall side to keei)e them from leapinge over the wall, 

 or from creepinge througli the hedge ; and to keepe them from 

 rivinge theire woUe on the thornes. Then, after that our ban*es 

 are sette, wee make our furnace about some two or three yards 

 distant from the l)arres, and neere to some corner of the j)enne, 

 and weeniake it in manner followinge : fii-st, we gi-ave up a ro^vnde 

 sodde with a s|)ade, makinge the hole soe wide that the mark- 

 inge-potte may sbinde over it and not slipj^e into the hole ; 

 then doe wee cutte out a little straite mouth whearby to gette 

 in the fii-ewoode ; wee make the hole aboute a foote deepe, and 



» The reader is ref(>rrccl to the Appendix ; wherein the notices of the inerense of the 

 flock occur each year from 1618-1^24. 



