108 RURAL ECONOMY IN YORKSHIRE IN l(54l. 



Certeine very Remarkable Orservations concerninge 

 Heytime and Harvest, for Takinge and Lettinge of 

 OUR Tythe Corne and Hey, and alsoe for Lettinge of 

 Corne to Rake by the Acre. 



Those that take the tythe of theire owne come of the proctor 



pay usually lis. and 12«. for the tythe of an oxegang, by reason 



that the lands weare so^vne to the very dale-browe ; but when 



wee used to take the tythe corne of the fannes which wee had 



in our owne handes, wee neaver payd above lO.s. for the tythe 



of an oxegang, because that in the middle of West Field, wee 



seldome sowe further then the Spellowe heads, and in the East 



Field to Doghill flatte. Wee payd alsoe just three pence and 



two quarters for the tythe of an oxegang of hey, and oftentintes 



the tythe of all the cottages into the bargaine. Simon Huson 



close hayth neaver payd tythe, time out of minde, and soe keep- 



eth the custome ; and Lilly-garth, that was once an hempgarth 



apperteininge to the manner and tythe free, doth nowe pays 



tythe. LaAvrence Middleton hath sixe pence a day for traylinge 



of the sweathrake ; they goe but once over haver, and twice 



over barley ; they will rake an haver lande att twice up and 



twice downe ; a man will rake, ordinarily, twelve acre in a day 



aboute the beginninge of September, and sometimes fowerteene 



acre a day, if hee ply. Wee neaver sende none to rake after 



the waines when wee leade winter come and oates, but the 



forkers cany rakes to field \\ath them and give lii"st up the 



rakinges with theire forke, then the sheaves, and then sticks 



downe the forke and rake the staddle. Wee have allwayes sixe 



or seaven shearers on a lande, and one man to binde and stooke 



after them all ; and when there is eight hee will not grudge to 



binde and stooke after them all, if they bee all on a lande ; yow 



must call to them to stoupe and to cutte lowe and rownd. 



When wee mowe haver wee allowe to every three sythes a 



binder, and to every two binders a stooker ; wee liave liad 



binder's that did not grudge to binde ny> fower sweathes, and 



stookers to stooke after eight sythes. Wee ledde twenty-one 



loades of winter-corne in .a day, with three waines, from the 



Hatte betwdxt Pocklington gate and Kellithorpe heads, and !vs 



many the nexte day of oates i'nnu the Brieke close tlatte. Our 



mowers were just thi-ice aboute the demaine flatte.s lietwixt the 



Bricke close and Keldie-gate in a day when they tii-st beganne 



on it, and the next day more. When wee lead, our forenuiu 



onely is on the mowe ; and when wee allowe the haver waines 



lakers-after, tliey come farre more ridde, and there is better 



helpe on the mowe ; one will rake sixe acre of barley a day. 



