RURAL ECONOMY IN YORKSHIRE IN 1641. 93 



For Emswell towards this assessment. 

 There was hi. 13s. Qd., wheareof the lord of the manner payd 

 hi. Is.; eight of his servants 4s.; William Whitehead Is. for 

 his lande and Is. Qd. for his three childi-en ; all the rest of the 

 farmers in towne payd onely per poUe, Qd. for themselves, theire 

 wives and as many of theire children as weare above sixteene 

 years of age, The assessors in everie towne weare made alsoe 

 collectors of all such summes as weare to bee gathered within 

 theire severall townes and constableries, and weare assigned to 

 pay the said moneys att the commissioners howse, some att one 

 commissioners howse and some att another. 



FOR PULLINGE AND WORKINGE AMONGST PEASE. 



. Wee use meanes allwayes to gette eyther 18 or else 24 pease 

 pullers, which wee sette aUwayes sixe on a lande, viz. ; a woman 

 and a man, a woman and a man, a woman or boy and a 

 man, &c. ; the weakest couple in the fore furre, the next weak- 

 est in the hinder furre, and the strongest on the rigge, which 

 should allwayes come hindermost ; wee furnish all or most of 

 them with pease hookes, exceptinge one or two, and these we 

 call for and see carryed to the place wheare they used to lye soe 

 soone as that labour is done that om- worke-folkes bee come 

 hoame ; it is usuall in most places after they gette all pease 

 pulled or the last graine downe, to invite all the worke-folkes 

 and theire wives (that helped them that harvest) to supper, and 

 then have they puddinges, bacon or boyled beefe, flesh or apple 

 pyes, and then creame brought in platters, and every one a 

 spoone ; then after all they have hotte cakes and ale ; for the}'' 

 bake cakes and send for ale against that time : some will cutte 

 theire cake and putte into the creame, and this feaste is called 

 the creame-potte or creame-kitte ; for on the mominge that they 

 gette aU done the workefolkes wiU aske theire dames if they 

 have good store of creame, and say that they must have the 

 creame kitte anon. It is good to see that pease bee dead 

 enough before they bee pulled ; looke to what side of the lande 

 the pease leane after that they are fallen downe, and the other 

 must bee the fore furre, and not that towards which the pease 

 leane : 18 pease pullers pulld (this yeare) nine of the West hall's 

 10 landes and somewhat more in one day, viz. ; in the middle 

 j&eld from or betwixt Stygate and Keldie-gate. If pease bee 

 dry they may bee ledde the same day senight, after they are 

 pulled without dainger ; wee sende aUwayes, the day before wee 

 leade, two of our boys, or a boy and one of our mayds, with 



