RURAL ECONOMY IN YORKSHIRE IN 1641. 97 



tenants the graingers are tyed to come themselves, and winde 

 the woU, they have a fatte weather and a fatte lambe killed, 

 and a dinner provided for their paines ; there will bee usually 

 three score or fower score poore folkes gatheringe up the lockes, 

 to oversee whome standeth the steward and two or three of his 

 friends or servants with each of them a rodde in his hande ; 

 there are two to cany away the woll, and weigh the woll soe 

 soone as it is wounde up, and another that setteth it downe 

 ever as it is weighed ; there is Qd. allowed to a piper* for play- 

 inge to the chppers all the day ; the shepheards have each of 

 them his bell weathers fleece. 



For Geldinge of Lambes. 

 The most judicious are of opinion that lambes would all- 

 wayes bee gelded att or before the 15th of May, that they may 

 bee sounde and whole against washinge time and chppinge 

 time, that they come to bee pent up amongst the ewes ; besides 

 the weather is now temperately warme, and flyes will not trou- 

 ble them so much as they will doe afterwards. Aboute the 

 20th of May, such olde sheepe and lambes as doe shoote are to 

 gotten and feased, i. e. : to have all the woll under theire tajde, 

 and aboute theire fundament, clipped away, to prevent the 

 breedinge of malkes. 



Concerninge Sheepe. 

 Wee libbed our lambes this 6th of June, but it would have 

 beene better if they had been libbed a moneth afore ; wee all- 

 wayes libbe them in the waine soe soone as the moone is past 

 full ; wee sent word to the shepheard to bringe them downe to 

 the folde betwixt fower and live of the clocke ; aboute five of 

 the clocke wee wente and canyed our foreman to hold the lambes 

 whiles they weare hbbed, and another of om- day-tayle men to 

 catch them in the penne and bringe them to him, wee canyed 

 allsoe a penknife for the shepheard to hbbe them Avith, and a 

 ball of wild-tansey, chopped and made up with fresh butter, for 

 anojaitinge theire coddes, and keepinge of flyes away : wee 

 canyed allsoe a little baskette and a napkin for bringinge hoame 

 the lambes stones in ; wee carryed allsoe a httle poake for put- 

 tinge the loose woll in. Soe soone as wee wente, wee drave the 

 sheepe into the penne, and drewe in the barres till wee had 

 them in as httle compass as wee thought good, and then knocked 

 downe the stakes and made them fast, and after that gotte more 



* This is a very late notice of the old English bagpipe as continuing to exist in 

 Yorkshire. Another is the will of " Francis Best of Topcliffe pvper," dated May 

 8, 1610. 



