84 MY LIFE 



" In the case of a married man with a family, it would, of 

 course, be more difficult to save money, but I have known 

 men live well and respectably, bring up a family, and put by 

 regularly for the expected ' rainy day,' and eventually build 

 their own house, and start in business, in a small way at first, 

 and become masters and gain a competence; but these are 

 exceptional cases. 



" The generality of carpenters and joiners with a family 

 would live in lodgings of two or three rooms with their own 

 furniture (much of which the man could make in his spare 

 time in the evening), paying 5.?. or 6.?. a week, and with a 

 careful and industrious wife could live well on their wages, 

 clothe and educate their children, and still have something 

 to put by. I have never known a carpenter in work, whether 

 married or single, that did not have a good dinner of meat 

 and vegetables every day, and on Sundays something extra; 

 they always had beer for dinner and often at their work about 

 ten o'clock, and sometimes in the afternoon. 



" As near as I can recollect the prices of provisions were 

 for meat from 6d. to 8d. a pound, bread yd. the four-pound 

 loaf, butter iod., cheese Sd., and sugar 6d. to gd. The brick- 

 layers had about the same wages as the carpenters, but owing 

 to lost time during bad weather, they were generally not so 

 well off, or generally so well housed and fed, but I never 

 heard or knew of any destitution or want among them. Of 

 the social condition of the plasterers, painters, and other house 

 finishers I know less, but all appeared well satisfied with their 

 condition, and, at all events, no general dissatisfaction was 

 expressed." 



It is, I think, quite clear from this statement of my brother 

 that the standard of comfort of the skilled artisan was as high 

 fifty years ago as it is now, notwithstanding his somewhat 

 lower wages and his working ten instead of nine hours a day. 

 There being no railways and many more small employers, 

 he seldom spent anything in going to and from his work; 

 while, as access to the country was then easier, his holidays 

 cost him less, with more enjoyment than going by rail to 



