132 rural economy in yorkshire in 1641. 



For Buryinge of Corne by Quarter-taile. 



November the 6th, 1628, my father agi-eed with Henry Mor- 

 ris, John Bon^vicke, Ralph Lambert, and Leonard Goodale, to 

 threshe all the come tliat yeare. and to have dd. a quarter for 

 barley, 4(Z. a quarter for oates, 7d. a quarter for pease, and bd. 

 a quarter for rye ; and a threave of strawe in the weeke. Hee 

 agreed with the threshers againe the 8th of November, 1 629, to 

 have 7d. a quarter for pease, 4c?. a quarter for oates, 8(/. a quar- 

 ter for wheate and rye, 6c/. a quarter for I arley, and every one 

 of them to have a threave [of j strawe a weeke, if they threshed 

 the whole weeke, or else not. Hee agreed with the threshers 

 the next yeare to tlire&h out his come, and to have od. a quar- 

 ter for barley, -id. a quarter for oates, 8c/. a quarter for wheate 

 and rye, 7c/. for pease, and 1 6c/. a score for feyinge, and hee gave 

 them for a gods})enny 2c/. a peece. Agi-eed another yeare vrith 

 Thomas Styringe and Leonard Goodale to give them od. a 

 quarter for barley, -ic/. a quarter for oates, 6c/. a quarter for 



Eease, 8c/. a quarter for wheate and rye, and each of them to 

 ave a stooke of strawe every weeke. 



For Hyringe of Servantes." 

 Wee give usually to a foreman five markes per annum, and 

 perhapps 2s. or halfe a crowne to a godspenny, if hee bee such 

 an one as can sowe, mowe, stacke i)ease, goe well wifli fower 

 horse, and hayth beene used to markettirge and the hke ; for 

 nowe of late wee imploy and trust our foreman with the sow- 

 inge of all our seede. Wee give usually oOs. or fower marke to 

 another, and perhapps 2s. or '2s. 6c/. for a godspenny, providiuge 

 hee bee such an one as can sowe, mowe, goe well with a draught, 

 and bee a good plowemaii, and him allsoe wee imploy as a 

 seedesman in haver seede time, when wee come to sowe olde 

 ardure, and nowe and then sende him to markettes with the 

 foreman. Wee give usually seaven nobles to a third man, that 



» "My father." This proves John Best to have made additions, some of which 

 indeed are very discemible from the darker colour of tlie ink. to his lather's memo- 

 randa, even in this first book. The fate of his own folio book has been mentioned 

 above, pa^es 'i\, 86. 



•" A complete list of the servants hired, and their wapc, each year, is entered in 

 the Account Book. Those for 16H-2 will be found in the Appendi.x. 1 extract a 

 few names of local interest :—lGl 9, Jolin Lambert, 4 niaiks; IG20. I'eter llobman, 

 40«.; 1623, Robert Gray, SOs. ; 1626, ISlarmarhikc Rende, 30«. ; 1629, Henry Hun- 

 ter, 3;^« ; 1634, Valentine Wise, 8«. ; 1036, John Hilton, 44«. ; 1643, Gilbert Jjim- 

 bert, 3/. A great increase seems to have taken i)lace in wages about 1622. 

 Symon Ilewitson, the shepherd, rcciived 2U«. in 1620, but in 1622, o/. ; John lion- 

 wick received 3/. in 1618, but in 1622, 6/. 



