RURAL ECONOMY IN YORKSHIRE IN 1641. 133 



is a goode mower, and a goode fower horse-man, and one that 

 can goe heppenly with a waine, and lye on a loade of come 

 handsomely. Wee give usually 35s. or 36s. to a fowerth man, 

 if the reporte goe on him for a good ploweman, and that 

 wee perceive him to bee of a good competent strength for 

 canyinge of poakes, forkinge of a waine, or the Hke. Wee 

 give usually to a spaught for holdinge of the oxe plough fower 

 nobles or perliapps SOs. per annum, if hee I'ee such an one as 

 have beene trained and beene brought up att the plough, and 

 bee a wigger and heppen youth for loadinge of a waine, and 

 goinge with a draught. Wee give .usually 20s. to a good stub- 

 ble boy for drivinge of the oxe plough, and that can (in time of 

 neede) carry a mette or three bushel! pease out of the barne into 

 the garner. Wee have usually two mayd-servants, and wee 

 weare wont that wee coulde hyre them for 18s. per annum, and 

 I2d. or Is. 6d. for a godspenny, but nowe of late wee cannot 

 hyve a good lusty mayd servant under 24s. wage, and sometimes 

 28s., and 18d. or 2s. for a godspenny. Christopher Pearson had 

 (the first yeare hee dwelt heare) 3^. 5s. wages per annum, and 

 5s. to a godspenny : hee had the next yeare 4/. wage and I2d. 

 to a godspenny, and hee was both a good seedesman, and a very 

 good mower, and did sowe all our seede both the yeares. Henry 

 Wise had the first yeare that hee tooke wage 36s. ; hee had the 

 next yeare 50s. and 4s. to a godspenny ; and the third yeare hee 

 had fower markes and 2s. to a godspenny, and was one that 

 coulde both sowe and mowe indifierent well. Henry Finder 

 was not full sixteene yeares of age when hee came to dwell 

 heare first, and hee had 24s., and the next yeare after hee had 

 five nobles and I2d. to a godspenny, for goinge w^ith the oxe- 

 plough, and beinge an heppen ladde for loadinge of a waine, 

 and goinge with a draught. Thomas Smyth had (the first yeare 

 hee dwelt heare) 20s. for drivinge the oxeplough, and the next 

 yeare fower nobles and 6d. to a godspenny, and was to have a 

 payre of olde breeches. Priscilla Browne had (the first yeare 

 shee dwelt heare) 18s. wage and I2d. to a godspenny, the next 

 yeare 24s., the third yeare 28s. and 2s. to a godspenny, and 

 might have had the fowerth yeare 38s. and 1 2d. to a godspenny. 

 Wee had (att this time in our owne handes) all the lands be- 

 longing to the demaines, all the lands belonginge to the West 

 hall, all the lands belonginge to the West house larme, and the 

 Fower oxegange which apperteine to John Bonwickes howse ; 

 wee kept constantly five plowes goinge, and milked fowerteene 

 kyne, whearefore wee had allwayes fower men, tAvo boyes to 

 goe with the oxeplough, and two good lusty may de-servants. 

 Some servants wiU (at theire hjri'inge) condition to have an olde 



