Prices and Wages in England from the Twelfth to the Nineteenth Century, Volume 1

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PUBLICATIONS OF THE INTERNATIONAL SCIENTIFIC COMMITTEE ON PRICE HISTORY

PRICES AND WAGES IN ENGLAND FROM THE TWELFTH TO THE NINETEENTH CENTURY

PRICES AND WAGES IN ENGLAND FROM THE TWELFTH TO THE NINETEENTH CENTURY

VOL. I. PRICE TABLES:

MERCANTILE ERA

LORD BEVERIDGE With the collaboration of L. LIEPMANN,

F. J. NICHOLAS,

M. E. RAYNER, M. WRETTS-SMITH

and others

REPRINTS OF ECONOMIC CLASSICS Augustus M. Kelley, Bookseller New York 1966

I

PREFACE TO THE FIRST EDITION The making of this history of prices and wages is an

accident. More than eighteen years ago, looking at a series of figures representative of British exports and wholesale prices from 1820 to 1913, I was impressed by observing a fluctuation apparently so regular as to suggest a physical cause : the further suggestion followed of a climatic cycle affecting the yield of harvests. A glance at the course of wheat prices in England, as recorded at Eton and elsewhere, seemed to show the same cycle in operation during the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries. The question followed at once : What was happening before those centuries and in other lands ? Almost before I knew it, I found myself launched on an extensive study of wheat prices, in England and in other countries, as an index to the relative failure or abundance of harvests. I met with an early and enthusiastic collaborator in Dr. Hubert Hall, who brought to my notice the almost untouched storehouse of sources for economic history in the middle ages, represented by the manorial rolls of the Bishopric of Winchester. Running in majestic series from 1208 to 1453, these rolls opened the prospect of establishing the history of English wheat prices on a firm basis over-a period ample for the discovery of any regular fluctuation. Once we were embarked upon this venture, we never had a chance of stopping. Our first aim was, by use of the Winchester Rolls, to push back Thorold Rogers’ price series1 to an earlier date and to check, correct and supplement it for later periods. As the indefatigable energy of Dr. Hall, in his years of official retirement, discovered more and more material unknown to Thorold Rogers, the scope of the work was widened. The new material was found to be surprisingly better, alike in quantity and in quality, than that available to Thorold Rogers. Moreover, while wheat prices remained my main interest, satisfactory interpre¬ tation of wheat prices was seen to involve comparison with 1

A History of Agriculture and Prices in England 1866-1902).

(7 vols., Oxford,

by James E. Thorold Rogers

viii

PRICES AND WAGES IN ENGLAND

other prices. The time had clearly come, not simply to revise Thorold Rogers’ tables, but to aim at presenting altogether new tables of prices and wages in England, from the twelfth century to the nineteenth century or beyond. Whether and how soon so ambitious a project would have been realized with the resources then at my disposal, is hard to say. But, after a visit paid by me to the United States in 1928, the project received a fresh impetus and was put on a new basis. Professor E. F. Gay, to whom the ground of English price history had long been familiar, had recently been active in supporting an investigation of Spanish prices, conducted by Dr. Earl Hamilton, and raised with me the possibility of making a co-ordinated study of price history in many countries at once. As is stated in the General Introduction that follows, on the Purposes and Methods of Price History, a memorandum prepared by Professor Gay and myself in 1929 led, through the friendly support of the Social Science Research Council in America, to the making of a grant by the Rockefeller Foundation, to the setting in hand of price studies in France, Germany, Austria, Holland and the United States, and to their continuation with renewed vigour in England and Spain. It led also, for the reasons stated in the Introduction, to a reversal of chronological order in the publication of the primary material. The present volume, giving price tables for the Mercantile Era, is completed and sees the light before the corresponding volumes for the earlier Manorial Era and for wheat and wages. The work of preparing even this one volume has been immense and its achievement has been slow, for several reasons. My own time has been consumed almost wholly by matters foreign to price history—by heavy adminis¬ trative tasks and by writing in whole or in large part two substantial books on other matters, with many periodical and ephemeral publications. My principal collaborators in fifteen years of price history have changed more than once. In succession to Dr. Hubert Hall, Miss M. WrettsSmith has undertaken responsibility as archivist, with part-time assistance from others. My principal statistical assistant—and the first secretary of the International Scientific Committee on Price History—was Miss F. J.

PREFACE

ix

Nicholas from 1923 to her marriage in 1931 ; she was succeeded by Miss I. W. Wilson ; on Miss Wilson’s death in 1933 the post was filled by Miss D. Edmond until 1935 ; and from that date to the present time by Miss M. E. Rayner, who had joined the staff-in a junior capacity in 1924. When my appointment as Chairman of the Unemployment Insurance Statutory Committee in July 1934 took some of the time which I had hoped to devote to price history, I secured in October 1934 the help of Mr. H. A. Shannon, as Editor, and on his leaving for South Africa some seven months later, he was succeeded by Dr. Leo Liepmann, formerly of the University of Breslau. But neither these changes of personnel, nor my other occupations are the real reason why the preparation of this price history has gone slowly. The real reasons lie in the undertaking itself, in the nature of the material and in the nature of the treatment which we have sought to apply to it. Time after time, when we appeared ready for com¬ pleting the* work, fresh discoveries have been made of material too good to be left on one side without lowering seriously the value of whatever we might publish. Time after time, both historical criticism and statistical analysis of the results have led to discovery of possible errors and to revision of tabulations. This cause of delay is inevit¬ able in any compilation of price statistics in which the attempt is made, however incompletely, to be critical and helpful to the user, in place of presenting him with a mechanical reproduction of records and trusting that the errors will average out. It is probably the case that, with material so abundant as that which can here be presented, most of the errors will average out. It is certain that, however careful the checking and however critical the preliminary analysis, some errors will remain. In a work with innumerable statements of detail, there are bound to be errors—perhaps many errors. There are bound to be points on which the reader will desire more information or a clearer statement and may feel aggrieved that these have not been supplied. Those responsible for the work must be content to express two hopes : first, that the errors, many or few, will be few in proportion to the opportunities of error, that is to say, in proportion to

X

PRICES AND WAGES IN ENGLAND

the innumerable array of detailed statements ; second, that the errors will be errors of detail, not leading to false con¬ clusions on any matter of importance. For all the time taken in preparing the tables, we have not had as much time as we should have liked. The grant originally made by the Rockefeller Foundation for five years was renewed in 19 34 for another three, and the period within which the second grant might be spent has been extended. Even so, our first publication comes, under pressure of time, only in the course of the last year for which we have assurance of funds to continue. It is inevitable, but not, I hope, in the long run unfor¬ tunate, that the volume first published should be one mak¬ ing the least appeal to the general reader, should be a volume of details and materials, rather than one of broad results and interesting conclusions. This order of publica¬ tion may make it possible to prepare the final volume of review and synopsis in the light of comment and criticism by readers of the earlier volumes. My personal share in the detail of this first volume is less than I hope it may be for later volumes. The general lines of the work have been settled by me, either in pur¬ suance of discussions at the International Scientific Com¬ mittee on Price History or as ultimately responsible for the English study. I have written the General Introduc¬ tion and a few of the sectional introductions. I have read and revised all the proofs. But the bulk of the initial work, not only in extracting and tabulating, but in writing sectional introductions and series notes has been done by others. Nearly the whole of the extraction from the archives has been done by Miss M. Wretts-Smith or under her supervision and the first drafts of most of the sectional introductions have been written by her ; she has supplied thus the foundations of the work. The tabula¬ tion is first and foremost the work of Miss Rayner, who has had the largest share also in the series notes, though par¬ ticular sections have been dealt with also by others, like Mr. Shannon and Miss Edmond. The arrangements for publication and printing have been made most efficiently by Dr. Liepmann, whose general editorial function has included the statistical testing of the series as first tabu¬ lated and criticism and revision of all the letterpress. To

PREFACE

xi

these and to other collaborators, named with me on the title page or named in this preface, I may be allowed to express my deep gratitude for the patience and persistence with which they have toiled through so many perplexities and details. For the facilities they have afforded for consulting the records under their charge, I have to express my thanks and that of my colleagues in this work to Mr. Herbert Chitty, Keeper of the Archives and to Mr. A. H. Ley, Secretary and Bursar of Winchester College : to the Provost and the Vice-Provost of Eton College : to Mr. Lawrence Tanner, Keeper of the Muniments of West¬ minster Abbey and Miss D. L. Powell, the Assistant keeper : to the Registrar of Charterhouse : to the Town Council and the Charity Trustees of Sandwich, and to the Secretary of Chelsea Hospital. I have to express our appreciation also of the unfailing courtesy and considera¬ tion shown to us by those in charge of the various public records which we have had occasion to consult, in the Public Record Office and elsewhere. It is appropriate also that, having left the London School of Economics and Political Science, I should place on record the help rendered by the School to this work. In allowing the late Director to give to the International Committee on Price History and to the English section for so many years the hospitality of rooms in the School, the help of its accounting staff and countless minor ser¬ vices, the Governors of the School have had a large, share in making possible the compilation of this history. The history appears now prefaced from another address, but it was in the School of Economics that nearly all the work was done. The School of Economics is the residuary owner of any royalties that may accrue after completion of the work. And it is to the School that the material collected for this history wull ultimately return, so that anything of value therein for later researchers may be preserved. The making of this history has been described already as an accident. To its principal maker, and no doubt to others, it is capable of appearing in another guise—as almost an impertinence. For it is a contribution to economic

Xll

PRICES AND WAGES IN ENGLAND

history volunteered by one who has no claim to be a historian, and lacks knowledge to set the results of his work against their background of economic and social develop¬ ment. In pursuing the study of prices and wages through the centuries, I feel like one driving a car by night through unfamiliar country, with the glare of headlights lighting up a narrow strip of road and hedge, with occasional glimpses of the surrounding habitations of men, seen vaguely and lost again. What lies directly on my road I know more clearly than most. What surrounds me and my narrow journey I know perhaps less than most. My extracts from the Navy Records tell me of biscuit provided in July 1578 for ships carrying Mr. Walsingham to Flushing or of beer bought at Portsmouth in October 1591 for the Lion on her return from the Azores : I should like to know more about both those expeditions. The extracts from the Winchester Rolls tell me that, at Farnham in 1411, 4d. was paid on each of four occasions—four times in a single year—for rescuing the bucket from the well. Was there a poltergeist playing pranks at Farnham in 1411 or nothing more than a very bad rope ? I should like to follow up such entries. I am sorely tempted at times to stop the car and get out and do some exploring behind the hedges of the road. But if I broke my journey either for such adventures or for general survey of the country, I should never reach any journey’s end at all. I must stick to my road—to the narrow strip of prices and wages—and leave the fun of exploration and interpretation in the main to others. There is perhaps one thing in compensation to be said for thus narrowing the journey. I can have no bias towards interpreting the prices and wages to fit any pre¬ conceived view of the surroundings, to support or to refute any theory of economic development. For I have no theories ; I have not learned from other explorers what I ought to discover. The original purpose, moreover, which started me on my journey has been out of sight for many a year. The wheat prices, when they are finally established, may or may not throw light on the problem of weather and harvest cycles. I hope some time to look at them for an answer on this point. But the wheat prices are now a small fraction of the whole. And in the.compilation

xm

PREFACE

of wheat prices and of other prices alike, I have been guided or misguided by no expectation of what I might hope to find. The figures must tell their story, for I have no story to tell. W. H. Beveridge.

University College, Oxford. December 1938.

AI VOL. I

TABLE OF CONTENTS PAGE

Preface

........

General Introduction

.....

vii xxi

Reader’s Guide to Vol. I (with explanation of printing signs) ...... lvii Primary Material : Winchester College Eton College

..... .

.

.

Westminster (School and Abbey) Charterhouse

.

.

.91

.

.

.149

...... 203

Sandwich (St. Bartholomew’s Hospital) Greenwich Hospital Chelsea Hospital

1

.

.211

..... 241 ...... 299

Lord Steward’s Department

.... 315

Lord Chamberlain’s Department

.

.

. 439

Office of Works

...... 459

Navy Victualling

...... 499

Naval Stores ...•••• 6°1 Secondary Material : Introduction to Price-Relatives Annual Price-Relatives

.

.

.681

..... 702 and folding tables

List of Sources and Transcriptions . Index of Commodities

.

. 743

..... 755 XV

■

'■

.

LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS FACING PAGE

Price

Extracts

Bishopric October

of

from

the

Rent

Winchester :

7329-September

Rolls

Witney

of

Manor,

.

1336

the

.

xxxiv

Price Extracts from Nayy Victualling Ledgers, October

1705

7704-March

.

Dieta

Eton College Audit Book :

Westminster Abbey Muniment :

.

1600-01

xxxv .

92

Bill for Lights

1718

for the Abbey, October Greenwich Hospital :

.

.

.

.

152

Invoice for Coal bought

at Newcastle and shipped to Greenwich, May

1761

. 244

Board

of

Charles

Greencloth

IPs

Horses,

Contract : November

Fodder

1673

.

for

.

318

Part of Account of Keeper of the Great Ward¬ robe :

Maundy Expenses,

Navy Victualling Bill : Experiment,” June Part

of Declared

Navy :

for

.

.

•

“ Wheat for Making an

1781

Account,

Fitting

Spanish Armada,

1567

out

1588

XVII

. Treasurer Ships

of

against

the the

440

GENERAL INTRODUCTION

/

GENERAL INTRODUCTION The Purposes and Methods of Price History The importance to economic and social science of having a

comprehensive history of prices and wages hardly needs to be emphasized. Prices and wages are the social pheno¬ mena most susceptible of objective statistical record over long periods of time. They reflect and measure the in¬ fluence of changes in population, in supply of precious metals, in industrial structure and agricultural methods, in trade and transport, in consumption and in the technical arts. As they rise or fall, the fortunes of different classes of the community are made better or worse. The study of them makes possible comparisons between different times and different regions, in respect of wealth and standards of life. The advantage, for this purpose, of extending research into prices and wages over many countries at once is clear. A comprehensive co-ordinated history of prices and wages is a framework which should underlie all studies of economic development. Until recently, no such history has existed, even for a single country. There have been studies of particular periods or topics, such as Wiebe’s analysis of the price revolution of the sixteenth century. There are, for Eng¬ land, Thorold Rogers’ seven volumes published between 1866 and 1902. These volumes are a pioneer work of outstanding importance ; for a generation they have been used by economic historians as the basis of com¬ parisons of prices and wages. This use is, in itself, evidence of the importance attaching to a study of prices and of the need for a new work. For Rogers’ work, while it has no rival, is both incomplete and imperfect. Though it begins early—in 1259—it does not continue as far as the nine¬ teenth century, so as to link on with modern index numbers of prices ; for practical purposes Rogers’ history stops in 1702 and the quality of the later volumes is inferior to that of the earlier ones. Yet even these earlier volumes are based on material much poorer than has now been discovered. Finally, the handling of the material is XXI

xxii

PRICES AND WAGES

IN ENGLAND

marred by occasional errors of judgment, and by statis¬ tical mistakes which, though not of the first importance, are enough to distort appreciably some of the final figures. The purpose of this and the succeeding volumes is to present a history of prices and wages in England, as part of a co-ordinated scheme of parallel studies in other countries. The nature of this international scheme will be described later, when the nature of the English study has been made plain. This English study is a new history, not a revision of the work of Thorold Rogers. One or two of the sources used by him have been examined afresh and in one or two cases his material, as printed, has been used without fresh extraction. But in the main the present history rests on new material. The principle adopted in this work and explained below, of relying only on long series of prices recorded in the same set of documents for the same pur¬ pose, has excluded the use of most of the material known to Thorold Rogers; it has excluded also the use of many personal accounts and commercial documents. The beginning of Thorold Rogers’ work is 1259 and its end for practical purposes is 1702 ; its temporal range is 444 years. The effective beginning of the present work is 1155 and its ending is about 1830 ; its temporal range is 676 years. The beginning in 1155 is determined by the date of the earliest of the Exchequer Pipe Rolls in which a price transaction has been discovered. In the half century following 1155 there are occasional gaps, but from the first of the Winchester Rolls in 1208 there is a price for wheat, at least, in every year to the present day. Before the effective beginning in 1155, comes a period of pre-history, dimly illumined by legal valuations and occasional transac¬ tions. If the period of pre-history be included, the temporal range of the present work is broadly from the Heptarchy to the Reform Act. The date of ending the new history is determined, not by the absence of records, but by the fact that the ground has already been worked. The price series established by Jevons half a century ago begin in 1782, and since the war fresh series from the same date have been compiled by Mr. Silberling. Much work, no doubt, remains to be done on the price history of the nineteenth century. In

GENERAL INTRODUCTION

xxiii

these volumes it seemed sufficient to carry on the earlier series long enough for an overlap of thirty to fifty years with the series established by others. The spatial range, though described as England, is, for the most part, England south and east of a line from the Bristol Channel to the Humber. The ecclesiastical estab¬ lishments of Durham, from 1300 to 1539, afford the most important exception to this statement. Whatever the reason, the North and West of England have not yielded material of the kind forming the basis of the present wrork : that is to say, records of prices or wages paid or received in the same institution or for the same purpose over a substantial period of years. Within the temporal and spatial ranges described above, the subject of this study is prices and wages recorded in documents. A price (or a wage) is the value set upon a given quantity of a particular commodity (or service) in terms of contemporary money. In most cases the price is set as part of a transaction of sale or purchase. In a few cases prices were recorded contemporaneously and systematically for a purpose other than sale or purchase, such as the determination of the Assize of Bread or Beer or the adjusting of rents of land. Practically, the prices of this type used in the present work are confined to wheat, a commodity in this and in other respects deserving of special treatment. And even these prices are recorded as being the market price of the day and place to which they relate. Sometimes sales or purchases are recorded where the bargain is not free and the price is artificial. A manor may sell poultry in the market at one price, and “ for the use of the lord ” at a lower price. A college may buy grain from its tenants on favourable terms. The King’s agents may exercise his right of purveyance, or may agree not to exercise it on condition of getting his supplies at a special rate. Prices of this kind have been excluded from the tabulation. Substantially, the prices presented in this history are prices representing a free bargain between buyer and seller. The documents from which the prices come are the accounts sometimes of the buyer and sometimes of the seller. In Volume I, covering the later period from about

xxiv

PRICES AND WAGES IN ENGLAND

1550 to about 1830, described as the “ Mercantile Era,” the

prices are almost exclusively buying prices : they are taken from the accounts of institutions—schools, hospitals, or Government Departments—recording purchases of goods for use in their administration or for consumption by those for whose maintenance they were responsible. For Volume II, covering the earlier period to about 1550, the most important class of account available is the manorial account, recording sales of farm pro¬ duce and purchases of articles used and wages paid in farming, though there are accounts also of religious institu¬ tions and municipal authorities. This volume, accordingly, has the sub-title of “ Manorial Era ” ; it contains both buying and selling prices in substantial proportions. Some of the selling prices relate to animals or articles delivered as rent in kind ; grain in various forms, sheep, poultry, eggs and cummin figure most frequently in this way.

In Volume III, the prices of the two most important commodities of all—labour and wheat—excluded (with one or two exceptions in the case of wheat) from the other volumes, are presented separately, over the whole period of the history. The wages are those recorded by the employer, that is to say, they are buying prices ; the accounts of wages actually paid are supplemented by a study of wage assessments by justices of the peace. For wheat there are both buying and selling prices and prices officially recorded as those of the market. The series of wheat prices is continued to the present day ; from 1155 to 1937 it covers 783 years. For reasons set out in the appropriate place, the methods of presenting and averag¬ ing the information both as to wheat and as to wages are slightly different from those adopted for prices generallv in Volumes I and II. An institution is often both a buyer and a seller, and, speaking broadly, the distinction between buying prices, and selling prices is not important. The same transaction is the same whoever records it. But the transactions themselves may be of many different kinds, in different places, under different conditions. The bargain may be for a small quantity or a large, for a single delivery or a long contract, for cash or for credit, with or without carriage or charges for handling included in the price.

GENERAL INTRODUCTION

XXV

The bargain may be the subject of taxation or fees of varying kind and amount. The same word for a weight or measure may mean different or changing quantities. The same word for a commodity may mean differing or changing qualities. The same word may describe an animal at different stages of its growth, as when a manor buys poultry for fattening and sells them at a higher level of prices when fattened. The whole value of price records for social and economic history lies in comparison. To know that on a particular occasion in the year 1425 a bushel of wheat changed hands for 6d. is of little interest or importance. If we are able to compare this fact with a later or earlier fact about the same commodity, e.g. that in the same market in 1438 a bushel of wheat changed hands for Is. 10d., interest begins. But even there the interest of these facts about wheat prices and their meaning depend on knowing whether in the same period prices of other articles moved in the same way or differently or not at all. Only when we are able to pass from one commodity to another and compare the prices for different commodities, or types of com¬ modity, between one date and another, or between one place and another, do we begin to extract from price history the essential service that it can render to the study of society.

In the study of modern prices, determination of the “ general level ” of prices and its movements has bulked largely, perhaps at times too largely. Prices have been considered mainly as a means of throwing light on monetary problems ; the construction of index numbers, for all commodities or for a few main groups of commodities, has been an early task. In the present work the emphasis is different. Price-relatives for single commodities, rather than index-numbers for commodities in combination, are the main objective. Index numbers do not appear in any of the first three volumes ; their construction over periods as vast as those covered by this history presents problems of weighting for which there is no easy, indeed no general, solution. At Hinderclay in Suffolk, before the Black Death, wheat was being sold at prices varying with the harvest but ranging about 5s. a quarter ; steel was being bought for

xxvi

PRICES AND WAGES IN ENGLAND

ploughshares and other implements, at prices also varying from year to year and ranging about 6d. a lb., that is to say, at £50 and upwards per ton. To-day a normal price for wheat is about 50s. a quarter, and for steel is about £10 a ton. While the price of wheat has multiplied ten times, that of steel has fallen to a fifth ; a quarter of wheat will buy fifty times as much steel as once it did. The contrast between the wheat age and the steel age could hardly be better illustrated. The difficulties of making index numbers to cover centuries need no further comment. In practice comparisons over periods so great as that chosen for illustration above will seldom be made. But whether the period chosen be short or long, price history is a study not of isolated facts but of relations ; comparison is its essence. This makes it necessary to make as sure as we can in each case that, in comparing prices at different times, we are comparing like with like. Internal and

External Factors

The price at which an article changes hands is affected by factors of two distinct types. One set of factors may be described as internal to the bargain : i.e. the quality and quantity of the article and the terms of sale, e.g. whether it is wholesale or retail, inclusive or exclusive of delivery to buyer’s premises, inclusive or exclusive of charges of various kinds, for cash or for credit. The other set of factors may be described as external : the conditions of demand and the conditions of supply. It is only in so far as movements of prices can be taken to arise from changes in these external factors, and so to reflect changes of economic structure, that they become important to the economist and the historian. Fruitful comparison of prices must be comparison in which it can be assumed that the internal factors are substantially the same for the prices compared. On the other hand, if the assumption can be made with reasonable safety, that the internal factors are the same throughout, any change in the relative prices of any two commodities is a fact to be explained by change of some external factor ; it is a signal pointing to the discovery of something new in the economic structure. If, for in¬ stance, the daily wage of a labourer in 1280 is about half

GENERAL INTRODUCTION

xxvii

the wage of a carpenter, and in 1450 is about threequarters of the wage of a carpenter, there must have been, between those dates, some enduring change, either in the conditions of demand for the special skill of carpenters, or in the conditions of supply; the economic system must have developed, either in the direction of making it necessary to have more labourers to work with each carpenter, or in the direction of making it easier for men to acquire the special skill of carpentry. If again, as between 1550 and 1750, the prices of food, of fuel, of raw materials and of manufactures show different changes, if, say, fuel has risen in price more than food, and manufactures have risen less, we are put at once on enquiry for some change of economic conditions, to explain the change of relative prices. An isolated money price means practically nothing. Any change of relative prices of different commodities, with the internal factors held constant, points to a change of economic conditions calling for discovery. But every¬ thing depends upon being able to assume that the internal factors are constant, or, if they have changed, on being able to allow for and so discount their changes. From this consideration springs the feature which mainly distinguishes the present work from the earlier work of Thorold Rogers. This general introduction is not the place to discuss differences between the results of Thorold Rogers’ work and the present one. That discussion falls to a later volume : it is sufficient here to say that, while many criticisms of detail can be made upon Thorold Rogers, the value of most of his early results, at least, seems likely to remain unshaken and, indeed, confirmed by the new enquiry. It is confirmed all the more because of the difference of methods to which allusion has just been made. Thorold Rogers was prepared to use and to com¬ bine isolated records of transactions in many different places. This exposed him continually to the risk of com¬ paring incomparables, because prices appearing in different records, though nominally for the same thing, may be for different things. There may be differences of quality or of measure or of terms of sale to which no reference is made in the documents, because in each case these things are taken for granted. There may be genuine differences of price level between different places ; to build up a price

xxviii

PRICES AND WAGES IN ENGLAND

series out of entries drawn each year from different places is to build on a foundation that shifts continually. In contrast with Thorold Rogers’ work, the present work is based on series of prices recorded year after year in the same place for similar transactions. Most of the series used extend over fifty years at least; no isolated entries are used at all, except in so far as the prices extracted from the Pipe Rolls, before the Winchester Rolls begin in 1208, though coming from the same set of documents, represent in fact transactions of varying type. Of course, the series available change during the six hundred years covered by the work ; one set of records drops out and another begins. But the resulting change of basis at any one time is small; comparability over any period of time for which compari¬ sons are likely to be useful is not disturbed. The essential advance made by Thorold Rogers on for¬ mer writers lay in basing his history of prices on con¬ temporary documents. The principal difference of method between the present investigation, also confined to documents, and that of Thorold Rogers, lies in basing the study on a limited number of series of prices recorded year after year in the same place for the same purpose, instead of throwing together isolated data from discon¬ nected and varying sources. Reliance on price series and rejection of isolated entries lightens the task of the price historian in two ways. First, it facilitates his interpretation of the data ; this is dis¬ cussed below in dealing with the methods of extraction and tabulation. Second, it brings to his support, in securing comparability of prices at different times, the force of inertia. It may be presumed, as a general rule, that transactions recorded year after year in identical terms in the same set of documents are similar, in respect of quality, measures, terms of sale and other internal factors, unless a change is expressly noted in the docu¬ ments themselves. Of course, if there are gaps in the record, a change may have occurred and may have been noted only in the period covered by the gap. But a reference once or twice only to a change of practice of any importance is unlikely. The more nearly continuous the record as it survives to-day, the less likely is a change of any of the internal factors to escape noting and discovery.

GENERAL INTRODUCTION

xxix

How powerful the force of inertia may be is well illus¬ trated by the persistence of peculiar local measures, in spite of repeated efforts of the central authority to sup¬ press them and to secure uniformity throughout the country. In his confirmation of Magna Charta in 1225, Henry III proclaimed that “ One measure of wine shall be through our Realm, and one measure of ale, and one measure of Corn, that is to say, the Quarter of London.” This was an aspiration repeated century after century by one king after another. But after six centuries of exhor¬ tation or command to uniformity the corn markets of England in 1820 revealed a bewildering variety of bushels, of eight or nine or of ten gallons. The standard bushel of eight gallons, whose use the central authority strove repeatedly to enforce, was known from time immemorial as “ Winchester ” measure. It owed this name to the fact that the standard was kept in the Exchequer, which, from before the Norman Conquest till the loss of the continental possessions of the Crown, was in the king’s castle at Winchester. But in Winchester itself, for all the period covered by the accounts of the College till the end of the eighteenth century, different and larger mea¬ sures were in use : a nine-gallon bushel in the Winchester market, a bushel of nine gallons and two and a half pints in the College itself. The measures of different markets are infinitely various ; the persistence of the same measure in the same market through all efforts by central authority to change it is an experience common to England and to other countries. Thus of Germany Dr. Elsas notes that, great as are the differences of currency as between different towns, the local differences of weights and measures are greater still; but whereas the different local currencies were subject also to perpetual change and depreciation, each local measure, once adopted, showed remarkable persistence. Change of measures without notice in the records is improbable in the extreme. But it is not impossible. There is one striking case among the series used in this history, of an important change of measures taking place without being noted, in a record that is absolutely con¬ tinuous. This case, of the tacit substitution at Exeter in 1670 of an eight- for a ten-gallon bushel, has been described

XXX

PRICES AND WAGES IN ENGLAND

by me in an article already published as “A Statis¬ tical Crime of the Seventeenth Century,”1 the gist of which will be incorporated in a later volume. It is cited here as an illustration of the methods underlying the present study. The change of measures—completely, perhaps deliberately, concealed by the compilers of the record— was discovered by comparison of the levels of wheat prices as recorded at Exeter and elsewhere, before and after the critical date ; after the use of a ten-gallon bushel at Exeter before 1670 had been demonstrated by circum¬ stantial evidence, renewed search in the archives yielded a direct reference to such a measure. The general presumption of comparability in a con¬ tinuous price series was not left to stand unchecked at Exeter and has not been left unchecked in other cases. In price history based on price series, statistical analysis can be used as a second line of defence against error, and has been used systematically for this purpose in the present work. That is to say, the prices of each series have been compared with those in other series with a view to dis¬ covering discontinuities or changes of basis not apparent in the record. It is not pretended, of course, that this second line of defence has been elaborated completely. Complete elaboration would mean extending indefinitely the scope of this study. But at least something has been attempted by way of criticism of the prices before they have been printed. To do much more would have meant delaying indefinitely the production of the tables and performing tasks which should be left to others. Among internal factors affecting price comparisons differences of local weights and measures are perhaps the most general. But they affect only direct comparisons of single prices between two markets. For the reason given—of the persistence of each local measure once established—they do not affect comparison between differ¬ ent times in the same market, or comparison between two markets of the change of prices in each of them between one date and another. Reliance upon price series rather than on isolated bargains is the main safeguard against error through weights and measures. It is also, on the whole, a safeguard against change in 1 Journal of Economic and Business History, Vol. I, No. 4, August 1929.

GENERAL INTRODUCTION

XXXI

the nature of the transaction : from wholesale to retail or the reverse, from including to excluding charges for delivery and handling, or the reverse. Where these problems do arise, they are dealt with in the notes accom¬ panying the tables. There are other factors internal to the bargain to which this safeguard does not apply. Two in particular present special problems which should be mentioned here. First, the price may be affected by the mode of payment, in particular by the difference between prompt settlement and delayed settlement in a credit transaction. Several of the sections forming part of Volume I are based on the accounts of Crown purchases—either for the Royal Household or for Government Departments. It is an unfortunate historical fact that at various times during the Mercantile Era the Crown was a very bad payer ; delay in settling its accounts affected appreciably and variably—according to the amount of delay—the prices which suppliers demanded. There were notorious crises in the affairs of the Admiralty, when prices soared as an insurance against uncertainty of getting any payment at all. There were large fluctuations, according to the degree of delay expected, in the rates of discount on bills drawn by the Crown as payment. The difficulties caused thereby to the historian of prices are considered in their appropriate place as they arise. Except in regard to a few series in a special period, it has not seemed possible or desirable to adjust the prices originally recorded, so as to allow before tabulation for variations in the discount for delayed payment. Second, a number of articles are subject at different times to charges in the nature of taxation. Part of what was paid by the buyer went, not to the seller or to pay expenses of delivery or handling, but to a third party. The “ Richmond shilling ” on every chaldron of coal exported from Newcastle (noted in the section on Green¬ wich Hospital) and the fees paid to officials of the Royal Household by those who desired to become purveyors or to be paid for their supplies (noted in the section on the Lord Steward’s Department) are special illustrations. More general and more variable in its amount, and there¬ fore more disturbing to the course of prices, is the taxation

xxxii

PRICES AND WAGES

IN ENGLAND

for national purposes, imposed on salt, candles, malt, spices and other articles. The introduction of these taxes and their addition to the prices is often noted in the records ; their remission, as with salt in 1825, may change the price level altogether. Whether charges of this nature should be treated as part of the price or not, is a matter on which there may be difference of opinion. The general policy adopted in this work has been to include them in the prices as tabulated. But those who, for their special purpose, desire to work with prices free of taxation will find the information needed to make their adjustments either in the relevant series notes, or in a summary review in the final volume, of the taxation imposed or remitted at different times on articles priced in this work. When all questions of weights and measures or taxation or costs of delivery or terms of payment have been settled, there remains the most general and elusive problem of all, that of quality or description. Even the basic articles of commerce in their simplest form—wheat or iron or salt or beef or wool—are neither uniform nor immune to change. As we proceed from these basic articles to articles involvingmanufacture, however simple, variety and change become commoner, and the need for precise description grows ; bricks, lime, cloth, nails, cheese, oil, candles, ploughshares are different things in different places. Variation of quality or description grows commoner also, as we proceed from earlier to later times : iron becomes distinguished as Spanish or other ; salt becomes white or bay ; bricks, from being just bricks, become “ place ” or “ stock ” and “ stock ” bricks become “ grey stock ” or “ red stock ” ; wool becomes common or fine ; cheese becomes Gloucester or Cheshire. In dealing with the problem of varying quality or des¬ cription, the first safeguard, as has been said, lies in re¬ liance on price series rather than on isolated entries ; in general, for the same purpose the same institution would buy year after year the same quality or description of article ; as change or variety of quality become noticeable, it would be noticed in the record. The next safeguard lies in critical treatment of the material; the steps taken in this history to deal with change and variety of descrip¬ tion of articles known by the same name, and the degree

GENERAL INTRODUCTION

xxxiii

of their success in each case, must be left to be judged by those who use the price tables and the letterpress that explains them. Yet a third safeguard against error through undis¬ covered changes or differences of quality lies in not stretching comparisons over too great a period. That is the way of prudence in all study of prices. The com¬ parison made above, between the relative prices of wheat and steel before the Black Death and now, is interesting and is true in broad outline, but it has no claim to exact¬ ness. The steel of modern commerce must be very differ¬ ent in strength and in temper from the steel that men bought by the pound for ploughshares six centuries ago ; the wheat of to-day, though it may not have changed so much from the wheat of medieval husbandry, is certainly not precisely the same, in specific gravity or in feeding value. The history of prices and wages has been carried here from the twelfth century to the nineteenth, because for all that period there were data that could be used. This does not mean that direct comparisons between the twelfth century and the nineteenth will often be profitable ; the range for fruitful comparisons will more commonly be one century than seven. To provide clues to economic development from one generation to another, rather than picturesque contrasts between distant ages, is the main purpose for which the price tables of this work have been prepared. It remains to say something of their nature and construction. The Price Tables and their Construction

The distinction drawn above between internal and external factors in the making of a price, is not an absolute one. There are factors which from one point of view can be described as internal and from another as external. But the distinction is convenient in more ways than one. It serves, among other things, to define the province of price history in the larger realm of economic history and the scope of the present work. Every change of the relative prices of two different things "(whether they are commodities or services) sets a problem : it points to a change either of internal or of external factors affecting one or both of the two things

xxxiv

PRICES AND WAGES

IN ENGLAND

in question. The problem, in the first resort, is one for the price historian, to determine, if he can, whether any of the internal factors in either bargain have changed. If he can show, or make it probable, that there has been no change of internal factors, he passes on the problem to the economic historian ; he presents to that historian the stimulus of a new fact, requiring explanation by a change of economic structure or conditions. The wTork now presented is price history, not economic history in general. Its object is to provide material for economic historians rather than to do their work. Most emphatically is this true of the volume of Price Tables for the Mercantile Era in which this Introduction appears, and of the volume that follows it for the Manorial Era. The sources of price history are contemporary documents —accounts of money which had just been spent or re¬ ceived by the officers of manors, religious houses, hospitals, colleges, departments of state, municipalities, and other undying institutions. Being contemporary, each single document covers a strictly limited period—usually a year of account; each covers, as a rule, many different articles. The nature of some of the more important types of docu¬ ment used is illustrated by a few photographs in this and other volumes. Some, like the Navy Victualling Account of the time of the Armada, have an individual interest as well. Others, like the page from one of the earliest rolls of Hinderclay, are typical of thousands of similar pages in the inexhaustible store of manorial records. The documents thus illustrated are the raw material of price history. The first stage in the production of price history from this raw material is extraction. This is not mere deciphering and copying out. With the earlier documents, it involves translation from medieval Latin. With all the documents, it involves selection of what appears to be relevant to the purpose in hand and rejection of what is not essential, in order to save labour of useless copying. The prices derivable from the documents ap¬ pear in the documents themselves in different ways. Sometimes a price is recorded directly ; sometimes it has to be calculated from a statement of quantity bought or sold and the total sum paid or received for it; often all three—quantity, sum and price—appear and check one

Price Extracts from the Rent Rolls of the Bishopric of Winchester Witney Manor, October 7529-September 1336 (P.R.O. Eccl. 2.)

StocR

I

s $

?; s i

^* c C U

rc

C

Cl

fs-} •*+ill .5

-~~£~3r

IVI11J1A AAW mu

1' c*-

S

IT *v

"I I > »

*-►'5

,

r

a $■ J 1 4)

t'. ,

k.

5

s

4 ?■ * 4 JL V i 5 •v -»♦ ;j, 4 -4 4 if '3

'

JET _ ^

.,.,

_,

a

jU; i ;i *- *

| Jf xl ^4 *'1

s-iii

GENERAL INTRODUCTION

XXXV

another. Occasionally the price quoted does not agree with the price calculated from quantity and sum, and decision has to be made as to where the error lies, but this decision comes at a later stage than extraction. In this first stage of extraction there are many other decisions to be made, not only as to what transactions to include, but as to how much is to be copied about such transactions. These decisions vary with the nature of the material. In the Manorial Era, it has generally seemed worth while, as a check on errors and as confirmation of exceptional prices, to extract quantities and sums as well as prices, even where the latter were quoted directly. In the Mercantile Era, with its greater volume of transactions, the labour of full extraction from the larger accounts, such as those of the Navy, would have been prohibitive ; extraction in such cases was usually limited to prices, without quantities or other details. Whatever the fullness or the reverse of the extracts, their arrangement has necessarily followed that of the documents. The extracts from the Winchester Rolls of 1208 to 1453 or the Navy Victualling Ledgers from 1683 to 1775, like the rolls and the ledgers from which they are copied, each relate to a single year of account and each cover many separate articles. The nature of these extracts the first stage from document to price table—is illustrated by photo¬ graphs1 of two pages out of thousands laboriously made by the extractors in the muniment rooms of England. Repre¬ senting the two sources named above—one early and one late—the photographs illustrate also the difference of method in extraction, for the Manorial and the Mercantile Eras respectively. The second stage in the production of price history may be described as serialization : the rearrangement of the material, so as to get, in place of annual extracts covering a variety of articles, all the entries for the same article arranged in a series, over all the years for which entries relating to that article can be found. One of the lessons learned by experience in the compilation of this history is that correct interpretation of an entry in any one year depends often upon study of corresponding entries in other years. The documents for price history are practical 1

Facing pp. xxxiv and xxxv.

xxxvi

PRICES AND WAGES

IN ENGLAND

as well as contemporary ; they do not record matters which their compilers took for granted, as being matters of common knowledge. Very seldom, for instance, do they say anything about the measures they were using or about the terms of the transaction. That is to say, they seldom say anything about such matters, unless there was a change from traditional practice. In the early days of the study, a special note about measures in one year, giving, for instance, the number of bushels in a sack of coal, or gallons in a barrel of oil or tar, or pounds in a stone of wool, were welcomed as a guide to those measures in the series as a whole. Experience showed that such notes must be taken more often as a warning than as a guide. If a sack of coal was specified in a particular year as containing a given quantity, it was almost certain that sacks in all previous years contained a different quantity. It was about an even chance that sacks in succeeding years were also something different. A special note as to measures may mean either an exception which is not repeated, or the coming of a permanent change; which it means can as a rule be determined only by looking at the series of entries and prices from beginning to end. What is said of measures here applies equally to special comment on other matters, such as the inclusion or exclu¬ sion of charges for transport, the giving or not giving of food with money wages, the quality or the source of supply. A change of accounting officers or scribes some¬ times changes the form of entry ; it may lead to noting by the new officer of matters which his predecessors took for granted and left obscure. A change or difference of quality may at some point become so marked as to call for comment, and the comment in that year may explain by inference differences of price recorded without explana¬ tion in earlier years. An entry in any one of a series of annual accounts of the same institution may throw light backwards and forwards, on all the other accounts of the same series. The price record for one year cannot safely be interpreted till all the years for which corresponding records are available have been examined together. Thus, for threshing in the Winchester Manors and at Hinderclay payments are recorded by the quarter, at first without further description. At various dates between

GENERAL INTRODUCTION

xxxvii

1282 and 1335 in the Winchester Manors and in 1325 at Hinderclay the measure begins to be described, sometimes as rased (or rased standard) and sometimes as heaped, at rates of pay adjusted accordingly. After a time refer¬ ences to the type of measure cease ; the quarter is left undescribed again. In this ease, the entries in the period of transition throw light both backwards and forward. They leave no doubt that the undescribed quarter of the early years is heaped and that the undescribed quarter of the later years is rased, and they make possible an easy translation of one measure into another. If we had no series covering the transition, or used isolated entries without description we should have no guide to the nature of the measure. The meaning of a rate of pay in 1270 or 1350 cannot be determined without the help of entries, say, from 1300 to 1330. This is a simple illustration of the need for serialization. The same need in other cases is illustrated again and again in the series notes which accompany the tables of prices. Reliance on price series, rather than on isolated entries, affects, therefore, the treatment of our material as well as the choice of material. Serialization is an indispensable second stage in the production of price history from the archives. The detailed procedure in this stage varies according to the material. In general it involves a rough tabulation for each article separately of all the transactions recorded from beginning to end of the set of accounts, showing separately all the entries, if there is more than one in each year, bringing under review the series as a whole, making it possible to discern errors, to exclude anomalous entries, to infer changes of quality or measure or terms of sale. From serialization follows, as a third stage, annual tabulation : the setting down of a single average price for each year, in the same units of currency and quantity. This annual tabulation, after yet a fourth stage of statistical criticism, yields the Primary Tables, which are the princi¬ pal features of the whole work. The fourth stage, of statistical criticism, takes many forms according to the material in hand, dhe most general form is that of comparing (usually by decennial means) the level of prices for each series with the level of

xxxviii

PRICES AND

WAGES

IN ENGLAND

prices in a series for a similar commodity elsewhere, with a view to the discovery of discrepancies or sudden changes of level calling for an explanation. The leading instance of such criticism and its successful result in the discovery of the large Exeter bushel has been mentioned already. The sectional introductions and series notes give many other instances. In relation to commodities whose prices are subject to violent fluctuations from year to year, as a result of harvest failure or success, statistical criticism may take another form. The course of wheat prices over a period of years is marked by such well-defined peaks and depressions, of bad harvests and good harvests, that the price recorded in any entry is of material assistance as a check to its dating. The same holds true of hops and, less generally, of grains other than wheat. Comparison of prices for individual years has led occasionally to finding that a particular entry had been mis-dated, or even that a roll which the extractors had attributed to, say, the first Edward, really belonged to the second Edward. The five stages named above, of extraction, serialization, first tabulation of annual prices, statistical criticism, and final tabulation of Primary Tables, apply to all series. In some cases, according to the nature of the material, two early intermediate stages of making a “ continuity table ” and of “ pricing ” may be required. Where, for instance, a series of accounts covers a long period and a great variety of articles, the first stage in dealing with the extracts has often been the making of a “ continuity table.” This means running through the full series of extracts to note which of the many articles covered appear regularly through the years covered, and so to determine which articles are worth serialization. Where the extracts give sums and quantities only, there is required in many cases a stage of “ pricing,” that is to say, of calculating the price of the transaction from the data. Often pricing is found to be necessary even where the extracts, in addition to quantity and sum, give a quoted price. Experience shows that the quoted price may be a round rather than an exact price, or that there may be error in one part or other of the record. Pricing may take place either before serialization, by entry of the

GENERAL

INTRODUCTION

XXXIX

calculated price upon the extracts themselves, or as part of the process of serialization. The latter plan has the advantage that the labour of pricing is not undertaken, unless and until it is clear that material for a series is available and also until it is clear in what unit the price will ultimately be expressed. Primary

Tables

The fifth normal stage from the archives is the first and most general form of publication : the Primary Tables of the first three volumes. These tables give, for each commodity, a yearly average price, in terms of contempo¬ rary money, made comparable from year to year by expres¬ sing each series throughout its length in the same units of currency and quantity and by clearing the series, so far as possible, from errors and from changes of any internal factors. For some articles it is possible and profitable in some cases to tabulate prices for smaller periods than a year—by months or by quarters ; these prices have been included, in italic type, in the Primary Tables. The Primary Tables are accompanied by sectional intro¬ ductions describing, so far as is necessary for understanding of the tables, the institution to which they relate and the documents from which they are drawn, and by a set of notes on each price series that has been tabulated. The Primary Tables are material for the economic historian. But they are not the raw material of the records copied out and printed. Literal reproduction of the records would involve extravagantly wasteful use of paper and print, and at the same time leave the material in a form so intractable that hardly anyone could use it. The prices derivable from the documents appear in the documents themselves in different ways ; sometimes in direct quotation, sometimes by calculation from a state¬ ment of quantity bought or sold and the total sum paid or received for it 5 sometimes both calculable and quoted. The units of currency and quantity used in the documents differ for different articles, or vary from time to time in the course of the record and for simplicity of comparison enclosing a price in a table means that the price is regarded as untrustworthy or not comparable with the rest of the series. * attached to a price in a table means that there is a note on that price in the series note, usually with the implication that the price, though it has been accepted, is accepted only with a warning. .A dotted line across a date or price column indicates a gap in the series. -A line running half-way across a price column indicates that

lx

PRICES AND WAGES IN ENGLAND

there is some change in the source or character of the series at that point, but that this is held not to affect the substantial continuity of the series and the comparability of prices before and after the half line. The ground for drawing a half line is explained as a rule in the series note, but in exceptional cases, as where the half line applies on a com¬ mon ground to many series, this may be given only in the sectional introduction. - A line running right across a price column indicates that there is a change in the character of the series making it unsafe to treat the prices before and after the line as comparable. A few asterisks and half lines appearing in price-relative-tables are explained only in the Introduction to their section, but since any signs are not in general used in the tables of price-relatives, the relevant series note should be read in every case before a table of price-relatives is used. An alphabetical list of commodities with page references to the relevant series notes is given on pp. 755-756. Page references to series notes are given only in this Index of Commodities. The page references in the section summaries and series notes are to the first and last pages of tables only ; page references following “ P.R” are to tables of pricerelatives. In the tables themselves, continuation references are given where a table is not continued on consecutive pages or sets of two pages. Where, although on consecutive pages, a table does not run to the bot¬ tom of the earlier page or runs to or from an inset column, continuation references are also given, on the earlier page in the former case, on the full page in the latter case. Tables having more than one column on a page are given continuation references where one of the columns is inset, i.e. has a heading below the level of the main page headings. A general list of the sources used in preparing the tables and letterpress is given on pp. 743-751 ; specific references in footnotes to the sources are confined as a rule to cases where a document is quoted verbally. GROUPING OF ARTICLES FOR PRICE HISTORY XI. I. Grain and Other Crops. XII. II. Grain Products. XIII. III. Livestock, Meat and XIV. Poultry. XV. IV. Dairy Produce, Fats, etc. XVI. V. Fish. XVII. VI. Vegetables. VII. Fruit. VIII. Sugar, Spices, etc. IX. Miscellaneous Foods. X. Drinks.

Light, fuel, etc. Textiles. Hides and Skins, etc. Building Materials. Metals. Chemicals and Miscellaneous. Other Articles of Common Use.

WINCHESTER COLLEGE

/

2

WINCHESTER COLLEGE — SECTION SUMMARY

Price Unit

Commodity

Index Base 1720-44 Shillings

No. of years

Period Covered

Length in years Gross

Tables Pages

Net

I. Wheat Oats Peas & Beans Hay Straw Hops Rice

qr.

29-94 13-34

25 25

1630 -1817 1630 -1817

188 188

188 188

289 315 81

177 266 77

load

81-84 83 P.R:702-705 Appendix pp. 71-72 Series Note pp. 21-22 ,, ,, pp. 23-26 81-83 P.R:704-705 Appendix p. 76

cwt.

115-54

7

1393 -1681 1396 -1710 1737 J—1817

qr.

51-56

8

1613J-1798

186

134

”

23-39

25

1630 -1817

188

188

1550^-1605 1552+-1605 1566 -1609 1584 -1591 1584 -1783 1542 -1694

56 54 44

47 28 30

200 153

180 84

Series Note p. 30 ,, ,, p. 32 ,, p. 31 ., p. 33 81-83 P.R:702—705 84-89 P.R:702-704

163

Appendix p. 73 pp. 73-74 82-83

,,

n. Oatmeal Bread Malt

82-83 P.R:702-704 Appendix pp. 72-73 81-84 P.R:702-705

m. Oxen Sheep Calves Lambs Beef & Mutton Rabbits

each >1

,, stone doz. prs.

1-99 (15-55)

12

IV. Butter Cheese Suet Oil (See XI)

doz. lb.

2-99

12

1618 -1783

166

vn & vm. Dried Fruits & Spices Sugar

Appendix pp. 74^75 ,, pp. 75-76

IX. Salt : Bay Lymington White

bu. \ j

,,

4-85

9

1545 -1584+ 1545 -1584+ 1712 -1817

40 40 106

23 23 88

/1393 -1545 1 1618 -1710+ 1567J-1623

153 93 57

122 40 35

1674 f1393 ■{ 1714 L1771 1393

143 264 25 46 165

93 220 20 45 131

84 84 88 P.R:704-705

X. Beer Wine : For the Chapel For the Election

doz. gals. pipe

Appendix pp. 76-78 85-87 88-90 87-88

XI. Coal

chaldron

Candles

doz. lb.

Wax Oil Charcoal and FireWOOD

35-73

7

5-50

14

-1816 -1657 -1738 -1816 -1557

90 P.R:703-705 5 85-90 P.R:702-705 85-87 Appendix pp. 78-80 „

p. 78

WINCHESTER COLLEGE — SECTION SUMMARY — Continued

Commodity

Price Unit

Index Base 1720-34 No. of Shillings years

3

Length in Years Period Covered

Tables Pages

Gross

Net

1393 -1816

424

357

85-90 P.R:702-705

1393 -1553 1395 -1464 1394 -1454

161 70 61

119 49 34

85-87 Series Note pp. 50-51 ,, ,, pp. 50-51

1406 -1476

71

46

-1545 -1687 -1681 -1681

143 133 52 76

101 115 45 48

85-87 87-90 88-90 88-90

301. tCloth :

A. For Scholars & Servants B. For Fellows, Stewards and Others Ray : For Servants For Grooms For Stewards & Gentlemen

piece

120-00

>> it

25

,,

pp. 50-51

1 Linen & Canvas : Canvas:A

B

11

doz. ells it

1403 1555 1630 1606

it

Holland

tt

a

Lockram

a

a

XIV.

i Lime Tiles

: Unspecified Coping

Tilepins

biga 1,000 100 qr.

(16-30) (19-19)

1398J-1701 1447 -1701 1403 -1678 1443J-1657

304 255 276 215

193 126 74 100

85-90 P.R: 702-703 89-90 P.R:702-703 Series Note p. 61 89

doz. lb.

(12-67)

1413J-1675

263

148

85-90 P.R:702-705

1393 -1705 1395 -1670 1349 -1580 1429 -1581 15201-1710

313

212

187 153 191

106 35 113

85-99 Series Note p. 68 85-87 85-87 87-90

XV. El Pewter

:xvn. El Parchment :

Unspecified Calf-skin :! Paper :

A

doz. each ream

B Sealing Wax

doz. lb.

WINCHESTER COLLEGE Introduction

was founded by William of Wykeham, Bishop of Winchester, by his Charter of 1382 and occupied in March 1394.1 It was endowed with lands in various southern counties.2 The Founder decreed3 that the collegiate society should consist of a warden, ten fellows, three chaplains, three lay clerks, a schoolmaster, an usher, seventy scholars, sixteen choristers, several servants and ten commoners, all residing at the College and all but the last maintained at the expense of the Foundation. From among the fellows the Vice Warden, the Sacrist and two bursars were elected yearly and the remaining fellows were required by the statutes to act as Steward of the Hall in weekly rotation. All, except the commoners, were provided with livery cloth and the officials received yearly stipends. In addition, there was a Steward of lands, followed in the sixteenth century by a non-resident High Steward, assisted by a resident Clerk of lands, law officers,4 who included attorneys in the various courts of law, one or more stewards of the College estates, the Notary and the Auditor. The total number resident at any time between 1400 and 1800 was about 140, excluding the fluctuating numbers of day boys and extra commoners. The Election of scholars to Winchester and New College, Oxford, was held in July, August or September, accord¬ ing to the discretion of the Warden of New College, and was the occasion of a scrutiny into the conduct of the College by the Warden and fellows. The Bursars presented yearly for audit their final accounts of all receipts and expenditure during the year of account from Michaelmas to Michaelmas.5 These still exist in a nearly continuous series, of rolls from March 1394 till Winchester College

1 Cf. T. F. Kirby : Annals of Winchester College, pp. 1-9 et passim. 2 Hampshire, Wiltshire, Dorset, Isle of Wight, Middlesex, Oxfordshire and Bu ckinghamshire. 3 Statute of 1404. Kirby, op. cit., pp. 77-92, App. XI. 4 Cf. H. Chitty : Lawyers employed by Winchester College during the 15th Century. 6 The four terms of the year run from Michaelmas to Christmas, Christmas to Lady Day, Lady Day to Midsummer, Midsummer to Michaelmas. 5

6

PRICES AND WAGES IN ENGLAND

1555, thereafter of books. From 1737 to 1781 a double set of accounts exists known as Bursars’ Ledgers and Bursars’ Account Books. The chief of the subsidiary accounts were those kept by the Steward of the Hall, the Manciple and the Sacrist. The date of the audit was never earlier than the end of October and sometimes as late as mid-December, and the accounts sometimes included expenses incurred between Michaelmas and the Audit. The Bursars’ Rolls and Books are the main source of information about prices and wages. They come down to the present day but have not been examined for prices after 1817. They are available for nearly every year of the period covered. Following the Receipts, from rents and other sources, the Expenses side, for the first century and a half to 1541, b^gan with a Commons Account (described below), which was followed by sections recording the year’s expenses in the various departments of the College. The most considerable of these other expenses1 were for repairs to the College buildings and for livery cloth. The former included wages of artisans, which will be dealt with in Vol. Ill, and prices of building materials. The following table sets out these departments and the commodities for which prices occur regularly or occasionally. Department

Commodities given in Price Series

Chapel

Wine, wax, linen, parch¬ ment, candles3, oil3.

Hall

Linen, pewter, candles3, oil 3. Cups (see Pewter).

Pantry and Buttlery Kitchen

Brewery and Bakehouse Stable

Pewter.

Linen. Oats3, hay3, straw3, beans3.

Commodities not lated2

Tabu-

Incense, wafers for Mass, mats, rushes, silver vessels, rope, glass, lead, solder. Tubs, trenchers and other utensils. Barrels and other ves¬ sels. Brass, iron, wooden and earthen utensils, knives. Sacks, barrels and hoops. Horses, horseshoes, har¬ ness and saddles.

] They included also costs of Founder’s kin, of yearly election of scholars to Winchester and New College, Oxford, foreign expenses and the yearly stipends. 2 The accounts contain also occasional prices of other commodities. 3 Transferred to the Staurum Account in the sixteenth century.

WINCHESTER COLLEGE Department

Commodities given in Price Series

Commodities not lated1

7 Tabu¬

Treasury (Bur¬ sars’ Office) Garden and Meadow

Parchment, paper, sealing wax.

Liveries Necessaries and Gifts

Woollen cloth. Wines, linen, straw for bed¬ ding.

Lamb skins. Feathers, silver and leather vessels ; car¬ riage of goods bought beyond Winchester.

Buildings

Lime, tiles, tile-pins.

Nails, iron, lead, solder, glass, pitch, sand, clay, earth, flints, plaster, hair, boards, shingles.

Pens, ink. Onion and hemp seed, garden tools, hedging materials.

For some of these commodities prices are available from the beginning of the accounts in 1393 or soon after. But as appears from the table, neither food nor fuel is included therein. These, till 1541, were provided under the system of commons, by which weekly allowances2 to cover costs of meals and fuel were apportioned to each member of the society and servants, according to status, as a device to calculate and check expenditure on food, drink and fuel. In consequence of the allocation of these fixed rates, no particulars exist as to the actual prices of these commo¬ dities. The Commons Account was calculated according to the numbers present at meals in hall. By Rubric XIII of the Statutes the weekly allocations were to be Is. for each fellow and chaplain, for the schoolmaster and usher, lOd. for each lay clerk and 8d. for each scholar.3 In practice4 the Warden’s commons were rated at 2s. per week and might even rise to 3s. in times of scarcity, those of servants of the standing of vadlet at 10d., those of the rank of groom at 8d. and those of choristers and boy 1 3 4 the

The accounts contain also occasional prices of other commodities. Cf. Kirby, op. cit., pp. 80, 486-7. Commoners paid for their own board. I.e. in the Bursars’ Rolls 1399-1541. These adjustments were permitted under Statutes.

8

PRICES AND WAGES IN ENGLAND

servants at 6d. In periods of high prices Is. 2d. or Is. 4d. a week might be allowed for fellows. The allowances covered expenditure on food, drink and fuel for cooking, baking bread and brewing beer and for heating the Hall on feast days in winter, the only times when fires were per¬ mitted there. Two meals, dinner and supper, were served daily, with breakfast for those under sixteen years of age. If the total expense of food, drink and fuel in any year was less than the total allocations a surplus was accounted at the end of the year known as Excrescentia commonarum; if the expense exceeded the allocations a deficit appeared in the Bursars’ Accounts. During the fifteenth century the total yearly allocations for commons were usually between £220 and £230, with variations due to the varying number of persons and to different rates, and there was nearly always a surplus, sometimes as great as £57 8s. (1456) ; between 1405 and 1475 a deficit occurred only in four years (1405, 1437, 1438 and 1446). Later the surplus disappeared and early in the sixteenth century there were usually deficits caused by the permanent rise in prices. Between 1534 and 1541 there was a deficit every year. A new method of accounting for commons was therefore adopted in 1542, in order to ensure a more comprehensive statement of the current expenses for food, drink and fuel. From 1542 onwards, the Bursars entered the total sums spent weekly on provisions and supplementary purchases by the Manciple in the Rolls or Books in place of the former Commons Account, which now disappeared. After the expenses of the departments, liveries, stipends and all other expenditure, a new section was henceforward added: the Staurum or Stock Account. This covered costs of food, drink and fuel used during the year and gave com¬ monly only a single total quantity for each commodity with the cost of the same. The accounts were not kept uniformly ; some bursars unfortunately omitted quantities entiiely from their Staurum Accounts. Since a store was kept of most kinds of provisions, the consumption in any year consisted partly of the remainder unused purchased in the year preceding, partly of fresh purchases in the current year. In a few years entries were divided into “ left in store and used during the year ” and “ bought and used during the year,” and in these cases the average

WINCHESTER COLLEGE

9

current prices are known.1 The yearly average of the Staurum expenses during its first decade rose to £511 compared with an average allowance of £235 under the old system. Only minor alterations in the method of keeping the Bursars’ Accounts were made after 1542.2 From 1523 liveries were no longer distributed to the senior members of the society, but they received instead money allowances and from 1599 the servants’ liveries also were commuted for money. As a result of the abandonment of the commons system, prices for articles covered by it became available in the Bursars’ Accounts from 1542 onwards. But for some of the most important commodities—including wheat, malt, and to a less extent livestock—the prices soon became artificial; for grains they remained artificial for nearly a hundred years to 1630. Owing to the permanent rise in price, renewals of leases to tenants of farms after 1551 were usually made only in consideration of their accepting contracts to provide fixed quantities of grain, livestock, firewood or fodder at rates below current prices ; such deliveries were taken as part of rent. Tenants were not as a rule required to supply more than one class of commodity and that kind was determined partly by the capacity of the farm and partly by its distance from the College. Fodder and firewood were required only from holdings within a few miles of Winchester ; grain came from a wider area and sheep were sent chiefly from the good pasture lands in Dorset and the Isle of Wight. Poultry came in from properties which had customarily supplied rent hens and capons. Even with this protection against the rise in prices to which the increase in expenses was due, expenditure rose far above any former figures. Increased receipts to balance heavier expenditure were effected at this period by raising rents 1 Provisions were listed in the following order : wheat, malt, oats, oatmeal, beans and peas, hops, beer (when bought), oxen, sheep, offal (if paid for), calves, lambs, rabbits, pork, horses (occasionally), salt fish, suet, tallow, oil, salt, sugar, spices, raisins and currants, butter and cheese, rice, mustard and vinegar, charcoal, tallwood, faggots, candles, but for several of these commodities quantities were very seldom given. These commodities are : salt fish, tallow, oil, sugar, spices, dried fruits, dairy produce, rice and condiments. 2 The principal change was the appearance of Costs of Stoke Park in the expenses after the acquisition of this property in 1546. Stoke Park was run as a grazing farm for the College until 1606 and possibly later. The Reformation caused some reduction in the costs of the Chapel.

10

PRICES AND WAGES IN ENGLAND

when leases fell in for renewal, and after 1576 under the terms of the Rent Act.1 Under this Act one third of every existing rent of the Colleges2 was henceforward to be rendered either in wheat rated at 6s. 8d. a quarter or malt rated at 5s. a quarter.3 Failing delivery of the grain the tenant was required to pay a sum of money equivalent to his corn assignment at the current prices of wheat or malt in Winchester on the market day next before the rent fell due. Henceforward the amount of the rents rose with the upward trend of prices. The income from rents in money and in kind appeared in the Receipts under the headings “ Increment of the Granary ” (1577-1638) and “ Third part of the Rents ” (from 1583—included with Increment of Granary from 1597). The Bursars valued rent grain in the Staurum Account at the low rates prescribed by the Rent Act, while the difference between these rates and cur¬ rent prices was included in Receipts. After an investiga¬ tion by the High Steward of lands in 1630, rent grain was rated at current prices both in the Staurum Account and under Receipts and grain prices free from artificiality can be given from that year. The Bursars were hardly ever able, between 1542 and 1630, to avoid altogether some purchases of wheat in the free market. From 1542 to 1550 indeed all their purchases seem to have been of this character and the prices of wheat at Winchester fluctuated closely in accord with those at London and Exeter. Thereafter the new leasing policy began, and as prices elsewhere rose the ter College prices in general level fell more and more behind. But particularly in times of bad harvest it appeared to be necessary to buy some part at least of the supplies in the market, so that the Staurum prices (being an average of artificial and market prices) showed marked rises in such years as 1586, 1596, 1622-24, while between 1551 and 1576 something more than 6s. 8d. per qr. was paid in every year except 1559 and 1571. In 1630 the level of the Winchester College prices changed abruptly and they shot up to general agreement thereafter with the pi ices in other series. At the same time the sums entered 1 Stat. 18 Eliz., c. 6. Ee- Eton> Winchester and the Colleges of Oxford and Cambridge. l• relAof £12 ,would thus be paid two thirds in money = £8 and one third in hind as 12 qrs. wheat or 16 qrs. malt.

I

WINCHESTER COLLEGE

11

as Staurum expenses rose substantially. In 1638 a detailed Rental was drawn up giving the exact sums due in money and provisions from each College property with the current value of the latter, while entries of all other profits such as fines, heriots, rent capons and sales of timber were meticu¬ lously entered. This Rental was used as a model for drawing up the annual rents in a series of documents known as the Audit Books, of which the first extant is for 1657 and the last is for 1762. From 1639 sums were no longer entered under Increment of the Granary but receipts of rent grain and money due for the Third Part were entered under individual estates. In the eighteenth century the Bursars’ Accounts were kept with less detail than before. Rates paid for many commodities are, from this period, unknown, though there are prices for grain, scholars’ cloth, fuel, meat, candles, hops and salt with a few other commodities. The Staurum Account was undetailed after 1705, quantities being entered only for grain and meat and from 1718 to 1720 for meat alone. Luckily a second series of Bursars’ Account Books is extant from 1737 with a single forerunner for 1725, and these contain detailed Staurum entries to 1782 with quantities for some provisions later. The original series was continued as Bursars’ Ledgers, in which current local “ Corn Prices ” corresponding to those in the Audit Books were entered under the name of Pretia. The Pretia were from sales in the Winchester market and were stated from 1788 to 1806 to be “ best market prices.” They were used as a basis for assessing rents. Money allocations were made to the Warden and Bursars in place of wheat for Election bread from 1629 and for malt for Election beer from 1631. From 1711 fellows were supplied from Staurum with bread and beer only ; money allocations to them and to the Warden for fuel and other commodities were included in Expenses under Costs of Necessaries and elsewhere. From 1735 yearly stipends of the fellows were increased by £15. They received their usual allocations for livery cloth and fuel and 10s. a week each in place of commons. They paid the Bursars for the bread and beer issued to them from the Staurum. From 1743 the Warden received a money allocation, based on current wheat prices, in place of a

12

PRICES AND WAGES IN ENGLAND

former allowance of 2 bu. wheat for bread weekly and 5 bu. flour a year. Purchases on behalf of fellows and masters of provisions, other than commodities from the Staurum, were entered in the Manciple’s Book from the sixteenth century and few details for these exist. Though the Staurum continued to cover the main purchases for diets, the supplementary expenditure intheManciple’s Book became relatively higher. Although not strictly comparable because of the changes in methods of accounting, figures at 50-year intervals for the whole period are given in a table below to indicate the general development of receipts and expenses of the College. Total Receipts H.Yr. 1394 1431 1481 1531 1581 1631 1681 1731 1781

£ 512 563 718 878 1141 3267 3023 3111 6132

s. 11 9 13 4 7 14 5 15 12

d. 1 7 8 8 6 5 8 4 0

Increment Commons or of the Staurum Granary Expenses1

Arrears £ s. 205 7 102 5 76 16 200 0

d. 6 7 7 0

£

75 1135 300

0

0

s.

d.

£

4 5

221 11 6 227 7 8 245 5 11 1 780 18 7 0 1588 5 2 1569 4 2 1100 0 10 1490 9 1

s.

d.

Expenses from Manciple’s Book £

s.

d.

110 377 521 758 866

1 4 0 0 0

02 5 0 0s O3

Total Expenses £ 320 477 551 628 1422 2670 3282 3161 4804

8. d. 18 12 6 13 2 12 6 18 10 19 0 16 3 11 1 9 7

The arrears, i.e. stock and money in hand, were usually valued at the artificial figure of £200 in 1496-1530, whereas the debits due to be handed over by the retiring Bursars varied between £212 and £350. Only £200 was carried forward to the head of the succeeding account. From the late sixteenth to the early eighteenth century such sums were regarded as profit and were divided between the Warden and fellows after the Audit. It is probable that this was the practice with regard to any excess over £200 during 1496-1530. The problem of corn measures in the Winchester College accounts is complicated, since the College used a bushel of its own, differing from the local bushel, which in turn differed from the standard bushel of eight gallons. The 1 Commons to 1541 cover costs later divided between Staurum Accounts and Expenses of the Manciple’s Book. Manciple’s Books exist 1640-44, cf. Rogers VI. 2 Totals of the Manciple’s Book in the sixteenth centurv varied greatly :°in 1542 he spent £72 12s. 9d., in 1556 £49 12s. 9d. and in 1564 £68 2s. Id. 3 Including £312 for commons at 10s. a head a week for fellows ^nd masters.

WINCHESTER COLLEGE

13

first reference that has been discovered in the College records to the capacity of the College bushel is in June 1719 when the cooper who measured it testified that it was three pints larger than the other vessels made by him for local use. In 1776 the College bushel was again measured “ very exactly ” and was found to “ exceed the 9-gallon bushel by one quart a half pint only,” that is to say it was pints, not 3 pints, greater than the local 9-gallon bushel. These records show that the local bushel in use in Win¬ chester and its neighbourhood during the eighteenth cen¬ tury contained nine gallons, in place of eight gallons. This, in spite of the statute 22 Ch. II, c. 8 passed in 1670 and prohibiting any measure for corn other than one “ agreeable to the standard marked in his Majesty’s exchequer commonly called the Winchester measure con¬ taining eight gallons to the bushel and no more or less.” The origin and use of the term “ Winchester measure ” to describe the standard which the central authority attempted to enforce is discussed elsewhere. Here it is sufficient to say that the term dates from the time when the Exchequer was at Winchester, and has no reference to the measures used in Winchester or its neighbourhood. “ Winchester measure ” was not used at Winchester in 1670 or for 120 years thereafter, or so far as can be judged from the College records, at any time before 1670. The Act of 1670 was followed almost immediately by another (22 and 23 Ch. II, c. 12) which, while strengthen¬ ing its provisions in some ways, specifically exempted corn rents from it: “ Provided always and be it further enacted by the authority aforesaid That it shall and may be lawful for every person or persons, bodies publick or corporate, or any of them, to whom any salt, rent-corn, or tithecorn is reserved or due by any lease, grant, contract, custom or usage, to receive and take all such rent or other duties of salt and corn as is or shall be so reserved or due, or the just and full value thereof in ready money, according to the proportion and quan¬ tity and by the like measures and in such manner as the same were due and paid before the beginning of this parliament; any thing herein or in any other law or statute to the contrary in any wise notwithstanding.”

14

PRICES AND WAGES IN ENGLAND

The College accordingly was free to use for the deter¬ mination of corn rents, under leases or under the Act of 1576, the same measure after 1670 as it had been using before and there can be little doubt that this was the College bushel of something more than 9 gallons. This appears from the following considerations. First, from Christmas 1732 the prices of rent corn in the Audit Books are given as per bushel “ cum additamento”. The Pretia recorded in the Bursar’s Ledgers from 1737 onwards are noted in the same way as being cum addita¬ mento till the first term of 1781 ; in the second term, a note appears stating that “ the sixteenth is no longer added to the price annually it having been at once added to the quantity of corn.”1 The Corn Book notes further “ Thus for instance, Allington in the old Corn Books (i.e. the Audit Books) stands rated at 1 qr. wheat instead of 1 qr. 2 pks. and 2 qrs. 4 bu, 1 pk. malt instead of 2 qrs. 5 bu. 2 pks. which it is charged with upon this new valuation.” That is to say, till 1781 Pretia were reached by adding onesixteenth to the prices at which sales were actually made in the market. Thus it is recorded that “ Farmer Hay tor of Littleton bought of Farmer Smith of Dummer Down, a Load of Wheat, on Saturday 26 Sept. 1772, being the Market Day immediately preceding Michaelmas Day, for £16,” that is at 8s. a bushel, since the load held 40 bushels. The corresponding Pretium for Michaelmas 1772 is 8s. 6d. a bushel, i.e. 8s. plus the sixteenth. Again in 1777 it is noted that on St. Thomas’ day (21st Dec.) wheat was sold in the Winchester market at £12 12s. the load which “ by the bushel with the sixteenth added comes to 6s. 8|d.” ; this is 6s. 3^d. per bushel market price with 4fd. for the sixteenth. Second, allocations of money to the Warden in place of wheat and malt, were made at prices corresponding to the Pretia up to 1781(1), thereafter for five years at one sixteenth above Pretia and thereafter from 1787 to 1792(1) at the same level as Pretia, “ the sixteenth 1 In a “ Corn Book ” for the years 1777-SI, similar in form to the Audit Books which stop in 1762, a note is entered, in a different hand from that of the actual accounts, which states that “ it was judged advisable in the year 1777 to change the sixteenth in money which before this time had been added to the market price into an additional quantity of grain to be paid by the tenant in lieu of it”. Comparison of Pretia, Allocations and purchases, however, confirm the date of the change as 1781.

WINCHESTER COLLEGE

15

having been at once added to the quarter of corn.” Third, from 1792(2), after an Act of 1791 (31 Geo. Ill, c. 30) had prescribed the weight of a given measure of each kind of grain, allocations and corn rent prices are one eighth above Pretia, showing that the Pretia are now for standard bushels of eight gallons each, while allocation and corn rent prices with the sixteenth already added to the quantity of corn are for the local bushels of nine gallons each, now superseded by sale by weight. The sixteenth which appears as additamentum in 1732 is, of course, somewhat more than the excess of the College bushel over the local measure ; 3 pints on 9 gallons is one twenty-fourth, not one sixteenth. But there can be little doubt that it was intended to represent this excess and to give the College the advantage preserved by the Act of 22 and 23 Ch. II of continuing to use its customary measure for determining corn rents when these came to be com¬ muted wholly into money, instead of being delivered largely in kind. This change in regard to wheat took place between 1725 and 1732. Up to 1725 the College took practically the whole of its supplies of wheat in kind as rent grain and passed the wheat on to the baker for turning into bread. By 1732 wheat rents were no longer being delivered in kind ; the College was obtaining its wheat by purchases through the baker, paying him for the amount of grain used according to the loaves of bread delivered by him. With malt, the position is somewhat different : more than half the malt used in 1725 was purchased, and on the other hand nearly half the malt used continued till 1816 at least to come as rent in kind from Stubbington. The prices entered in the Audit Books up to 1732 (Christmas) without additamentum must be regarded as applying to the local bushel, not to the College bushel. They are entered seven or eight times yearly from 1657 to 1720 as market prices ; it can hardly be supposed that in each such entry, the Bursars, without calling attention to the fact, added by calculation something to represent the greater size of the College bushel. It is likely, indeed, that the difference between the College and the local bushel was not appreciated until 1719, when the measurement referred to above was made. The measuring followed

16

PRICES AND WAGES IN ENGLAND

on and was presumably connected with an agreement of a new type made with the College baker in 1718. In place of receiving a stipend, he was to be paid Is. Id. for baking a bushel of wheat ground at the College mill. The addition of one sixteenth to the local bushel did not affect corn rents delivered in kind, since these continued to be mea¬ sured by the College bushel, but it involved a raising of rents against any tenant who had been commuting rents at the local bushel prices. After the College bushel was replaced by the local bushel in the determination of Pretia (1781) and allocation prices (1787) it was apparently kept in use for buying malt, for receipt of corn rents such as malt from Stubbington which continued to be paid in kind. The note from the Corn Book of 1777-81, cited above, as to the new valuation at Allington adds that “ Stubbington remains in its original state.” The purchase of malt by the College bushel was probably a concession made by the maltsters but in 1785 it is noted that the College maltsters have charged 6s. 2d. per bushel for the last three quarters of the year (while Pretia were at 6s.) and that the College bushel is larger than the local bushel. It is in accord with this continued use of the College bushel for malt rent and purchases, even after the standard eight-gallon bushel had been introduced for grain generally, that the rent and purchase prices for malt remain materially above the Pretia for malt, to the end of the series in 1817 ; the prices actually tabulated for malt represent Pretia, since purchases are confused with rents in the Staurum account for the Brewery. It has been assumed that purchases of oatmeal were made by the local bushel and prices have been reduced throughout by \ ; but this is not of great practical importance, as the price became rigid at 80s. per (local) quarter after 1770. Since salt, as well as oatmeal, was supplied by the corn chandler it, too, was probably measured by the local bushel. It may be added that in 1789 a note states that Is. 6d. per bushel for tax is to be deducted (from the Pretia) in making up the corn (i.e. malt) rents. The tax in force at this time was Is. 4|d. per bushel, and comparison of prices shows that in 1783(1) only Is. 4^d. per bushel had been deducted. This looks as if till 1789 or at least till 1783

WINCHESTER COLLEGE

17

the College were allowed to pay tax as on the standard bushel and only in that year were assessed more correctly on the bushel which they were actually using. The College had paid Is. “ to the excise man for gauging the College bushel ” in 1778, and the raising of the rate of tax paid by them was perhaps a delayed consequence of the excise man’s observations. What is said above as to Pretia and additamentum applies not only to wheat and malt, but also to oats, for which Pretia were recorded in the same way. As there were no allocations of oats to the Warden and Bursars there is no direct evidence that the Pretia for oats were changed from the local to the standard bushel in 1793 or at any other date. But it is reasonable to assume that this change took place at the same time. Oat prices have been treated accordingly on the same lines as wheat and malt throughout, though a half line is drawn between 1792 and 1793 to indicate the transition from reduced to un¬ reduced prices. Prices for wheat, oats and malt accordingly, as recorded in the Winchester College accounts have been translated into prices for the standard “ Winchester ” measure by the following adjustments. Reduction by | to 1792(1) to allow for the difference between the local bushel and the standard bushel. Reduction by a further ^ from 1732 (Christmas) to 1781(1) to allow for the assessed difference between the College bushel and the local bushel, i.e. for the addition of a sixteenth. For some commodities extracted the information is insufficient for the compilation of tables in the main section but of sufficient interest to be included in an Appen¬ dix following the series notes (pp. 71-80).

WINCHESTER COLLEGE Series Notes

1630-1817. Gross 188, Net 188. This series is taken from the Staurum in 1630-56, from the Audit Books in 1657-1737 (with gaps filled from the Staurum in 1671 and 1689) and from the Pretia from 1738 onwards. Prices are available in the Staurum from 1542, but till 1630, for reasons stated in the Introduction, are artificial. Even from 1630 they may include remainders and wheat brought into store between Michaelmas and the date of the Audit, but comparison with other series shows that any discrepancy is not serious. The Staurum has been used in preference to prices on which allocations for the Election were based, which are recorded from 1629 ; the latter are not precisely dated and may refer either to the fourth quarter of the harvest year covered by the year of account, or to the first quarter (at Michaelmas)1 of the following harvest year. The precise dates of the Audit Book entries and the Pretia and the method of averaging are as explained for malt (q.v.). Prices have been reduced for measure as stated in the Introduction, p. 17. The annual consumption of wheat from 1630 is as follows : 1630-1710 140-160 qrs., 1711-36 80-90 qrs., 1737-1817 60 qrs. Wheat,

Averages : Annual by quarters from 1657.

Tables: pp. 81-8C

1630-1817. Gross 188, Net 188. Prices of oats are available from 1393 but it is not always possible to separate artificial rates from market prices in the Staurum. The series is therefore started from 1630 when grain was valued at market rates. Prices may still, however, be slightly affected by the inclusion of both remainders and quantities brought into the store between Michaelmas and the date of the Audit. Rents for Michael¬ mas and Lady Day are recorded from 1657 but are not used before 1673 as they are irregular and therefore not repreOats,

1 See above, p. 5. 18

WINCHESTER COLLEGE

19

sentative of annual averages. Hence the Staurum figures are used until 1672 ; also in 1688-90 when rents are incomplete (Michaelmas 1688 and Lady Day 1691 only at 8-89s. per qr.) and in 1699 and 1700 (Rents : Lady Day 1700 and 1701 only at 16s. and 12s. per qr. respectively). Pretia are recorded from 1737 onwards, usually at Michael¬ mas, St. Thomas’ (21st Dec.), Lady Day and Midsummer. Rents at identical rates are also usually recorded at these four dates to 1762. Thus from 1737 the series is an aver¬ age of the four quarter days, except in 1741 (St. Thomas’ missing), 1742-44 and 1747 (Midsummer missing). The recorded prices have been reduced as stated in the Introduction, p. 17. Tables : pp. 83, P.R: 702-705.

Hay,

1393-1681.

Gross 289, Net 177.

Much of the hay was obtained by agreements with College tenants but details are not always available. Apparently early agreements were for fixed quantities at prices varying according to the harvest, but from 1451 prices were frequently rigid. In 1451-70 twelve loads from Allington were usually at 4-33s. and this amount and price may sometimes be hidden in the totals recorded during this period. In 1471-1533 twenty or more loads were delivered annually at 4s. per load, probably an increased supply from the same tenant. From 1490 there is evidence of a second agreement for about twelve loads annually at 3*67s. per load till 1494, generally at 3-33s. in 1496-1526 but occasionally rising to 3-67s. or 4s. and usually at 4s. in 1527-33. In 1534-67 little is known of the supply of hay. A consignment from Allington is priced at 9s. per load in 1564 and in the same year hay at 9-50s. came from Woodmancote. These two prices re¬ peated in adjacent years may be for hay from the same sources. In 1568—1600 ten loads annually at 5*33s. were delivered from Allington and in 1571-1604 four loads annually at 4s. from Otterbourne (possibly the source of the hay at circa 3-33s. from 1490). These two rates may be explained as follows :

20

PRICES AND WAGES IN ENGLAND Allington 8d. per load mowing1 + 8d. per mile carriage (7 miles) = 5s. 4d. per load. Otterbourne 8d. per load mowing + 8d. per mile carriage (5 miles) = 4s. per load.

In 1600-13 18 loads annually were received from Romsey at the cost of 4s. per load for carriage only. This amounted to only half the carriage charge of former consignments.2 In 1608 20s. is entered in the Stable Account for mowing the Romsey hay but this is the only year in which this item was charged to the stable. The artificiality of prices of hay by agreement and the fact that supplementary free purchases are seldom pre¬ cisely dated till after 1500 make any sort of average for this highly seasonal commodity unsatisfactory and instead prices are given below in some detail. They are recorded by the biga, the carecta and the cartload till 1545 and thereafter only by the biga. There is no evidence as to any difference in size of the three loads and all entries are tabulated as per load (but see Lime below). Prices by agreement from 1568 enumerated above are not included in the table below, but before this date when such prices are less rigid they cannot always be separated from free purchases with certainty and all the prices recorded are given. It seems clear that the dated prices at least are for free purchases. (T in the table signifies “ Term ”.) Carriage is frequently stated to be included in the prices and to such entries “ ca ” is appended. Unfortunately the distance or the amount of the carriage is seldom recorded. The only other entries giving carriage from specified places, besides that quoted above, are in 1431, when carriage from Hursley (5 miles) is quoted at Is. 6d. per load : and in 1625 when carriage from Meonstoke (11 miles) cost 5s. per load. From 1607 there are frequent entries per tod, translated here to the load at the ratio, given in 1624, of 80 tod : 1 load. All such entries are marked with a warning. Lisle3 states the half tod of hay to be 7 lb. A biga of 80 tod thus probably weighs 10 cwt. An entry of \ C for lOd. in 1590 has been translated to the price per load 1 Cost of mowing hay at Stoke Park in 1569 was 8d. per load. 2 In the early fifteenth century there were occasional charges for half carriage rates for hay, the tenant supplying the remaining carriage. 3 Observations in Husbandry, 1757, II, p. 9.

WINCHESTER COLLEGE

21

assuming the C to be the cwt. and using the relationship of 10 cwt. to 1 load. The quantity recorded annually is 10-20 loads till about 1469, 20-30 loads from 1470 to about 1477 and 30-40 loads thereafter till 1547. From 1548 about 20 loads annually are recorded except in 1600-13, when, in addition, the 20 loads were received from Romsey. H.Yrs. 1393

1395 96 1398 1403 1405 06 07 1409 1410 11 12 13 14 15 16 1418 1421 1423 24 1426 1428 1429-30 31

32 1433-34 1436 37 38 1439-41 42 43 44 1446-47 48 49 1450 1451-52 53 54 1456 57 1459 1461

s. per load 3-42, 3-67, 4-33, 4-50, 5-50 ; 4-50ca 3-02 new 3-66 incl. part ca 600 3-33, 4 08, 5 00 4-93, 5 00 4-75ca new. 4-25ca 4-35ca 4-33 412 5-00ca 500 4-86 5-61 5-37 500 4-86 5 00, 3-83 4-08 5-OOca, 5-13ca 4-67 5-33 4-33ca 4-50 ; 4-00ca, 5-33ca June ; / 5-OOca Aug. 4-33ca 4-50ca 4-43 6-88 4-67ca, 3-75ca 400 4-33, 6 00, 6-67 ; 7-00ca 4-75 417 4-67 4-50 4-90 4-23 4-33 3-33 4-20 4-33 4-53 4-33 5 00; 4-50ca

H.Yrs. 1464 65 66 1467-68 69 1470 1471-77 1479 1481-82 1484 1487

s. per load

8-00, 5-46 4-33ca ” ca, 3-33ca 4-33 4-67ca, 5-29 4-33ca, 6 00 400 400 400 400 4 00, 4-67 ; 4-83ca 1489 4 00, 4-67, 3-33 1490-91 4 00, 3-67 92 » 4.17 » it 1493 94 3-93 4 00 ; 6-67 after 95 Easter 4 00, 3-33 96 .. .. 5-33 97 98 •> » 4-08, 6-64 1499-01 4 00, 3-33 4 00, 3-33 1503 « ; 5 00 Easter 04 1507 4 00, 3-33 .. .. 4-50 08 .. 5 00 ; 09 4-67 after Easter 4 00,3-33;V00ea; 1510 6-OOca Apr.; 5-67 Feb. 4 00; 6 00 after 11 Feb. 12 4 00, 3-67 4 00, 3-67 ; 4 00 1514 after Easter 4.00, 3-33; 5 00 15 after Easter 16 4 00, 3-33; 6-50 after Easter 4 00 17 4 00, 5 00; 6 00 18 April and June 4 00, 3-33 ; 1520 5-11 Whitsun

H.Yrs. 1521 22 23 24 1525-26 1527-28 1530-31 1533 34 35 36 1538-40 41 42 43 44 45 46 47 48 49 1550 1552 53 54 55 1556 1560 61 62 63 64 65 66 67 1569 1570 1573 1576 77 78 79 1581 1585

s. per load 4 00, 3 00, 5 00, 5-33 4.00, 3-33 3-67 » 400 » 6-67 »

it

it

400 4 00, 4-50 4-67, 5 00, 5-67 .. .. 4-50 400 4 00, 4-67 4-75 3-33, 4-67 610 4-67, 5 00, 6 00, 800 510, 5-50, 6-33 4-33, 6-67, 7-33, 1000 4-87, 7-00 4-67 5-33 6-33 2nd T; 13-33 3rd T 7-17 6-67 - 8-00 .. 7-00 6-67 1st T 8-00 9-00, 9-50 8-67, 9-67, 12-00 13-33, 16-00 9-00, 9-50 8-50, 10-00 7-00, 9-00, 10-83, 12-50 13-33 10-00, 12-00 it

10-00 9-00 8-50 20-00 Easter 8-50, 9-00 8-57 9-00

22 H.Yr. 1586 87 88 89 1590 91 92 93 94 95 96 97

PRICES AND WAGES IN ENGLAND s. per load 7-22, 7-00 11-17 6-00 6-33, 6-83 24-29 3rd T ; 16-67* 14-13 » 15-50 •• -> 18-25 - « 11-33 19-00 14-00 2nd & 3rd T 12-00; 17-10 3rd T ; 14 00 4th T

Straw,

H.Yr. s. per load 1598 700 99 13-33 4th T 1600 25-00, 20-00 3rd T; 16-00 4th T 1605 25-00 3rd T ; 21-00 4th T 1607 26-67*, 40-00* 1st T ; 33-33* & 28-67 4th T 1609 21-00 3rd T ; 15-00 4th T 1611 23-33 12 30-67ca 3rd T ; 9-74ca 4th T

1396-1710.

s. per load H.Yr. 1615 35-00,46-67* & 46-67*ca 3rdT 1617 26-67* spring 18 24-13*ca 3rd T 1622 24-00 .. 3rd T 23 24 36-67*, 40-00* 25 26-67* 1st T 1637 53-33* 1641 33-33 1644 16-00, 26-67* 1680 45-00 summer 81 40-00

Gross 315, Net 266.

As for hay, the inelasticity of a number of prices and the lack of precise dating for free purchases in many years makes annual averages unsatisfactory and prices are given below in some detail. More summary tabulation would be further complicated by the fact that different qualities of straw—wheat, barley and oat—are only occasionally specified. Most of the straw was bought for litter, but some was used for bedding and there are occasional entries for thatching. The latter are noted in the table below (as “ th ”), as these prices are probably for wheat straw. Prices are recorded by the biga, the carecta and the cartload to 1507 and thereafter by the biga. For lack of evidence to the contrary these three measures are treated as equivalent (but see Lime below) and all prices are tabulated as per load. “ Ca ” is appended to prices which are stated to include carriage. Although prices do not fluctuate very much before 1550, there is no evidence of agreements with tenants up to this date and even from 1550 when deliveries by agreement become evident, rates for such straw are not rigid although low. In 1550 all entries except that at l-67s. per load are from specified persons. Barley straw at 4s. and wheat straw at 2s. came from the same man, who also supplied the straw in the first term of 1553, and earlier at 0-67s. per load in 1542 and 2T7s. per load in 1547. Another man supplying wheat straw in 1550 at 2*67s. per load also supplied straw at 2-33s. in the same year and, in the second

WINCHESTER COLLEGE

23

term of 1553, straw at 3*33s. per load. A contract was possibly made with these two men from 1553 at the same rate (see 3-33s. per load occurring again in 1567-68, 1570-71, etc.). In 1570 both entries in the first term are recorded as coming from a tenant. From 1554 many purchases are stated to be from Stoke Park and these, although not all on the same level, are generally low in price. The entry for wheat straw from Stoke Park in 1567 is stated to be from a tenant, by contract. All prices recorded as coming from Stoke Park are printed in angular brackets. Other prices not so specified but on equally low levels possibly include Stoke purchases but cannot be assigned exclusively to this source—barley straw at 2s. per load in the first term of 1575 was bought at Twyford. The low prices in 1642-46 are possibly for inferior straw, as the better qualities may have been purchased for troops during the Civil War. An entry for carriage only for an unspecified distance in 1599 at 2*50s. per load suggests that some low prices may represent only the charge for carriage. The variable Stoke prices may be sometimes for carriage only and sometimes for carriage and mowing. Carriage for 1 load from Chilcombe in 1545 cost 8d. The higher Stoke prices are possibly for quantities over and above the amount de¬ livered by agreement.

When the kind of straw is specified the lowest level seems to be for wheat straw, probably indicating that agreements with tenants were chiefly for this kind. Quantities recorded range from 2 to 5 loads annually till 1477, generally about 4 to 10 loads annually from 1479 to 1643 but occasionally rising to 15 or 20 loads, and thereafter generally 2 to 5 loads each year. H.Yr. 1396 97 1403 1405 06 1409 1410 11 12 1414 15

s. per load 1-67 1-83 200 2-00 1-67 2-00,1-83 » ; 2-44 for roofs 2-28 1-67 for th ; 1-30 2 00 -■ -< ; 2-38 1-67 ; 1-83 for th

H.Yr. 1423 24 1426 1428 29 1430 31 32 33 34 1436 37

s. per load 2 00 barley » 1-67 1-94 1-67 1-47 1-67 200 .. 217

H.Yrs. 1438 1439-40 41 42 43 44 1446 1447-48 49

11

2 04 1-63

1450 51

s. per load 211 1-67 200 2-25 200 1-64 1-92 200 3 00 barley, 1-58, 100 1-92 barley, 1-89 2-00,1-67

PRICES AND WAGES IN ENGLAND

24 H.Yrs. 1452 53 54 1456 57 1459 1461 1464 65 66 1467-68 69 1470 71 1473-77 1479 1481 82 1484 1487 1489-93 94 95

H.Yr.

s. per load 200 1-64 1-89 1-79 208, 1-75 2-50 1-67 3-19 200 1-33 1-67 1-58 1-75 1-67 1-67 1-25 1-33 107 1-47 1-33 1-33 1-31 1-30

1st Term

H.Yrs. s. per load 1496-97 1-33 98 1-50 1499-1500 1-33 01 1-67, 117, 2-33 1503 1-33 04 1-67 1507 1-33 1509-10 1-33 11 1-50 12 1-67 1514 1-67 15 1-33 16 1-67 17 4 00, 3-33, 3 00, 2-67 18 1-67, 2 00, 2-67 ; 217 for th 1520 2-33,2-47 1521-25 1-67 26 1-50 27 1-67,0-75 28 1-33 29 1-33, 1-25

2nd Term

H.Yrs. 1530-31 32 1534-36 1539 1540 41 42 43 44 45 46 47 1548-49 1550

3rd Term

s. per load 1-67 » 1-33 1-67 1-67 » ; 1-67 at Trinity 1-67 » ; 0-67 for house 1-67 » ;l-25 & 1-17 for houses 1-67 2 00 » 1-33,2-67 » 2-17 n

»

; 4 00 bar¬ ley; 2-00, 2-67 wheat; 3-67, 2-83, 2-33, 200

4th Term

s. per load 1552 53 54 55 56 1559 1561 1564 65 66 67 68 69 1570 71 72 73 74 75 76 77 78 79 1580 81 82 83 84 85 86 87 88 89

4-33 from Chilcombe, 6-33 3-33 4 00,

3-33 5-00ca, 5-00 3-00 wheat

4-67ca, 4-00 4-00 1-67

2-00

2-33, 3 00 2-50 wheat 4-50, 4 00, 3-67 2 00*, 2-50* 3-33 2-50, 4 00 oat

28-00

H

35-50

n

35-50

51

WINCHESTER COLLEGE H.Yr. 1442 43 44 1446 47 48 49 1450 51 52 53 54 1456 57 1459 1461 1464 1469 1476

For Servants s. per piece 3400 »

For Grooms s. per piece 30-00 »

n

3400 »

32-50 32-00 30-00 31-00 32-00

26-00 » 27-00 H

24*00 32-50 32-00 48-00* 31-50 34-00 34-00

For Stewards and Gentlemen s. per piece 34-00 » » 36-00 » 34-00 32-00 » » 34-00 32-50 32-00 31-08 33-00 34-00 40-00 34-50 32-00

All cloth was bought ready shrunk. Between 1412 and 1452 it is frequently stated to be “ finished,” i.e. sheared, the cost of shearing being recorded for ray cloth from 1412 to 1418 and for plain cloth in 1413, at 8d. per doz. It has been assumed that when the cost of shearing 'does not appear, prices are for finished cloth. Accordingly L33s. per piece has been added to the prices for ray cloth in 1412-18 and to plain cloth in 1413 (series B) to make these prices conform with the rest of the series. Linen and Canvas

Linen was bought for albs and altar cloths for the Chapel, tablecloths, towels, breadcloths and napkins for the Hall and Pantry, sacks and boulters in the Bakehouse, strainers in the Kitchen and shaving cloths and sheets for the Porter-barber. Qualities and widths were rarely stated except that linen not over 27 ins. wide was called narrow.1 Chapel purchases dropped after 1558 but quantities of table linen increased, and after 1600 better quality linen was provided for the higher ranks. A particular kind of material was not put to a special purpose, except col¬ oured buckram used for the altar and for vestments, but apparently any linen obtainable was purchased until the middle of the seventeenth century, when continual supplies of particular weaves became available. 1 Cf. narrow holland for tablecloths 1394. In the Book of Rates 1660 linen up to 3£ quarters or 31 £ ins. was designated narrow.

52

PRICES AND WAGES

IN ENGLAND

Linen, bought from Winchester dealers, came almost entirely from France and the Low Countries up to 1600. Canvas also came from France. Material for sacks and boulting cloths1 was called coarse canvas to 1550 and sack¬ cloth thereafter, and the term canvas from this date denoted fine stuff. It is probable that canvas was un¬ bleached cloth of a close lattice weave made of a thread much less twisted than that used for linen, and that the distinction between the two was primarily a difference in thread. Canvas came mainly from Normandy2 and early purchases of Normandy cloth were of this material : from the sixteenth century canvas was undescribed. Prices of canvas were on the level of the cheaper linens in the fifteenth century but by the sixteenth this stuff was evidently as fine as any used : it was mainly of narrow width. From 1620 to 1640 most of the cloth bought was canvas. French linens were entered as crest cloth, lockram and dowlas. Crest cloth, a cheap linen used for servants’ tablecloths, aprons and towels,3 was made in Brittany in pieces each containing 25 crests 4-5 ells long (1 ell = 45") and was probably creased or folded across at these intervals and so obtained its name.4 Undescribed linen, at 4d.4^d. an ell both before and during this period was probably this material, the price of the crest varying according to its length. The name crest cloth disappeared after 1495 and subsequently French linens were called lockram and dowlas. These were varieties of crest cloth named from their places of origin in the west of Brittany.5 Lockram when introduced was at the same price as crest cloth, while dowlas was slightly dearer. According to a Statute of 15296 dowlas was 1 yd. broad and lockram 1 yd. 1 In the years 1510-39 coarse canvas at 3d.-4d. an ell was bought in London for wrapping the wax sent down to Winchester. 2 Cf. Book of Rates 1507 printed in N.S.B. Gras’ Early Customs System and Book of Rates 1660 (Statutes of the Realm). 3 Cf. Inventory 1412 (Kirby pp. 160-161). Tablecloths of crest cloth measured in 1412 were 6 and 10 yds. long, the latter containing 2 crests. 4 Cf. woollen cloth which was (by St. 11 H. IV, c. 6) to be measured along the crest or centre crease. Crest cloth was perhaps the forerunner of crash. This linen was sold in Bristol under the name cresse or crosse cloth, a piece containing 25 crosses each of 5 yds. (Great Red Book of Bristol, f. 209, 1466 : this last reference has kindly been supplied by Miss Cams Wilson.) 51.e. Daoulas near Brest and Locronan a little to the north of the former. In the Book of Rates 1507 crest cloth, lockram and dowlas were rated together at 20s. for 120 ells, while Normandy canvas was rated at 30s. for 120 ells. 6 St. 21 H.VIII, c. 14.

WINCHESTER COLLEGE

53

less 1 nail (2^ ins.) : both were woven in pieces 100 ells long and in half-pieces. The piece was thus the length of a crest cloth of 25 crests each of 4 ells or 5 yds. Both lockram and dowlas were bought throughout the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries at rates similar to ordinary canvas. Guernsey cloth, a linen similar to, though perhaps wider than crest cloth, was bought in the fifteenth century at rates analogous to better quality lockram.

In the fifteenth century linen from the Low Countries was frequently undescribed, except for holland which was in use from 1394. Flemish linen was purchased until 1465 for albs, towels, cupboard and tablecloths under such names as Flemish, raw Flemish (unbleached)1 and Brabant linen and Brussels cloth was bought in 1534 in London and in 1539-40 in Winchester. These linens were rated on similar terms at the customs2 except for holland which, with other linen of double width, was rqted much higher3: narrow holland when bought was cheaper than Flemish linen. Holland, ‘mostly of fine quality, was purchased in the years 1560-86 and from 1637 for the Chapel and for table linen, towels and sheets and fine patterned diaper holland was' bought occasionally from 1530 for the Warden’s Lodge, priced by the yard. Osnaburg, the first German linen mentioned, was purchased at times between 1565 and 1633 for the table at 8d.-ls. per ell. Hamburg linen at 4d. a yd. was bought in 1612. English linen, usually from the district of Wilton, Wiltshire, was bought occasionally in 1433-70 for towels and tablecloths at 6|d-8d. an ell. In the years 1631-40 a local linen for tablecloths called pannus vernaculus cost Is. 8d. an ell and entries of housewife’s cloth for the same purpose at 2s. an ell in 1628, Is. lOd. in 1629 and Is. 8d. in 1636 and 1638 were perhaps the same fabric. Flaxen cloth, so called and perhaps local, was bought for the Warden’s tablecloths at 3s. 4d. an ell in 1665 and Is. 8d. an ell in 1670 : as the latter was broad these must have been of very different quality. 1 Cf. St. 35 Eliz., c. 10 where raw cloth is described as “ unscowered as it comes from the Weaver’s loom.” 2 1507 Book of Rates—Flemish and Brabant at 13s. 4d. per piece, Brussels at 11s. per piece (cf. Gras, op. tit. p. 699). 3 Ibid.—“ Holland cloth 12s. the half piece . . . Brabant and all other cloth that is folden like holland cloth 20s. per piece.” The use of the term holland for unbleached cloth is modern.

54

PRICES AND WAGES IN ENGLAND

The cheaper linens used in the fifteenth century were French and these were easily accessible through import to Southampton. From the early sixteenth century holland came into general use except during the period 1620-40. The various linens bore no general price relation to each other, for fineness and width determined rates. From 1691 no quantities were entered in the accounts. Although there is an abundance of entries the lack of detailed information makes tabulation difficult. It cannot be said with certainty that any one kind was purchased continuously over the whole period. So many different prices occur for tablecloths and towels, for instance, and purchases are so irregular that it is impossible to disen¬ tangle a series with any apparent homogeneity for either purpose till after 1550. On the other hand purchases for aprons, etc. (series A) become obscure before this date.

Linen and canvas bought for similar purposes at similar prices are used to supplement each other in several of the tables. Entries for linen are printed in italics when inserted in a series mainly for canvas and canvas is printed in italics when inserted in a series mainly for linen. The width of any cloth is only specifically mentioned once : linen for tablecloths in 1395 at 4d. per ell is stated to be | ell wide. The measurements of two linen table¬ cloths are also given in this year as 6 ells by 1 ell (Flemish, 5s. 2d.) and 6 yds. by 1 yd. (5s.). Apart from this year the only evidence of any widths is afforded by the occasional description of “ wide ” or “ narrow.”

In the series tabulated all the cloth is recorded by the ell (except lockram 1643-48) and is probably all foreign. The ell measure cannot be taken a;s proof of foreign origin, however, since pannus vernaculus is recorded by the ell in 1631-40. Diaper is recorded usually by the yard but entries are irregular and for varying purposes, widths and/ or qualities; no series can therefore be formed. Irish linen is mentioned only in 1468 and 1477, cheaper in price than canvas for aprons, etc. (series A).

WINCHESTER COLLEGE Four series have been formed Canvas : A. 1403-1545. B. 1555-1687. Holland, 1630-81. Lockram, 1606-81.

55

as follows :— Gross 143, Net 101. Gross 133, Net 115. Gross 52, Net 45. Gross 76, Net 48.

The prices in series A are for aprons to 1487 and gener¬ ally for the Bakehouse thereafter, including some entries for aprons. The cloth was generally canvas but was some¬ times called linen. Entries of linen are printed in italic type. The width is not stated but it can be assumed to be narrow, since there are prices for narrow cloth both above and below those tabulated. Its use is not given in 1452, 1492, 1536 nor after 1540, but prices in these years have been assumed to conform with the rest of the senes. In 1535 it was for use in the Kitchen. Crest cloth for aprons occurs in 1449 at Is. 5d. per crest and in 1450 at Is. 4d. per crest. The price level suggests 4 ells to a crest and this relationship has been used. Apron cloth in 1475 is also called crest cloth. A purchase of 3 ells of lockram for aprons in 1493 at 4£d. per ell, besides the apron linen at 4d., has been omitted. The quantity purchased annually averaged about 10 ells to 1449, about 20 ells 1450-1487 after which the normal purchase was 22 ells each year. Series B gives the prices of canvas for tablecloths usually specified as for Scholars from 1622. Before 1590 the homogeneity of the series is a little doubtful. From 1570 to 1577 purchases of apparently two varieties appear in alternate years at 8d. and 8|d. per ell, while before and after this period there are occasionally two prices as follows :—1569 8s., 9-50s., 1579 8s., 9s., 1581 8-25s., 10s., 1585 8s., 8-50s., 1588 8-89s., 9s., 1589 8s. 10s. per doz. ells. The means of these rates have been tabulated. An entry at 6d. per ell in 1566, specified as coarse canvas, has been omitted. In 1590 the purpose of the canvas is not stated. In 1655 the price is calculated from a parcel entry of canvas for scholars tablecloths, servants’ tablecloths, breadcloth and towels. Canvas for these purposes is quoted at identical prices in surround¬ ing years.

56

PRICES AND WAGES IN ENGLAND

The amount purchased annually was 20-40 ells till 1618 and usually about 35 ells thereafter.

The third series is for prices of holland, preceded by canvas (1630 and 1632-36) and linen (1631, marked with an asterisk), for the fellows5 and masters tablecloths. In 1638 holland was bought for the chaplains’ tablecloths and canvas for the fellows’ at the same price ; the price is tabulated as holland. The purpose is not stated in 1667. The description “ wide ” in 1662 and 1664 probably applies to the whole series. In 1646 the cost of making is recorded in addition to the price, as 6s. 7$d. for 18f ells (approximately 4£d. per ell). No other particulars of the cost of making are recorded. The quantity purchased annually was usually 6| or 7 ells to 1650, usually 3j or multiples of 3j up to 13 ells from 1651 to 1664 and thereafter 7, 10^ or 14 ells. The fourth series gives prices for lockram for towels with a few entries for tablecloths and some unspecified entries. Tablecloths occur in 1612, 1618, 1621 and 1642 ; unspecified entries in 1628, 1630 and 1660. In 1667 lockram for towels at 13-50s. per doz. ells is combined with unspecified linen at 14s. From 1671, when purchases of lockram are recorded for tablecloths they are at the same price as lockram for towels. In 1674 a separate purchase for tablecloths at 13s. is combined with lockram for towels at 12s. per doz. ells. From 1659 the members of the College to whom the towels were supplied are sometimes recorded. All entries have been used as being apparently for the same quality and width. In 1643-44 and 1648 the lockram is entered by the yard.

These prices are tabulated per doz. yds. with a half-line at the beginning and end of this period. In 1639 3 ells are stated to be for one towel and in 1644 30 yds. made 2^ doz. towels. The former was perhaps for a roller towel. The annual purchase was from 3 to 7 ells to 1641, 16-30 yds. 1643-48, and from 20 to 80 ells thereafter. Lockram appears to have been superseded by diaper after 1681 but entries are too irregular and lack sufficient detail to show if prices are comparable. Tables : pp. 85-90.

WINCHESTER COLLEGE

Lime, 1398^-1701.

57

Gross 304, Net 193.

Purchases of lime are recorded as both slaked and unslaked up to 1489, with no apparent difference in price. In 1490-1544 and in 1556-1619 the lime is not described. Between these two periods and from 1620 onwards the lime is slaked or burned (usta and adusta both being interpreted as burned). Two levels of prices occur to 1456, the more regular purchase being at the lower level. After 1456, however, the lower level drops out and regular purchases are made at the higher level. In 1398 the lime at the lower level is stated to be for roofing and in 1456 the higher price is for lime for daubing, but the two levels probably represent purchases from lime pits at different distances from the College and their only significance, therefore, is the difference in the cost of carriage. Lime from the nearer pit was apparently exhausted by 1456. The lower prices, not printed in the tables, are as follows :—

II. Yr. 1396 1398 1403 1405 06 1409 1411

s. per biga 2-00, 2-33 2-67 2-52 2-33 2-37 (2-33) 2-80

H.Yrs. s. per biga 2-33 1416-17 2-33 1423-24 2-33 1428 233 1430-31 2-67 1432-33 2-00 1434 2-33 1436

H.Yrs. s. 1437 38 1443 1446-49 1452-54 1456

per biga 2-00 2-28 2-50 200 2-00 2-00

An entry in 1409 which works out at 3’44s. per biga has been interpreted as two different purchases at 2*33s. and 4s. per biga. In 1493 5s. per biga has been omitted as an exceptional purchase. In 1503 and 1509 one entry has been omitted as probably being a parcel entry (possibly 4s. and 2s. 8d. per biga). The price is constant at 4s. per biga in 14911524 apart from these three entries. Low prices are also omitted in 1576 (4s. per biga) and in 1586 (5s. per biga). Prices have been tabulated throughout by the biga of 4 qrs. They are recorded by the quarter and bushel to 1545, chiefly by the biga 1546—1616, with some entries still by the quarter and bushel, and chiefly by the quarter and bushel thereafter with a few entries by the biga. A load occurring in 1542 has been assumed, tlie same as the biga of

circa 1546.

58

PRICES AND WAGES IN ENGLAND

The biga as recorded, by comparison with entries per quarter and from composite entries, appears at first to equal 4 qrs. From 1577 to 1582, when prices per qr. are constant at 2s., bigas are at 10s., and two parcel entries for lime and coping tiles in 1578 give 11s. for 5 qrs. and 11s per biga of lime (using 2d. per coping tile—the constant rate during this period). Hence the biga has been assumed to be equivalent to 5 qrs. in 1577-82. Prices by the quarter from 1584 indicate that the content of the biga now alternated between 4 and 5 qrs. As conclusion is somewhat arbitrary the following table is given to show (by exponents) the assumed quarter-content of the biga as recorded. Prices per quarter are given for comparison. H.Yrs. 1583 84 85 1586-87 1588 89 1590 1591-92 1593 94 95 96 1597-1607 1608 09 1613 14 15 16 1621 22

1625 26 27 1632 1647 1658 1661 1676 77

s. per biga 9-004 9-004, 11-005 Also 2-25s. per qr. 9-004, 8-004 10-005 Also 2s. per qr. 10-005, 9-004 10-005

10- 005, 9-004 10-005

11- 005 Also 2-50s. per qr. 10-004, 10-254 10-004

10-504, 11-004 Also 2-67s. per qr. 4 qrs. = 1 biga 12- 004 Also 3-17s. per qr. 12- 004 Also 3s. and (3-33s.) per qr. 13- 254 ; 16-00 and 18-00 omitted. 13-334, 13-504 ; 20-00 omitted. Also 3-33s. per qr. 25-00 omitted 20-006 stated. Also (3-33s.) per qr. 2 bigas4 3 qrs. = 40s. lOd. 12- 504 18- 006 stated. Also 3-33s. per qr. 19- 006i stated 18-006 13- 334 16-67 omitted Also 3-33s. per qr. 20- 00 omitted Also 4s. per qr. 20-005 20-005

20-005

Also 4s. per qr.

In 1609 a quantity which works out at 3-19s. per qr. by direct calculation has been divided into two quantities at

WINCHESTER COLLEGE

59

3s. and 3-33s. per qr. respectively. (There is another entry at 3s. per qr.) In 1616 a similar entry which works out at 3'20s. per qr. has been divided into 2-67s. and 3-33s. per qr. and the former rate omitted. A parcel entry for 4 bu. lime and 4 bu. sand = 3s. in 1663 has been interpreted as 6d. per bu. for lime and 3d. per bu. for sand. A few other entries omitted from the main table and not given above are as follows : 1586 5s. per biga ; 1599 6d. per bu. ; 1607 and 1609 2s. per qr. ; 1625 2-67s. per qr. From 1629 entries by the bushel on a high level have been omitted with other exceptional entries as follows :— H.Yrs.

per bu.

1629 1631 1634 1635-37 1639-41 1643 44 45 46 1648 1651 1658 59 1661 1665 1667 68 1673 74

Is. and 6d. 6d. 2-33s. per qr. 6d. 6d. 7d. 8d. 5|d., 6d. 5\d., 6d. 8 bu. for 4s. 7d. 7d. 7d. 8d. 7d.

19s. per biga of 10 qrs 9 bu. for 4s. lOd. 14 bu. for 5s. 2d.

7d. 7d., Is. 10s. per biga.

There is evidence of a smaller biga in 1466 (Is. 3d.), 1637 (Is. 6d.) and in 1645 (lid.). These entries have been ignored. Sacks occur in 1495 and 1498 at 3d., i.e. probably of 2 bu. An entry of 2 C and 4 loads for 22s. in 1528 has been disregarded. The load here is probably the small biga mentioned above and the C probably C pecks as in other accounts, e.g. Naval Stores, but no relation can be estab¬ lished with the other entry in this year of 5s. per biga. There are usually 1 or 2 entries each year but occasion¬ ally 4 or 5. The figures printed are averages of different rates, not of all entries.

60

PRICES AND WAGES IN ENGLAND

The quantity bought annually was very irregular, showing a range of from several bushels to 10 or more biga. Tables : pp. 85-90, P.R: 702-703.

Tiles

Unspecified, Coping,

1447-1701. 1403—1678.

Gross 255, Net 126. Gross 276, Net 74.

Tiles not specified in the accounts were plain, i.e. flat tiles. They are called red in 1447, 1453-54 and 1470 and roof tiles in 1566, 1582, 1597 and from 1671 onwards. The quantities bought on various occasions show that M and C mean 1,000 and 100. Carriage is stated to be included in 1509, in one entry in 1518 (see parcel entries below) and is given as Is. per 1,000 extra on 4-50s. per 1,000 in 1535. In 1611 a composite entry for 1,000 tiles + 2 doz. coning tiles for 18s. 6d. in¬ cludes carriage. This entry has been interpreted as tiles at 12-50s. per 1,000 and coping tiles at 3d. each. There is another entry for tiles in this year at 12-50s. per 1,000 with no mention of carriage and coping tiles are at 3d. each in later years. Comparison of these entries with prices in surrounding years shows that carriage is normally included in the price and the series may be taken to include carriage throughout. The biga appears at the same price as the 1,000 in 1593 and 1600, and in 1581 a parcel entry of 2 biga tiles and 1 doz. coping tiles for 22s. may be interpreted as 10s. per biga for tiles (the price per 1,000 in the same year) and 2d. each for coping tiles. In 1596 2,200 tiles for 24s. has been interpreted as a parcel of 2,000 at 11s. and 200 at 10s. per 1,000 ; the biga is at 11s. in the same year. An apparently exceptional biga containing 650 occurs in 1626. The price in 1471 is quoted per biga, tabulated as 1,000 with a warning. Other parcel entries occur as follows :— H.Yr. 1516 1517 1518

1,000 tiles + 7 hearth tiles = 7s. 2d.—interpreted as tiles at 6s. per 1,000 and hearth tiles at 2d. each. 500 tiles + 6 coping tiles = 3s. 6d.—interpreted as tiles at 6s. per 1,000 and coping tiles at Id. each. 1,000 tiles + 4 coping tiles = 6s. 8d. including carriage ; 2,000 tiles + 12 coping tiles = 13s. 8d.—interpreted as tiles at 6s. 4d. per 1,000 and coping tiles at Id. each.

WINCHESTER COLLEGE

61

H.Yr. 1524

3,000 tiles + 1 doz. coping tiles = 15s.—interpreted as tiles at 4s. 8d. per 1,000 and coping tiles at Id. each. (4s. 8d. combined with other tiles at 5s. and 6s.. 8d. per 1,000.)

1595

500 tiles + 6 doz. coping tiles = 17s.—interpreted as tiles at 10s. per 1,000 and coping tiles at 2s. per doz. (10s. combined with another entry at 10s. 6d. per 1,000.)

1603

500 tiles + 1 qr. lime == 8s. 4d.—interpreted as tiles at 11s. 8d. per 1,000 and lime at 2s. 6d. per qr.

1609

800 tiles and 3 doz. coping tiles = 16s.—interpreted as tiles at 12s. 6d. per 1,000 and coping tiles at 2d. each. (12s. 6d. com¬ bined with another entry at 12s. 8d. per 1,000.)

1620

350 tiles for 3s. 6d. has been assumed a parcel entry of 200 at 15s. per 1,000 and 150 at 16s. 8d. per 1,000 and these two prices have been combined with another entry at 15s. 6d. per 1,000.

1627

2,600 tiles -f- 18 coping tiles = £2 3s.—interpreted as 600 tiles at 16s. 8d. per 1,000, 2,000 at 15s. per 1,000 and combined with another price at 18s. per 1,000 ; coping tiles at 2d. each.

In 1473 500 tiles at 2s. 6d. per 1,000 is assumed to be an error in the records for 500 = 2s. 6d. The figure in 1533 is an average of 5-83s. and 4-67s. per 1,000. The latter price possibly excludes carriage (see 1535 above) and the average is given with a warning. In 1571 500 tiles for 10s. is assumed an error for at 10s. and in 1572 5,000 at 7s. for 50s. is assumed an error for at 10s. In 1577-94 the following entries have been used with the current contract rate of 10s. per 1,000 : 1577 7*50s. ; 1585 8s. ; 1586 8s., 9-38s., ll-67s. ; 1587 8s., 8-33s. ; 1589 15s. ; 1590 8s., 9s. ; 1594 3,050 for 24s. 4d. In 1599 150 for Is. 2d. (7-78s. per 1,000) has been omitted. Tiles stated to be from Stoke in 1649 and 1650 at 11-50s. per 1,000 appear to be at a specially low rate and are also omitted. The annual purchase varied between a few hundred and several thousand. Averages : By different rates.

Tables : pp. 89—90, P.R: 702-703.

Prices for coping tiles, too irregular to be printed in the tables, are as follows :—

62

PRICES AND WAGES IN ENGLAND

H.Yrs. 1403 1409 1410 1412 1417 1453 54 1456 57 1473 1496-97 1498 1503 1507 1511

s.p.100 7-08 8-33 6-25 7-87 6-29 8-33 8-00 7-92 6-67 8-00 8-33 8-00 8-33 903 8-33

H.Yrs. s.p.100 H.Yrs. s.p.100 14-19 (8-33) 1591 1517 15-28* 1593 8-33 18 14-58* 94 (8-33) 1521 (16-67) 95 (8-33) 1524 16-67 1604 16-67 1568 20-83* 05 13-89 1570 16-67 06 13-89 1573 20-83 07 16-67 1575 (16-67) 1609 16-67 1577 (25-00) 1611 (16-67) 78 25-00 1614 16-67 1580 i 25-00 1616-26 (16-67) 81 (16-67) 1627 1585--86 16-67 16-67 1630 (16-67) 1587 20-83 1634 -90 16-67 1588-

H.Yrs. s.p.100 20-83 1639 20-83 1647 1652- 53 20-83 27-08* 1655 25-00 56 20-83 1658 25-00 1661 20-83 62 29-17 63 25-00 64 25-00 1666 20-83 1668 20-83 1677 22-22 78

The prices in 1517, 1524, 1581, 1595, 1609, 1611 and 1627 are calculated from parcel entries as noted above in the note on unspecified tiles. In 1521 the price is calcu¬ lated from an entry for 200 bricks and 24 coping tiles. Assuming coping tiles to be Id. each makes bricks 6d. per 100, the same price as another entry for bricks in this year. The price in 1578 is from two parcel entries of lime and coping tiles quoted in the note on lime. In 1587 700 tiles and 6 coping tiles cost 4s. 8d. Coping tiles are assumed to be 2d. each here although the resulting price for tiles is low—5*24s. per 1,000—and is omitted. In 1593 2s. lOd. per doz. has been assumed an error for Is. lOd. Two levels are included in 1594 : 12-50s. and 16-67s. per 100. An entry of 14 for 3s. in 1605 is assumed to be a parcel of 6 at 2d. and 8 at 3d., the two prices represented in the average for 1607. In 1655 23 for 6s. l|d. is interpreted as a parcel of 14 at 3d. and 9 at 3^d. The number purchased annually varied from | doz. to several dozen. Tilepins,

1443J-1657.

Gross 215, Net 100.

Tilepins are recorded at first by number, in 1456-57 by number and by measure and thereafter (except in 1616) by measure. The two years’ overlap 1456-57 shows that 1 bu. contained 4,000 tilepins and this ratio has been used to translate prices by the 1,000 to the quarter of 8 bu., the unit used throughout for tabulating. In 1616 an entry for 500 tilepins + 100 laths is interpreted as 500 tilepins for

WINCHESTER COLLEGE

63

2d., i.e. 10-67s. per qr., the current rate, and laths at 15s. per 1,000. In 1409 a parcel entry of 150 tilepins and 32 coping tiles for 2s. 9d. has been interpreted as coping tiles at Id. each—the price of another purchase in the same year —and 150 tilepins for Id. This price for tilepins, how¬ ever, is rather high. Great tilepins are mentioned in 1447 and 1497 and are omitted. In 1447 they are at l^d. per 1,000 with unspeci¬ fied also at l^d. and l|d. per 1,000 and tilepins for eavestones at 2d. per 1,000. Those at l£d. per 1,000 only have been used. In 1444 tilepins at 2d. per 1,000 (5-33s. per qr.) have been omitted as being probably great and l|d. per 1,000 (4s. per qr.) only used. In 1497 great tilepins are at 3-33s. per qr. against unspecified at 2-67s. per qr. In 1503 tilepins at 2-67s. per qr. are assumed to be great and those at 2s. per qr. only used ; 2s. is the current rate at this time. At other times more than one level of prices have been accepted as for the normal kind of tilepin but the range should be noted in 1550—5-33s. and 4s. per qr., in 1588—8s. and 6-25s. per qr. and in 1591—8s. and 10-67s. per qr. Prices before 1443 are not printed in the tables as they are very scattered and variable and possibly include tilepins of different sizes. They are as follows :— H.Yr. s. per qr. 1403 5-12 1406 6-67 1409 / (17-78)

H.Yr. 1426 1429

s. per qr. 8-00 4-44

The annual purchase up to 1545 shows a range of from a few pecks to about 4 qrs. and thereafter did not often exceed 4 or 5 bu. Table : p. 89.

Pewter, 14131-1675. Gross 263, Net 148. Purchases of new pewter plates, dishes and pans are recorded by the lb. Occasionally a set, or garnish, was bought; in 1535 one containing 18 dishes, weighed 80 lb. Cups are recorded by the dozen irregularly in 1400-31, thus antedating and overlapping with the main series. They are specified as pewter in 1400 only but are assumed to be pewter throughout, probably of an inferior quality to dishes. As no weights are given these prices cannot

64

PRICES AND WAGES IN ENGLAND

be combined with other pewter. H.Yrs. s. per gross 1400 1405-07 1409 1411

800 800 7-57 8-00

H.Yr. 1414 1416 1421 1424

They are as follows :—

s. per gross 7-92 7-85 600 6-00

H.Yrs.

s. per gross

1426 1429-31

5-50 6-00

From 1628 plates and dishes were recorded as tin but have been assumed to be actually pewter. An isolated price for tin has been inserted in the series in 1443. Old pewter was generally given in part exchange for new pewter and prices of old pewter are quoted as follows :— s. per H.Yrs. doz. lb.

s. per H.Yrs. doz. lb.

1-75 1423 (2-25) 24 200 1426 1429-31 (2-25) 2-25 32 2-00 33 200 1436 200 1438 1440-42 2-00 2-00 1444 200 1447 1450-51 2 00 200 1453 2-00 1457

1464 1467 1470 1472 1476 1481 1489--92 1512 1518 1522 1529 1530 1532 1534--35

200 2-00 3-00 2-25 2-50 2-25 2-00 3-50 3-50 3-00 300 3-50 3-00 3 00

s. per H.Yrs. doz. lb.

s. per H.Yrs. doz. lb.

(4-00) 1539 550 1565 5-75 1568 69 6-00 1572 6-00 5-50 1576 1577-79 6-00 1587 (6-00) 7-00 1599 1617-19 9-00 1100 1628 10-75 29 1631 10-29 1636 12-00

1638-41 1645-48 1651-52 53 1655 56 57 58 1661 62 63 1666

11-00 12-00 11-00 12-00 18-00 14-00 12-50 12-00 12-00 13-00 10-56 12-83

Frequently only the cost of the new pewter over and above the value of the old pewter given in exchange is recorded. In 1424 and 1429-30 the prices of both new and old pewter have been interpolated from this cost (ljd. per lb.) and of old pewter in 1539 when the exchange rate (l|d. per lb.) is recorded as well as a price for new pewter. The price of cups is 5^d. per doz. in 1426, when new pewter is 3^d. per lb. and 6d. per doz. in 1431, when new pewter is 3|d. per lb. Therefore in 1424 and 1429-31, when cups are 6d. per doz., prices of new and old pewter derived from the exchange rate are interpolated as 3^d. and 2|d. per lb. respectively, with a further interpolation for old pewter in 1431. Prices in 1587 are interpolated from an entry for 67 lb. old pewter for 63 lb. new = 8s. 6d.

WINCHESTER COLLEGE

65

A purchase of pewter counterfeit occurs in 1409—1^ doz. vessels weighing 95 lb. at 2d. per lb. By comparison with the price of cups, real pewter would probably be about 4d. per lb. in this year. There is also an entry for pewter dishes at l^d. per lb. but this is obviously the cost of exchange only, suggesting that old pewter was about 2fd. per lb., i.e. counterfeit pewter cost less than old pewter. One may assume that the use of counterfeit pewter was an experiment that was not repeated. There is usually only one rate each year for both new and old pewter. Years giving more than one rate with an exceptional range are as follows : 1423 : new 4d., old 2d. ; new 3jd., old 2d. ; new 3d., old l|d. per lb. ; 1568 : new lid. and 8d., old 6d. and 5^d. per lb. ; 1588 : 8d. and 6d. per lb. (these last two prices may be for new and old pewter respectively but Cambridge prices1 show a fall to 6d. per lb. in the same year and both prices at Winchester have therefore been accepted as for new pewter and the average given with a warning) ; 1655 : new Is. 5d. and Is. 8d. per lb. The annual quantity purchased shows a range of about 30-200 lb. Tables : pp. 85-90, P.R: 702-705.

: Unspecified, 1393-1705. Gross 313, Net 212. Calf Skin, 1395-1670. Purchases of parchment are recorded by the dozen, by number and by a combination of both forms, e.g. “ 3 doz. and 4 skins for 6s. 4d.” Except in two entries there is nothing to suggest that the dozen means anything but 12 skins. These exceptional entries record in 1531 a pur¬ chase of 80 skins at 3s. per doz. for 12s., and in 1533 a purchase of 80 skins at 2s. 8d. per doz. for 10s. 8d. If these entries are correct, the dozen in them is 20, not 12. But consideration of the series as a whole makes it difficult to accept such a conclusion. From 1477 to 1567 (within which these exceptional entries fall) practically all purchases are by the dozen and the one or two cases in which a few additional skins are bought with so many dozen do not help in determining the meaning of dozen. But both before and after this period there are entries of skins by number as well as by dozen Parchment

1 Thorold Rogers, Vol. VI, p. 460.

66

PRICES AND WAGES IN ENGLAND

which by their level of prices fit a dozen, of 12 and exclude a dozen of 20. Thus in 1400 there are two purchases of 1 doz. for Is. 5d. and of 11 skins for Is. 5d. In 1426 there are three purchases of 2 doz. for 5s., of 1 doz. for 3s., and of 6 for Is. 4d. In 1466 3 skins for 8|d. (i.e. 2-83d. each) compare with 2 doz. and 3 bought for 5s. 6d. in 1464 and 5 doz. and 10 bought for 12s. 6^d. in 1465 ; with the dozen taken as 12, the price per unit of the small purchase in 1466 is higher than the price per unit in 1465 though not unreasonably higher, but would be out of all proportion with the dozen as 20. In 1568 purchases of 3 for Is. and 18 for 6s. give a price of 4s. for 12 which is the price “ per dozen ” in each of the preceding five years 1563-67. After 1584 practically all purchases are by number, but all the few entries by the dozen by their price level fit a dozen of 12 and practically exclude one of 20. Acceptance of the exceptional entries of 1531 and 1533 as correctly recorded would mean, therefore, that, in a nearly continuous record, dozen changed from meaning 12 to meaning 20 and back again without any note of any kind in the record itself, and that for these two years or their surrounding decades dozen had a meaning in relation to parchment of which there is no trace in any other institution or in any of the material collected by Thorold Rogers. It is simpler to assume that the scribe in 1531 and 1533 made a slip in writing 4 score for 4 doz. and this assumption is made in tabulating the prices by the dozen and treating the dozen throughout as 12. It should be added that in 1579 a purchase is recorded of 5 doz. and 10 for 33s. 2d. at 6s. per doz. Since this occurs between and close to years when the dozen is certainly 12 (1568 and 1584), it may be another illustration of error in writing i score for \ doz. This entry is discarded in tabulation as there is another straightforward entry at 6s. per doz. in the same year. The entries of 1531 and 1533 are tabulated with a warning. From 1646 two levels of price are apparent, the higher prices being specified as for large or great skins from 1675 to 1678. Occasionally three different prices occur in one year, presumably at times v of changing prices, and it is sometimes difficult to decide whether the middle price belongs to the lower or to the higher level (1667 9s., 11s. and

WINCHESTER COLLEGE

67

12s. per doz. ; 1677 9s., 10s. and 12s. per doz. ; 1685 18s., 20s. and 24s. per doz.). Neither is it always certain when there is only one entry in a year to which level this belongs. Prices on the higher level, excluded from the main table, are as follows :— H.Yrs.

1661 1663-66 1667 1668

s. per doz.

1200 12-00 12-00 & 11-00 10-00

H.Yrs.

s. per doz,

1670-72 1675-79 1685-86 1689-90

12-00 12-00 24-00 30-00

Since prices on the lower level in 1562-73, when des¬ cribed, are for large skins and are most common, while prices on the higher level from 1646 are sometimes specified as for large skins and are the less regular, it is possible that the regular purchase changed from the large to smaller skins at some date between these two periods. Analysis of the prices, however, fails to show any such change and suggests that the higher prices from 1646 are for extra large skins. Prices above the normal level have been omitted also in 1431 (3-67s. per doz.), 1521 (3-50s. per doz.), 1538 (sheep¬ skins : at 3-38s. for 12 for the organ and at 3-50s. for 12), 1605 (7*50s. per doz.) and 1631 (9s. per doz. for the Chapel organ—i.e. for mending). Low prices have been omitted in 1429 (l-36s. per doz.), 1446 (l-81s. per doz.), 1448(l-56s. per doz.), 1476 (l-04s. per doz.), 1490 and 1493 (Is. per doz.), 1592, 1595, 1623 and 1626 (4s. per doz.) and 1627 (3-17s. per doz.). In 1666 3 skins for Is. 8d. has been assumed an error for 2 skins for Is. 8d. The parchment is described only in 1538 (see above) and in 1601 when sheepskin parchment is at 6s. per doz. and unspecified parchment is 5s. per doz. The 6s. entry in 1601 is not treated as exceptional; the fluctuation between 5s. and 6s. per doz. in 1598-1617 may be for two slightly different sizes of parchment, but the higher level here is not comparable with the high prices from 1646. The use of the parchment is seldom recorded before 1621, but is occasionally stated to be for rolls or registers. From 1621 it is entered as for Election Rolls or Auditors’ Accounts, for the Treasury or inventories, but most often

68

PRICES AND WAGES IN ENGLAND

for indentures. Purchases must have included materials for the Manorial, Court and Bursars’ Rolls to 1555 ; after that date paper was used for some documents and parch¬ ment was kept mainly for legal records. The only mention of the precise size of any skins is in 1395 (29"xl2") when parchment is parcelled with paper. Interpretation of this entry (9 skins and 4 quires of paper = 4s. lOd.) assuming 6d. per quire as the likely price for the paper (q.v.), gives 3’78s. per doz. for the skins, com¬ parable with the calf-skin parchment or vellum (see below) in 1398 and 1405. The number of skins bought annually is very irregular, as follows : until 1584 usually 3 or 4 doz. but occasionally 12 or 13 doz. or only 1 doz. or less ; 1585-1652 1-12 skins but occasionally several dozen; 1655-68 1-3 doz. but occasionally less ; 1669-86 usually 1 doz. and 2 skins ; 1688 et seq. usually 5 skins. In 1413 an entry of 0 quaternis for 5s. and in 1418 7 quatrino at 6d. have been omitted. Some prices for calf-skin parchment or vellum are given below. Up to 1448 and in 1631 and 1670 they are probably for small skins, and from 1471 (except the lower prices in 1490, 1533 and 1535) for large skins. In 1631 the skins were bought for mending the organ. In 1670 the entry is for unspecified parchment but has been assumed, from its price, to be for calf-skins ; they were bought for the organ. The price in 1395 is interpolated (see above) from an entry parcelled with paper. CALF-SKIN

H.Yr. s. each

PARCHMENT

H.Yrs.

s. each

H.Yrs.

s. each

1490 1492 1493-96 1498-1501 1503-04

1-33, 0-66 1-58 1-50 1-50 1-50

1-67 1529 1530-32 200 1-67, 0-67 1533 1-83, 0-83 1535 1-67 1536

1-45 1-25 1-50

1507 1508-12 1514-15

1-75 1-50 1-67

1538-39 1-67 2-00 great 1544 1547 2 33 great

117 1-58

1516-18 1520-28

2-00 200

1631 1670

1395 1398 1405 1447 1448

(0-31) 0-35 0-33 0-50 0-73

1471 1482 1484 1487 1489

1-25 1-42*

WINCHESTER COLLEGE

69

Calf-skins are recorded in units, as usually only 1 or 2 skins were purchased annually. Exceptional quantities occur in 1398 (19), 1405 (2-doz. and 4), 1448 (1 doz.), 1490 (17) and 1631 (2 doz.). Averages:

By different prices.

Tables:

pp. 85-90.

Paper

A. B.

1394-1580. 1429-1581.

Gross 187, Net 106. Gross 153, Net 35.

Paper is usually undescribed, but from 1429, at least, two qualities or two sizes are apparent, the purchase of the dearer being the more regular. Prices are too scattered at the beginning of the series to determine whether minor variations in level are genuine price movements or repre¬ sentative of different kinds of paper, but in the light of the general rigidity of prices from about 1426 it seems clear that most subsequent entries which, by direct calculation, give an average below or above the predominant rate, are in fact parcelled entries embracing more than one rate. Such entries have been divided arbitrarily and the resulting figures are printed in round brackets. The lower level (Series B) is formed entirely from prices so calculated till 1522, with the exception of 1452, but is continued by actual prices from 1527; in 1545 and in 1548-50 it is specified as “ carte ” (quarto). In 1468, 1477 and 1539 a third and higher level, 6s. 8d. per ream, is interpreted from the apparently parcelled entries, but is excluded from the table, and in 1543 an entry of Imperial paper, at 10s. per ream, is omitted. It is possible that the entry in 1523, 6s. 8d. per ream, shows an exceptional purchase. In 1540, besides the purchase at 5s. per ream, there is an entry for 1| reams of Royal paper for 8s. 2d. This appears to be a parcel entry and is not used, though two prices may be suggested—6s. 8d. for 1 ream and 3s. per ream for \ ream, i.e. two qualities in one size of paper. In 1564 an entry at 3s. 4d. per ream has been omitted as being for a still cheaper kind than the lower of the two qualities usually purchased. An entry at 7s. 6d. per ream in 1393 has been omitted as being not comparable with the prices of 10s. per ream in

70

PRICES AND WAGES IN ENGLAND

the years following. In 1395 interpolation has been made from an entry parcelled with parchment, q.v. Several years before 1426 appear to embrace more than one rate and are given in the table with a warning. Two prices may be suggested in each case, as follows :—-1396 ll-67s. and 10s. ;^1397 10s. and 8-33s. ; 1405 8-33s. and 6-67s. ; 1410 and 1423 6-67s. and 5s. per ream. In 1400 an entry at Id. per folio is ignored. Three late isolated entries occur : in 1620 Charta ruled at 13s. 4d. per ream ; in 1644 paper for the Treasury and in 1682 for the Kitchen, both at 6s. 8d. per ream. Prices are most commonly quoted per quire. In 141631 they are recorded by the quaterin, assumed to be another form of quaternum, i.e. quire. Prices for the cheaper quality are frequently quoted per ream from 1535 and larger quantities were then bought annually. All prices are given in the tables per ream of twenty quires.

The annual purchase was irregular. Until 1535 it fluctuated round 3 or 4 quires altogether but occasionally rose to 10 quires. From 1535 1-2 reams of the cheaper kind and 3-6 quires of the dearer kind were bought annually. There is seldom more than one entry for either kind in any one year. Tables: pp. 85—87.

Sealing Wax,

15201;-1710.

Gross 191, Net 113.

This series is formed from entries for red wax or wax unspecified from 1538 to 1602, for sealing wax 1603-21 and for wax for the Treasury 1623-1710, further specified as sealing wax from 1652. The entry in 1675 is said to be for indentures. Entries of unspecified wax used here are obviously sealing wax and not candle wax. There is usually only one price each year and when more than one price is given more than one quality may have been bought. Years with more than one price level are as follows :— H.Yr. 1561 1564

s. p. doz. lb. 18, 11 11, 8

H.Yr. 1598 1602

s. p. doz. lb. 16, 13, 12 16, 12

An entry in 1672 at 7d. per lb. for the Warden’s Hospice has been omitted and in 1700 an entry of 2 lb. for Is. 2d. has been assumed an error for 2 lb. at Is. 2d. Some

WINCHESTER COLLEGE

71

earlier prices before the series becomes regular are as follows :— H.Yrs. 1429 1433-34 1439 1442 1443

s. per doz. lb. 8 red 7 red 8 green & unspec. 7 unspecified 10 red 8 red

H.Yr. 1446 1447 1452 1520 1524 1525 1528

s. p. doz. lb. 9 red 7 red 7 red 10 red 8 red 16 red 10 red

Tables : pp. 87-90.

APPENDIX TO WINCHESTER SECTION Peas and Beans

Beans were bought for the stable and for fattening pigs in the sixteenth century and were used in brewing 1572-74, the total consumption being 4-8 qrs. yearly. None were bought after 1592. Peas were used in potage to 1564 and as Lenten fare, while from 1582 to 1590 about 7 bu. were bought annually, apparently at similar rates, for the stable. The variation in price for both kinds of legumes may be due in part to differences of quality. All were bought by free purchase. They were sometimes bought at Wayhill Fair (1550, 1553 and 1583), 18 miles from Win¬ chester, and brought to the College at Is. a qr., but it is usually unknown whether carriage was included in the cost. In many years rates cannot be ascertained owing to omission of quantities. One entry for beans and peas together usually occurs in 1572-90. Averages are given below by the quarter as recorded at Winchester College without reduction. H.Yrs. 1520-22 1527 28 29 1531 32 33 34 35 36 1538

Beans s. per qr. 5-33 9-33 7-47 4-62 4-33 6-67 8-00 4-73 7-38 500 5-33

H.Yr. 1539 1540 41 42 43 44 1546 47 1549 1550 1553

Beans s. per qr. 5-42 5-78 7-08 5-58 6-22 7-67 6-69 5-90 10-34 18-98 5-93*

H.Yr. 1556 57 1562 63 64 65 1571 1575 1577 78 1592

Beans Peas. s. per qr. 40-00 16-00 12-00 22-67 8-95 13-81 6-73 8-67 10-67 14-88 11-81 8-63 12-00

72

PRICES AND WAGES IN ENGLAND H.Yr.

Beans and Peas s. per qr.

H.Yr.

Peas s. per qr.

1572 73 74 1579 1580 81 82 83 1584 85 86 87 88 1590

10-42 16-20 13-42 13-46 11-92 13-28 15-30 13-05 14-00 19-62 20-42 14-72 10-16 25-77

1593 94 1598 1621 1624 1629 1630 1632 33 34

21-33 26-00 24-00 29-32 34-64 31-62 49-22 31-61 42-64 40-76

The price in 1553 includes carriage of Is. per qr. No purchases of beans were entered after 1592 nor of peas after 1634. Oatmeal had replaced peas for use in potage by this date. Bread

Except for small quantities used in brewing and for flour in the Kitchen, the whole supply of wheat was baked into bread. A baker, employed on an annual stipend1 baked loaves by the batch in the College Bakehouse. In the sixteenth century 120 batches each of 10 bu. wheat were consumed yearly ; from 1620 the batch contained 9 bu. wheat only with a further reduction in 1711 to 5 bu. The loaves were of “ good wheaten ” or second quality bread and each scholar was allowed nearly half a pound at every meal in the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries.2 An agreement was made with the baker at midsummer 1719 by which, instead of stipend, he was paid a piece rate of Is. Id. for each bushel of wheat used for baking bread, all charges included. Rent wheat was ground at the College mill at 3d. a bu. and the bran, amounting to 2 pecks weekly, was re-purchased at Is. a bu. for the stable. The baker supplied white bread for Election week for 4s. and Communion bread at 6d. a term. At this time the 1 26s. 8d. to 1558 ; 40s. in 1559 ; 53s. 4d. 1560-1717. 2 Kirby p. 379. Cf. Westminster School. Manchets of white bread were baked for Election week.

WINCHESTER COLLEGE

73

wheat issued to the baker was partly rent corn and partly purchases made by the College, but within a few years all wheat was provided by the baker who was paid at current rates by the Bursars. The terms of his contract were unchanged until 1762, when the charge for baking was increased to Is. 3d. a bu. This rate continued to 1782, from which date bread was charged by the loaf at unknown prices. The size of the loaf was stated to be 10 ozs. in the eighteenth century. A bushel of bread contained 55 cast each of 2 ten-ounce loaves. The weekly consumption in the late eighteenth century was 1,080 loaves, of which the scholars used 800, while the rest was divided amongst masters, choristers and servants by 1800 the weekly total was reduced to 786 loaves.2 Each scholar and chorister received l£ loaves daily. Butter

Butter was entered in the Staurum Account in 1546 but not again till 1585 : in the meantime it was either obtained entirely from Stoke Park or partly bought by the Manciple. The sum spent on butter and cheese was given in a single total without quantities in the years 1585-1639, except in 1587 when 4 cwt. cheese and 38 doz. lb. butter were bought for £9 15s. 4d. From 1640 to 1644 butter was priced by the lb., purchases varying between 1,144 and 1,414 lb. yearly. The average price per lb. was :— 1640 4-45d., 1641 4-35d., 1642 4-54d., 1643 4-57d. The variation was possibly caused by the combination of a summer and a winter rate. Quantities were again given in the years 1671-90 and averaged 500 lb. yearly:3 in 1671 the average cost was 5-15d. a lb. In the eighteenth century this commodity was bought entirely by the Manciple and no prices exist. Cheese

Expenses for cheese were included in the Staurum Account from 1545 but do not cover the consumption of this commodity, since supplies were received from Stoke 1 Kirby, p. 382. 2 Bursars’ Account Book 1799-1812. 3 The variation was 411-808 lb.

74

PRICES AND WAGES IN ENGLAND

Park without cost from 1550 to the early seventeenth century and it is probable that supplementary purchases were made by the Manciple throughout the period. In the sixteenth century cheese was purchased at annual local fairs held at Magdalen Hill, at Wayhill, 18 „ miles distant, and at Andover, 15 miles from Winchester. Carriage charges from Wayhill were 7^d. or 8d. a cwt. In 1582 and 1584 cheese was bought in Salisbury and brought to the College at Is. a cwt., which appears to have been 112 lb. cheese, though the evidence is nowhere conclusive. From 1547 to 1550 cheeses were priced by number at varying rates1 probably dependent on weight. Purchases were from 2 to 10 cwt. annually in the years 1562-84, pro¬ bably varying according to the supplies received from Stoke. No quantities were given subsequently until 1672-82 when cheese was priced by the lb. and 200-700 lb. were bought yearly with an average of 400 lb. Since purchases were made at various places, prices were irregular. The average cost of cheese, exclusive of carriage, between 1562 and 1584 was as follows :— H.Yr. s. per cwt. 15-58 from Wayhill 1562 18-09 63 64 15-00 from Wayhill 15-33 65 14-80 66 67 15-00 15-90 68

H.Yr. s. per cwt. H.Yr. s. per cwt. 13-50 1579 15-93 1569 1580 15-83 15-08 1570 81 16-24 71 14-31 13-80 82 17-52 from Salis¬ 72 bury 18-48 73 83 11-71 15-75 1577 84 16-60 from Salis¬ 14-94 78 bury & Andover

Dried Fruits AND Spices

These provisions were used by the Warden and for feasting during Election and Audit weeks, for puddings on fastdays and during Lent. Costs of these commodities occur in 1393-94 but they were included under commons 1395-1541. A comparison of available prices 1393-94 and 1552-53 is as follows, commodities being rated by the lb H.Yrs. : Raisins and Currants Cinnamon Cloves Pepper

1393 3d. 2s. Is. 6d., Is.2

1 Is. 3d.-2s. each.

1394 3d.

1552 5jd.

6s. Is. 2 Two qualities.

5s.

1553 5s. 4d. 5s. 4d. 2s. 6d.

WINCHESTER COLLEGE

75

All spices and dried fruits were measured by the lb. avoirdupois except saffron which was priced by the lb. troy at this period. Prices by the lb. occurring at only one period were : almonds 1393 3d., 1394 2^d. ; mace 1552 15s., 1553 16s. ; saffron 1393-94 8s. ; ginger 1393 3s. 4d., 1394 4s. 4d. From 1542 to 1581 these commodities were usually bought in London and brought down to Winchester with other purchases, but occasional supplies came from Southampton, while in 1582-83 spices and sugar were brought from Salisbury. As there are no direct references to costs of carriage after 1583, it is probable that from this date purchases were made in Winchester. Sugar

In 1393 2 lb. sugar were bought at Is. 4d. a lb. ; in 1553 65| lb. were used of which 18 were priced at Is. 3d., 27§ at Is. l|d. and 17f at Is. Id. a lb. Such details were never entered subsequently, though in the years 1575-81 purchases were described as “ better and unrefined ” sugar. Total costs, therefore, cover two or three grades of sugar, though judging from the above example and analogies elsewhere,1 the difference in price of the various grades was slight—usually Id. a lb. Averages of available rates are given in the following table ; they refer to the cost of sugar used during the year quoted, not necessarily to purchases. Sugar was sold by avoirdupois weight. H.Yr. 1553 54 1563 64 65 66 67 68

s. per lb. H.Yr. 1569 110 1570 116 71 0-86 72 0-85 73 0-90 74 0-97 1576 0-86 77 0-84

s. per lb. H.Yr. 1578 110 79 0-94 1580 114 81 0-68 82 0-87 83 0-89 84 105 85 1-88

s. per lb. H.Yr. :3. 1586 1-48 1588 1-31 89 >5 1590 101 91 116 1593 1-24 94 1-23 1624 1-27

per lb 116 1-39 0-87 0-79 0-95 0-84 0-86 0-48

These rates represent London prices to 1581, carriage to Winchester being about 2s. a cwt. in addition.2 Pur¬ chases were made in Salisbury in 1582—83 and in Southamp¬ ton or Winchester from 1584. 1 E.g. sugar at Westminster School and for the Lord Steward’s Department. 2 Is. 8d. per cwt. 1553, 2s. 1555-71, 2s. in summer and 2s. 4d. in winter 1572-76, and 2s. 4d. 1578-82.

76

PRICES AND WAGES IN ENGLAND

The average annual consumption was as follows : 1553-67 59 lb., 1568-78 79 lb., 1579-86 98J lb., 1588 37f lb., 1589-94 57^ lb., 1624 186 lb. Consumption fell in 15871 and during the following period was no doubt affected by reductions in the impor¬ tation due to naval hostilities. Expenditure on sugar rose steadily from 1594 and after 1602 was about £8 yearly : as the price was falling, quantities must have been approaching the level of 1624. Rice

In 1394 rice cost l|d. a lb. at Winchester. The only other prices for this article relate to rice 1618-29. The usual price was 4d. a lb. between 1618 and 1624, rising to 5d. in 1619 and falling to 3|d. in 1624 : in 1629 it cost 8d. a lb. Beer

No particulars exist concerning brewing until 1542. From this date a brewer was employed at a yearly stipend of 40s., increased to 53s. 4d. from 1560, and, from the late sixteenth century, wages for additional labour in the College Brewery were paid. Beer supplanted ale in 1540, when the first hops were used in manufacture. In 1544 173 standards of small beer, each containing 20 gals., were bought at Is. 2d. each to supplement the College brewings, and from 1548 to March 1556 the Brewery was closed, probably owing to the rise in the price of malt, and small beer was purchased from three local brewers at 16s. a tun of 240 gals, or Is. 4d. a standard. Double or strong beer for the Election cost 36s. a tun in 1552 and 24s. 8d. a tun in 1553 : the latter was probably of less strength, for in 1560 another purchase was made at 36s. a tun. In March 1556 the Brewery was re-opened and supplied with rent malt and hops from London. In 1558 139 qrs. malt were used for brewing as compared with 405 qrs. in 1542, so that it is probable that a weaker brew was substituted with the re-opening of the Brewery, perhaps comparable with the strength of purchases during the interim 1548-55. The composition of the beer is known from 1576 when 7 qrs. malt and 2 bu. wheat, and a variable quantity of hops were allowed to a brewlock or brewing consisting of 1 58s. Id. was spent on sugar in 1587 and 48s. lOd. in 1J588.

WINCHESTER COLLEGE

77

20 hogsheads each of 60 gals. In 1581 the ratio of wheat was reduced to 1 bu. a brewlock and from 1711 no wheat was used. The proportion of malt remained unchanged to the end of the eighteenth century, but quantities of hops were not always given. The average for this com¬ modity when known was 15 lb. to a brewing in the late sixteenth century with a variation of 11-19 lb. In the early seventeenth century when hops were grown in the College garden, 19-22 lb. were put to a brewlock but this quantity was reduced after 1620 when supplies from the garden fell off and remained at 15-16 lb. until 1760 when it was again increased to 20-25 lb. In 1711 the rations of beer, then valued at 12s. 3d. a hogshead, were reduced from 820 hogsheads to 579 hogsheads yearly and the Warden and fellows were allowed 6s. 8d. a hogshead for any beer not consumed by them up to the quantities allotted. From 1712-40 21 brewlocks of small beer were made yearly and this number was reduced to 18 in 1741-59 and 14 brewings from 1760. Extra malt was allowed to strengthen the beer for the Audit and Election. In 1710 the brewer’s yearly stipend was still 53s. 4d. : his assistant was then paid 40s., having received 26s. 8d. during the seventeenth century, and additional labour was charged to Costs of the Brewery. There was at this time at most one brewing a fortnight. A contract was made with the brewer in 1713, whereby he undertook to brew at 8s. 6d. a brewlock, receiving 26s. 8d. annual stipend,, while the College paid for the upkeep of the Brewery and the brewing vessels and for the labour of carrying water. Under a new agreement made with the same brewer in July 1732, he was paid 30s. a brewlock of 20 hogsheads and allowed 8 gals, beer from each brewlock together with candles and the yeast grains and grounds of beer. He had to find all necessary labour, faggots and coal, unless the price of the latter rose above 10|d. a bu., while the College provided malt (including grinding), hops and brewing vessels. These terms continued to 1798, but in March 1799 the rate was increased to 37s. 6d. a brewlock and remained unchanged to 1816. Beer was sold to the fellows and masters at 12s. a hogs¬ head 1735-37, 13s. 1738-40, 13s. 8d. 1741, 14s. 1742 and

78

PRICES AND WAGES IN ENGLAND

12s. 1743-1802 when the practice ceased. The cost to the College of 20 hogsheads small beer 1732-60 was that of 7 qrs. malt + 16 lb. hops + 30s. + slight additional expenses under contract. Thus in 1740 the cost amounted to £13 5s. 4d.* or 13s. 3d. a hogshead plus charges.2 After 1760 the increased proportion of hops affected the cost. Charcoal

and

Firewood

Fuel was obtained largely from tenants in the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries at low rates usually covering only,.cost of labour and carriage. Thus all charcoal was supplied from the College property of Ropley Woods 1559-83 and an unknown proportion from the same source 1584-1617. From 1618 to 1791 nearly all the charcoal was delivered at 2s. 6d. a qr. and subsequent rates were 3s. a qr. 1792, 2s. 6d. 1793-96, 3s. 6d. 1797-1810 and 4s. 6d. 1811-16. A statement was made in 1792 showing that charcoal was obtained under annual con¬ tracts, by which a dealer rented underwood from the College and delivered charcoal at a price fixed in relation to the rent of the underwood per acre. Faggots and tallwood were obtained from tenants 1541-56, and from 1557 partly from Stoke at the cost of labour and transport and partly from a tenant (1557-1638) without charge as part of his rent. Prices paid for supplementary purchases at current rates cannot be deduced from the insufficient data in the Staurum. From 1784 to 1796 large faggots were bought for the Kitchen at 14s. per 1003 and small faggots at 8s. per 100. The price of the latter rose to 10s. over the period 1797-1816, while large faggots cost 18s. per 100 1797-1810, 30s. 1811-15 and 26s. in 1816. The consign¬ ments from 1811 may have been a still larger size. Oil

Lamp oil for the Chapel was bought from a dealer in Winchester from 1395 to 1557 but, as the quantity was not always stated, rates are sometimes unknown. Between 9 and 11 gals, were bought yearly to 1480 and usually 18 gals, thereafter with a variation of 15-24 gals. There were 1 I.e. 7 qrs. malt at 3s. lid. a bu. + 16 lb. hops at Is. + 30s. = ^13 5s. 4d. 2 According to an estimate made at the College in 1738 the cost was 13s. a hogshead including Is. 2d. for wear and tear, 4s. 8d. for grinding the malt and 5s. 2d. as the value of the grains and yeast of beer (Kirby, p. 251). 3 Except for 1792 when the price was 13s. 4d. per 100.

WINCHESTER COLLEGE

79

frequently two rates in one year with no differentiation except an occasional notice of Lucca oil. As purchases were mostly local and similar in quantity it is probable that the variation was one of quality and that in some years a single entry covered two purchases at differing rates. In 1500 the higher price included Id. a gal. for carriage but this is exceptional, though the single entries for 1499 and 1501-03 covered a similar charge. Better quality oil was generally priced at Is. 4d. a gal. in the years 1410-1530, second quality at Is. 2d. while oil at Is. and lOd. a gal. was also bought. The prices possibly show the degree of refinement, 2d. a gal. being the cost of each process, but the oil may have been partly olive and partly rape. Higher priced oil was at Is. 6d. a gal. 1531-33 while entries at Is. 3d. and Is. 3|d. 1504-39 were probably of second quality, thus showing a real advance in prices in the early sixteenth century. Separate rates are given in the table below when known, “ Ca ” is appended to prices ineluding carriage. H.Yrs. 1395 1397 1403 1405 06 07 1409 1410 11 12 13 14 15 1416-18 1421 1423 24 1426 1427-29 1430 31 1432-33 1434 1436-37 1438

s. per gal. 0-90 117 1-00 1-17 1-00 1-08 1-17 1-33, 117 200, 1-33 1-33, 1-17 1-37 1-33 117 1-33 117 117 1-00, 1-33, 1-17 1-33, 0-83 1-33, 1-00 1-00, 0-83 1-08, 0-89 1-08 100, 1-33 1-00 1-33

H.Yrs. 1439 1440-44 1446-54 1456-57 1459 1461 1464 65 66 67 68 1469-70 1471 72 1473-74 1475 76 77 1479 1481-83 1487 1489 1490 1491-92 1493

s. per 1-25 1-33 117 117 1-25 1-00 1-33 1-25 117 1-00, 1-33, 1-17 1-17, 1-33, 1-17 1-00 117 1-00 1-00 117 1-33, 1-00 1-25 1-17 1-00

gal.

1-33 117 100 117

117

H.Yrs. 1494 95 1496-97 1498 99 1500 1501-03 1504 1507 08 1509-12 1514-15 1516-18 1520-21 1522-24 1526-27 1528 29 1530 31 1532-33 1534 35 36 1538 39

s. per gal. 1-33 1-17 1-00 1-17 l*25ca l-25ca, 1-17 l-25ca 1-25 1-33 1-29 1-17 1-25 1-00 1-00 1-25 1-00 1*25 1-33, 117 1-33 1-50 1-50, 1-25 1*25 1-17 1-29 1-17 1-25

80

PRICES AND WAGES IN ENGLAND

In 1541 a purchase of 2 cades of oil1 each at 21s. 8d. was made for the Chapel, but this may have been of an inferior quality. Oil for cooking and burning in the scholars’ chambers was included under commons’ allowances to 1541. In 1535 candles were used in chambers for night lights owing to a lack of oil and from 1543 superseded oil as “ watch lights.” Oil for cooking was given in the Staurum Account in the years 1545-79 at an average cost of 30s. yearly, but quantities were frequently omitted : from 1571 to 1579 the annual expense on oil fell to under 10s. Both olive and rape oil were used in the Kitchen, the latter for cooking fish and for lighting. From 1580 small sums were spent on oil but no quantities were recorded. A few early rates can be given :— H.Yr. s. per gal. H.Yr. 1554 2-33 1574 1556 2-02 2-24 1576 57 1569 4-102 77 1570 311 1579 71 3-09

s. per gal. 4-50 rape, for cooking fish 5-78 olive 5-33 olive 6-00 olive (5-67) olive"1 3 gals. 1 pt. rape for fish and (3-33) rape flighting + 3 pts. olive — J 12s. 6£d.

1 The cade of beer was equal to a hogshead of 31J gals. 2 In 1567 a half dolium was bought for 30s.

WINCHESTER COLLEGE Hops1 H.Yr.

Wheat: s. per qr.

Malt: s. per qr.

H. Yr. s. per cwt.

1737 38 39

11200 79-47 68-21

1740 41 42

113-70

44 45 46 47 48 49

148-80 224-00 142-85 140-00 99-34 177-30

1750 51 52 53 54 55 56 57 58 59

113-92 130-67 140-00 103-40 100-33 84-00 112-00

1760 61 62 63 64 65 66 67 68 69

130-67 112-00

n

135-90 168-90

n

74-38 209-05 118-22 96-78 182-68 90-04 186-80 Beef and Mutton1 s. per stone

1584 85 86 87 88 89

1-00 1-11 1-20 1-23 1-14 1 26

1606 07 08

1-56

1612 13 14 15 16 17 18 19

1-51 1-56 1-61 1-67

1-71

» »»

1st Qr.

2nd Qr.

3rd Qr.

4th Qr.

Year

1st Qr.

n

2nd Qr.

3rd Qr.

4 th Qr.

Year

1630 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39

48-15 35-42 34-91 39-75 38-62 37-51 30-94 44-02 30-50 27-37

27-40 20-47 19-96 25-44 20-62 19-94 24-37 37-32 23-90 16-58

1640 41 42 43 44 45 46 47 48 49

32-00 29-35 34-17 29-36 25-02 29-59 48-88 54-82 51-94 52-33

17-79 17-11 17-47 15-63 15-56 18-36 23-50 30-54 27-78 26-25

1650 51 52 53 54 55 56 57 58 59

40-29 48-00 46-21

39-10 47-39

44-13 46-79

43-83 45-02

48-26 35-89 28-97 22-18 15-80 28-56 28-98 41-84 46-80 46-21

21-56 18-91 21-44 16-20 12-67 14-98 21-24 21-23 24-00 27-25

1660 61 62 63 64 65 66 67 68 69

40-29 53-33 35-56 36-00 32-00 33-17 21-92 27-25 28-44 28-44

40-29

46-21

46-21

1670 71 72 73 74 75 76 77 78 79

32-00

1680 81 82 83 84 85 86 87 88 89

43-25 49-76 32-00 26-67 45-62 42-67 39-10 35-56 38-51 35-56 28-44 40-88 33-17 29-63 24-88 18-95

33-77 34-96 28-44 32-00 20-73 23-70 34-65 25-48

32-78 36-33 31-10 29-32 23-70 23-70 37-32 27-84

24-89 27-25

32-00 30-80 35-56 28-44 23-10 21-33 35-56 27-25

43-25 53-33 33-53 34-52 31-78 30-73 22-36 24-00 33-99 27-25 32-00 27-45 27-65 49-52 46-36 28-89 28-29 46-39 45-33 34-81

19-56

16-00 24-00 21-33 21-33 22-22 21-33 21-33 19-56 15-11

26-27 46-20 48-58 29-64 24-29 48-29 44-44 32-00

27-84 52-92 44-44 28-44 31-40 46-61 48-00 34-36

28-44 55-69 42-66 25-48 30-80 45-02 46-21 33-77

33-48 31-40 34-06 25-78 48-00 25-17 31-10 23-70

34-75 30-80 35-15 37-32 42-46 22-81 33-77 22-21

46-21 31-40 32-00 37-92 41-48 23-70 29-63 20-15

37-50 33-03 34-19 32-37 43-21 26-21 31 03 22-74 18-95 29-30

1690 91 92 93 94 95 96 97 98 99

30-80 39-10 53-33 41-48 53-33 42-67 51-56 56-88 41-48

22-51 35-56 44-44 53-33 32-59 58-67 47-41 59-85 53-33 37-33

24-60 42-06 52-72 63-60 32-88 52-94 52-94 57-47 59-26 35-74

23-10 40-29 47-41 60-42 31-40 50-96 53-92 58-06 52-72 35-56

23-40 37-18 4‘5-92 57-67 34-59 53-98 49-24 56-74 55-55 37-53

20-15 23-70

21-63 23-70

21-92 23-70

18-96

21-33

21-33

28-45 18-07 17-77 21-92 14-66 15-62 18-66 18-37

23-70 17-77 16-59 20-15 15-11 15-62 19-56 17-92

21-33 17-77 21-33 19-26 15-11 15-11 19-56 17-18

20-54 24-89 24-49 18-29 18-37 20-37 15-44 15-59 18-30 18-26 19-56 15-18 17-38 22-33 25-03 18-33 18-46 23-33 21-57 17-44

24-89 19-56 17-77 20-15 16-89 16-00 15-40 19-56

17-77 25-48 21-33 17-33 21-33 21-77 20-44

W

1620 21 22 24 25 26 27 28 29

81

13-33 19-11 25-78 24-89 21-33 22-51 28-29 29-78 30-22

” 1 Continued on p. 83. For explanation of signs see Reader's Guide.

17-77 20-15 26-37 17-55 17-18 24-00 20-66 16-00

16-59 25-33 24-73 17-11 20-22 24-00 21-77 16 44

17-77 26-07 23-55 17-33 19-11 24-00 22-07 1689

16-66 24-89 21-33 18-44 21-77 23-84 20-15 16-59

16-44 23-70 21-48 19-11 23-26 22-81 20-73 16-59

28-00 23-70 20-44 20-44 23-41 22-06 20-88 16-29

19-28 24-07 21-15 19-83 22-67 22-51 20-77 17-26 15-11 ”

13-33 16-29 21-63 28-22 18-07 22-37 22-66 25-78 30-22 29-78

13-33 18-66 24-00 26-22 17-48 22-51 25-49 26-66 33-33 25-78

13-33 19-11 24-89 26-22• 16-89 22-51 26-66 26-66 32-44 24-44

13-33 16-85 22-41 26-61 19-33 22-18 24-33 26-85 31-44 27-56

WINCHESTER COLLEGE

82

H. Yr.

H.Yr.

1613 14 15 16 17 18 19

22-34

1620 21 22

23-83 25-54 29-49

24-88

Suet s. per doz. lb.

1620 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29

2-50 ” M

» II II II II II II 11 II

j

Malt: s. per qr.2

Year

1st Qr.

2nd Qr.

3rd Qr.

4th Qr.

Year

33-17 21-92 32-00 36-13 25-48 21-33 23-10 28-44 55-68 64-00

32-59 24-87 26-52 38-49 26-52 22-29 23-03 26-91 48-36 69-52

22-66 23-11 21-33 19-56 21-04 22-66 24-89 26-45 28-44 28-15

22-66 22-37 20-15 20-67 20-29 24-89 26-22 26-51 26-37 31-17

22-51 22-22 18-92 20-96 20-15 24-89 26-22 26-51 26-37 33-93

22-51 22-66 21-04 20-44 22-66 24-89 28-00 26-51 28-15 33-93

22-59 ” 20-36 20-41 21-04 24-33 26-33 26-50 27-33 31-80

41-28 41-77 34-37 49-78 32-00 42-67 40-29 32-00 26-67 32-58

41-48 39-10 33-77 46-21 28-44 35-56 33-77 32-00 24-89 33-77

44-98 40-81 35-26 48-89 31-11 43-56 38-07 34-96 25-04 31-55

33-93 30-22 24-44 24-54 26-46 28-37 24-29 22-66 20-44 24-89

30-22 26-11 24-54 26-46 28-37 26-07 22-66 20-89 20-15 26-37

30-22 24-44 24-54 26-46 28-37 24-89 20-89 20-44 22-51 26-66

30-22 24-44 24-54 26-46 28-37 24-29 20-89 20-00 22-51 26-66

31-15 26-30 24-52 25-98 27-89 25-91 22-1S 21-00 21-40 26-15

32-00 22-66 23-70 27-25 33-77 35-56 29-33 42-67 42-67 30-21

30-21 28-29 30-21 30-21 35-56 39-10 30-21 47-40 46-21 30-21

26-67 23V 8 5 28-44 26-07 39-69 28-44 30-21 51-83 45-33 26-07

25-81 28-77 27-99 3615 38-07 29-55 44-37 44-22 30-22

26-66 24-89 18-82 24-29 28-44 24-89 23-11 23-70 29-63 31-41

26-37 20-89 19-56 27-85 24-89 24-89 23-70 27-85 30-81 27-26

24-89 18-82 18-96 28-44 24-89 24-89 23-70 29-93 31-41 27-26

24-89 18-82 22-51 28-44 24-89 24-89 23-70 29-93 31-41 22-51

25-70 20-86 19-96 27-26 25-78 24-89 23-55 27-85 30-82 27-11

26-07 24-88 23-70 21-75 31-80 35-14 28-45 24-54 24-54 28-45

26-07 24-59 23-43 26-77 31-80 35-14 26-77 26-77 25-66 29-00

27-25 20-74 22-87 25-10 30-12 33-46 26-77 26-77 27-33 34-58

28-44 20-74 21-75 25-10 30-68 29-00 25-66 25-66 28-45 53-54

26-96 22-74 22-94 24-68 31-10 33-19 26-91 25-94 26-50 36-39

20-74 23-11 23-70 20-08 18-97 18-97 20-64 22-31 22-31 21-75

19-56 24-89 20-08 18-97 18-97 20-64 24-54 24-54 21-75 22-31

19-56 23-70 20-08 18-97 18-97 20-64 23-43 23-43 21-75 25-10

23-11 23-70 20-08 18-97 18-97 20-64 23-43 23-43 21-75 25-66

20-74 23-85 20-99 19-25 18-97 20-22 23-01 23-43 21-89 23-71

1740 41 42 43 44 45 46 47 48 49

55-21 25-10 21-75 17-85 17-85 21-20 28-45 26-77 31-23 28-45

51-31 28-45 22-31 18-41 18-41 23-43 28-45 24-54 30-12 25-66

49-64 28-45 20-08 18-41 18-41 31-80 29-56 27-61 27-88 24-54

44-62 24-54 19-52 17-85 19-52 28-45 25-66 29-00 25-10 28-45

50-20 26-64 20-92 18-13 18-55 26-22 28-03 26-98 28-58 26-78

26-77 26-21 25-10 23-43 18-41 18-41 18-41 18-41 18-41 21-19

26-21 25-10 25-10 17-85 20-08 18-41 18-41 18-41 20-64 21-19

26-21 25-10 25-10 17-85 18-41 19-52 18-41 18-41 21-19 21-19

26-21 25-10 25-10 17-85 18-41 18-41 18-41 18-41 21-19 21-19

26-35 25-38 25-10 19-25 18-83 18-69 18-41

1750 51 52 53 54 55 56 57 58 59

26-77 36-82 33-46 33-46 28-45 30-12 36-82 43-50 37-93 30-12

28-45 34-58 32-36 35-70 25-66 27-89 45-74 42-40 30-12 28-45

26-77 35-70 36-82 35-14 24-54 27-89 53-54 45-74 30-12 29-55

28-45 32-63 35-70 28-45 25-10 35-70 63-58 36-82 26-77 27-89

27-61 34-93 34-59 33-19 25-94 30-40 49-92 42-12 31-24 29-00

21-19 21-19 23-43 22-31 23-43 21-19 24 54 30-12 30-12 22-31

21-19 23-43 23-43 23-43 21-19 21-19 27-88 32-35 30-12 21-19

21-19 23-43 20-08 22-31 21-19 21-19 31-23 31-23 23-43 24-54

21-19 23-43 21-19 22-31 21-19 22-31 31-23 30-12 23-43 23-43

21-19 22-87 22-03 22-59 21-75 21-47 28-72 30-96 26-78 22-87

1760 61 62 63 64 65 66 67 68 69

31-80 28-45 33-47 37-93 35-98 42-40 50-76 50-76 49-64 39-04

28-45 25-66 30-68 36-82 36-82 39-05 51-32 47-97 35-70 32-63

29-56 30-12 29-56 36-82 40-16 36-82 52-98 55-22 38-49 32-63

24-54 30-12 28-45 40-16 43-50 35-14 51-32 51-88 39-04 35-70

28-59

23-43 24-54 23-43 30-12 28-45 26-77 32-91 32-91 31-80 24-54

24-54 23-43 28-45 30-12 28-45 32-35 32-91 33-46 31-80 22-87

24-54 23-43 31-80 30-12 26-21 32-91 31-80 31-80 26-21 22-87

24-54 23-43 30-12 29-56 26-77 32-91 32-91 31-80 24-54 22-87

24-26 23-71 28-45 29-98 27-47 31-24 32-63 32-49 28-59 23-29

s. per qr.

1618 19

|

Wheat : s. per qr 2

Oatmeal1

1st Qr.

2nd Qr.

3rd Qr.

4th Qr.

1700 01 02 03 04 05 06 07 08 09

35-56 . 29-04 24-88 37-33 28-44 24-29 23-70 26-67 39-10 71-10

28-44 24-60 24-60 38-21 26-37 22-22 22-51 25-48 41-77 71-10

33-17 23-90 24-60 42-27 25-78 21-33 22-82 27-05 56-88 71-89

1710 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19

55-10 41-48 37-33 42-67 32-00 46-21 39-10 43-84 24-89 28-44

42-07 40-89 35-56 56-88 32-00 49-78 39-10 32-00 23-70 31-40

1720 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29

37-33 28-44 32-72 28-44 35-56 49-18 28-44 35-56 42-67 34-37

1730 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39

1 Continued on p. 83.

„

II

30-54 37-93 39-12 38-35 51-60 51-46 40-72 35-00

2 Continued on p. 84.

For explanation of signs see Reader’s Guide.

II

20-36 21-19

WINCHESTER COLLEGE Oats

Oat¬ meal

Beef and Mutton1

83

Suet2

H.Yr. s. pei qr. 1630 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39

Oats

Oat¬ meal3

Beef and Mutton4

Suet4

H.Yr.

13-93 11-39 10-51 12-37 11-15 13-94 14-36 16-79 10-56 9-41

s. per qr.

s. per stone

s. per doz. lb.

1-67 » » n

2-50 n n 99

1-73 1-67

» »

H n

99 99

M

99

29-53

”

”

»» »

n

30-83

1640 41 42 43 44 45 46 47 48 49

12-83 11-31 9-86 7-68 9-26 14-52 16-39 21-35 16-67 17-94

33-24 35-56 32-93 32-00 47-39 53-33 44-04 49-54

1-71 1-77 1-88 2-07 2-06 2-12

1650 51 52 53 54 55 66 67 58 59

13-06 11-71 17-21 10-51 9-89 10-39 13-66 15-15 17-32 13-79

(42-32) 42-06 48-00 39-12 39-08 36-56 45-69 39-12 53-33 »

2-09 2-03 2-00 1-87 1-75 1-71 1-72 1-89 2-00* 2-00

1660 61 62 63 64 65 66 67 68 69

12-50 18-07 14-61 14-15 13-02 14-42 10-74

49-78 56-89

10-88 11-15

44-43 42-67 40-00 40-89

1670 71 72 73 74 75 76 77 78 79

12-49 10-03 12-66 12-06 12-93 9-58 14-56 14-06 11-38 11-31

48-53 46-11 46-08 49-00 49-11* 48-81 47-93 48-30 47-38 47-40

1-60 » 1-59 1-53 1-83 »»

1680 81 82 83 84 85 86 87 88 89

15-64 16-14 14-51 14-72 14-61 13-92 12-72 10-21 9-64 10-74

52-80 62-04

1)

1690 91 92 93 94 95 96 97 98 99

10-04 11-24 15-63 14-90 12-31 15-13 12-20 12-86 16-61 19-68

46-22 48-00 49-78 49-39 41-73 49-68 45-86 42-08 47-32 51-56

56-89* 56-89 99

54-02 53-07 56-89 54-08 42-00 45-02 45-60

99

99

99

n

99

„ »» » 2-03 2-00 (2-33) 2-00 1-81 1-65 1-59

99

99 99

2-66 3-00 99

” 99 99 99

2-74 2-50 » 2-70 3-00 ” 3-03 3-00 » »» 99

(3-00) 2-96 2-73 2-50 2-46 2-40 ” 3-03 2-57 2-75

” ”

” ” ” »»

99

»

99

99

99

” »

99

99

99

** >» ”

99

99

99 99

„

99

n

99

„

99

» n

»i n

1-90 2-00 »

1 Continued from p. 81.

2-74 2-75 2-85 3-00 99

Oats

Hops1

s. per qr.

s. per cwt.

16-52 16-94 17-36 17-99 18-41 16-94 15-62

121-33 201-20 156-15 168-00 101-48 143-88 94-65 130-00 85-46 80-03

H.Yr. s. per qr.

s. per qr.

s. per stone

s. per doz. lb.

1700 01 02 03 04 05 06 07 08 09

13-67 12-76 11-56 12-00 12-89 16-00 12-89 16-89 16-22 13-55

41-74 42-40

2-00 (2-00) ( ” ) 2-00

2-99 (3-00) ( ” ) 3-00 »»

1710 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19

12 00 13 33

1720 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29

13-55 11-56 11-33 16-74 13-46 14-00 10-96 14-22 19-85 15-56

1730 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39

12-00 13-78 11-66 10-46 13-38 14-64 13-38 12-18 12-60 13-60

1740 41 42 43 44 45 46 47 48 49

14-64 13-94 14-43 10-04 10-46 10-18 9-41 8-64 14-01 12-81

56-89

1750 51 52 53 54 55 66 67 58 59

12-45 14-43 12-45 12-87 11-92 14-01 17-15 18-83 13-18 12-34

1760 61 62 63 64 65 66 67 68 69

12-13 13-38 16-94 15-90 15-48 17-36 ” 15-48 13-80 14-12

41-50 40-75 50-87

99 99

99

99

46-84 46-22

99

1-92 1-88 1-83

2-88 2-82 2-52

„

2-75

>»

II

13-78 13-33

(1-89) (1-97) (2-00) 2-00

• *

12-89

99

40-08

99

„

3-00

99

>» >» »»

”

”

99

14-22 »

„

42-67

1-91 (1-89) ( ” ) (2-00) 2-00

99

2-87 (2-83) ( ” ) (3-00) 3-00 99

99

49-78 » 99 99

49-78 99 99

44-44

(2-00) ( » ) ( ” )

(3-00) (

” )

|

( (

-- ) » )

{ < j (

” ) ” \ ” J ” ) 3-00 ”

( \ (

” ) ” ) ” )

!
* » ” ” 99

99

»» »* ** ” ” »» ” 99 99

1770 71 72 73 74 75 76 77 78 79

»»

17-36 15-27 13-49 15-33 23-33 21-11 18-89 22-00 17-33

1790 91 92 93 94 95 96 97 98 99

19-33 19-55 23-08 26-00 26-75 26-00 19-25 21-25 24-75 37-13

116-95 134-79 135-70 315-00 146-28 168-00 151-85 134-25 357-00 328-20

1800 01 02 03 04 05 06 07 08 09

37-50 24-00 20-50 26-00 30-25 31-75 34-25 37-25 41-75 36-50

384 00 121-25 234-55 166-82 123-00 240-00 140-00 142-00 112-00 140-00

1810 11 12 13 14 15 16 17

33-88 42-00 52-50 31-00 » 25-75 33-75 33-00

224-00 160-00 380-00 240-00 200-00 300-00 360-00 480-60

II

16-89 18-22

Beef and Mutton s. per stone 1770 71 72 73 74 75 76 77 78 79

2-00

Suet s. per doz. lb. 3-00

99

” 2-07 2-17 >» 99

2-21 2-33

1780 81 82 83

2 Continued from inset p. 82. 3 Oatmeal continues at 71‘lls. to 1798. 4 Continued in inset at foot of page. For explanation of signs see Reader’s Guide.

70-42 81-13 210-00 138-13 132-60 119-42 120-00 265-40 189-00

1780 81 82 83 84 85 86 87 88 89

»» II 99 99

3-10 3-25 »> ” 3-31 15*50 >» M

WINCHESTER COLLEGE

84

Rabbits1

Malt: s. per qr.

Wheat: s. per qr.

H.Yr.

H.Yr.

1770 71 72 73 74 75 76 77 78 79

1st Qr.

2nd Qr.

3rd Qr.

4th Qr.

48-52 51-88 56-90 53-54 57-46 45-73 42-11 52-70 38-21 37-24

36-82 47-97 53-54 44-62 57-46 33-46 36-82 44-76 34-58 31-52

38-49 48-52 55-78 49-65 56 90 36-82 42-11 46-16 33-74 33-46

49-64 50-77 53-54 49-65 53-54 33-46 42-11 42-53 31-93 35-14

Year

1st Qr.

2nd Qr.

3rd Qr.

4th Qr.

Year

43-37 49-79 54-94 49-37 56-34 37-37 40-79 46-54 34-62 34-34

24-54 31-23 31-23 31-23 34-58 34-58 31-80 26-77 31-23 29-55

26-21 31-23 29-55 35-14 34-58 33-46 26-77 29-55 28-45 26-77

31-23 31-23 31-23 32-91 32-91 33-75 26-77 31-23 29-55 26-77

31-23 31-23 31-23 34-58 32-91 31-80 26-77 31-23 29-55 30-12

28-30 31-23 30-81 33-47 33-75 33-40 28-03 29-70 » 28-30

31-23 32-89 43-56 42-67 37-33 42-67 35-56 35-56 37-33 37-33

30-95 32-48 40-89 42-89 39-11 42-67 38-23 35-56 37-78 37-33

1780 81 82 83 84 85 86 87 88 89

42-11 49-78 52-13 52-13 50-67 42-67 44-80 49-78 48-53 56-00

48-52 45-33 52-13 46-21 44-44 39-11 37-33 43-56 45-33 54-22

56-90 48-59 53-33 48-00 42-67 39-11 38-22 48-89 48-89 56-00

51-60 48-59 49-33 48-00 40-00 37-33 37-33 44-80 49-78 59-71

49-78 48-07 51-73 48-59 44-45 39-56 39-42 46-76 48-13 56-48

30-12 31-23 36-45 43-56 42-67 42-67 42-67 35-56 39-11 37-33

31-23 32-89 41-78 42-67 39-11 42-67 39-11 35-56 37-33 37-33

31-23 32-89 41-78 42-67 37-33 42-67 35-56 35-56 37-33 37-33

1790 91 92 93 94 95 96 97 98 99

56-00 48-44 56-89 52-00 58-83 92-33 66-00 80-00 56-00 84-00

49-78 44-89 48-00 47-00 55-50 103-00 58-00 65-00 50-33 96-00

55-11 39-11 52-00 50-00 66-00 116-00 52-00 63-00 56-00 120-00

48-44 36-44 50-50 55-67 72-00 88-00 53-00 51-00 65-00 148-00

52-33 42-22 51-85 61-17 63-08 99-83 57-25 64-75 56-83 112-00

37-33 39-11 39-11 48-00 48-00 50-67 53-33 48-00 48-00 48-00

37-33 40-89 44-00 48-00 50-67 50-57 53-33 48-00 48-00 56-00

39-11 40-89 48-00 48-00 50-67 53-33 44-00 48-00 48-00 64-00

39-11 39-11 48-00 48-00 50-67 53-33 40-00 48-00 48-00 68-00

38-22 40-00 44-78 48-00 50-00 52-00 47-67 48-00 M 59-00

1800 01 02 03 04 05 06 07 08 09

110-00 112-00 72-00 58-67 86-00 100-00 96-83 84-00 104-00 124-00

166-00 83-00 55-00 56-00 106-00 76-00 84-00 70-00 100-00 112-00

172-00 72-00 56-00 57-50 106-00 74-00 88-00 72-00 94-00 120-00

146-00 68-00 64-00 56-00 104-00 80-00 76-00 80-00 86-00 120-00

148-50 83-75 61-75 57-04 100-50 82-50 86-21 76-50 96-00 119-00

68-00 96-00 64-00 68-00 72-00 96-00 88-00 88-00 88-00 96-00

88-00 64-00 56-00 68-00 92-00 88-00 88-00 88-00 96-00 100-00

96-00 60-00 52-00 68-00 96-00 84-00 88-00 88-00 96-00 100-00

96-00 64-00 52-00 68-00 96-00 84-00 88-00 88-00 96-00 96-00

87-00 71-00 56-00 68-00 89-00 88-00 tt 11 94-00 98-00

1810 11 12 13 14 15 16 17

128-00 124-00 130-00 104-00 86-00 66-00 90-00 96-00

104-00 128-00 128-00 78-33 72-00 64-00 112-00

98-00 138-00 129-00 82-00 74-00 62-00 138-00

88-00 148-00 126-00 72-00 68-00 84-00 148-00

104-50 134-50 128-25 84-08 75-00 69-00 122-00 96-00

96-00 88-00 112-00 120-00 80-00 76-00 64-00 96-00

88-00 96-00 112-00 96-00 80-00 72-00 96-00

88-00 104-00 120-00 84-00 76-00 72-00 96-00

88-00 112-00 120-00 80-00 76-00 68-00 96-00

90-00 100-00 116-00 95-00 78-00 72-00 88-00 96-00

Bay s. per bu. 1545 46 47 48 49 1550 51 52 53 54 55 56 57 58 59

0-50 >»

„„

ft

Salt2

Salt

Salt Lymington s. per bu. 0-87 0-75 0-76 0-75 1-10 1-00 0-80 0-53* 0-67

0-83 0-84 0-94

0-84 0-79

0-79 0-84

0-93

1-33

H.Yr.

1560 61 62 63 64 65 66 67 68 69 1570 71 72 73 74

s. per bu.

Lymington s. per bu.

0-83 0-75

1-83 1-31

Bay

0-62 0-94 0-88

1-05 1-00 tt 1-50

1 Continued on p. 89.

1-49

H.Yr.

Bay s. per bu.

1575 76 77 78 79

Lymington s. per bu.

4-65 .

2-33

2-24

1-34

1-00

1-18 1-25 1-24 1-30

1580 81 82 83 84 85 86 87 88 89

0-93

2 Continued on p. 88.

1-14

Rabbits3 H.Yr. s. per doz pairs 1684 85 86 87 88 89

14-00 16-00 15-00 15-75 16-00 15-00

1690 91 92 93

16-00 15-00 16-00 18-00

3 Continued from p. 89.

For explanation of signs see Reader’s Guide.

s. per doz. pairs 1542 43 44 45 46 47 48 49

4-35 4-45 4-50 4-39 3-29

1550 51 52 53 54 55 56 57 58 59

7-57

6-47

5-27 5-23 6-91 6-93

1560 61 62 63 64 65 66 67 68 69

7-84 7-36 7-06 »» 7-00 6-82 7-79

1570 71 72 73 74 75 76 77 78 79

6-76 7-05 8-24 8-93 9-86 9-00 8-81 9-00 8-95 8-97

1580 81 82 83 84 85 86 87 88 89

9-00 9-61 9-50 9-59 10-69 9-20 9-34 9-52 9-53 9-55

1590 91 92 93 94 95 96 97 98 99

9-51 6-27 9-53 9-57 9-66 9-56 1014 1000 10-54 10-81

1600 01 02 03 04 05 06

10-98

10- 96 11- 54

WINCHESTER Wine for the Chapel A

COLLEGE

Candles

85 Cloth

Wax

B

A

B

s. per piece

s. per piece

Canvas A

Parchment

Lime

s. per doz.

s. per biga

Paper

Pewter A

B

s. per ream

s. per ream

H.Yr. s. per s. per s. per doz. gals. doz. gals. doz. lb. 1393 94 95 96 97 98 99 1400 01 02 03 04 05 06 07 08 09 1410 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 1420 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 1430 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 1440 41 42 43 44 45 46 47 48 49 1450 51 52 53 54 55 56 57 58 59 1460 61 62

6 00 4-00 6-00

6 00 8-00

1-85 1-75 M

(6 00)

(8-00)

1-67 1-93 1-50

s. per doz. lb. 6-25 6-50 5-67 6-25

38-00 34-50 35-50 34-33

41-00 40-00 42-00

5-80 5-92

32-91 33-73

40-00 »

34-00

41-00

s. per doz. ells.

1-50 1-73

10-00 (10-00) 11-11* 9-33*

»

2-02 4-00

10-00

1-49

8-00

1-92

6-00

34-33

42-00

5-50

1-97

4-22

12-00 10-00

2-0'0 1-88 1-50

5-16 5-50 if

38-00 40-00 38-83

42-00 44-00 47-67

4-50 5-00

2-09 1-23 1-54

4-73 4-00

600

8-00

1-50

4-75

40-00

57-83

1-13

(4-00)

„

»»

>1

ft

52-00

ft

37-00 38-00

42-33 50-00 48-00

if

it

36-67 »

46-33

n

5-50 5-77 5-57 6-63 6-43 6-63 6-42 5-20 6-00

39-00 38-50

ft

1-49 1-31 1-50 1-75 1-63 1-50 1-27 1-50 1-42

8 00

1-50

4-35

33-33

1-50 »

4-55 4-53

1-50

5-70

6 00 800 ft tt

ft

400 8-00

6-00

tt n

6-00 4-00

6-00

6 00 6 00 4-50

6-00

600

1-50 »

„ „

„

„

n

„

n

n

600 » „

8-00

1-50 n

8-00

„

1-33

tt

1-50 1-58 1-75 1-50

4-50* 600 tt

ft

600

1-50

»

„

ft

1-33

„

8-00 600

11

1-50 5-67* 600

1-33

8-00* 8-33

6-38* 2-76 2-04 1-91 2-12 1-90 2-07

4-00

it

500 5-17 6-67 400

34-00 36-00

46-00 47-00

4-25 4-75

2-29 2-25

3-42 (3-50)

6-12* 6-67

38-00

42-50

600

2-72

3-25

5-00

5-71

35-00 36-00

44-00 ”

6-00 5-00

2-28 2-00

(3-50)

5-00 (5-00)

(3-33)

5-09 5-04 5-85 4-50 4-29

35-00 36-00 it 35-42 36-50

It

4-25

45-00 44-00 45-50

2-25 2-67 2-50

( •> ) 3-50 » 3-00

5-00 (5-00) 5-00

(3-33)

4-50

It

4-50

2-48 3-00

6-67

2-50 2-29

3-00

5-63 (5-00) 6-00

3-00 3-00* 3-00

(5 00) 5-00 (5-00)

(3-33)

4-00 4-25

2-28 2-46 2-50 2-34 2-13

3-00

4-00 4-25 5-00 4-25*

2-33 3-13 2-07 1-71

3-00

(5-00) 5-00

(3-33)

4 00* 4-25 4-50* 4-00 4-50

1-91 1-77 1-87 1-54 1-75

4-39 4-70 4-63 5-63 6-30 7-25 7-00 5-94 4-75

44-00 11 44-50

4-00

if

n

3-88

38-33 11

38-00 37-50 39-00

47-00 46-50 47-00 48-00 47-50

37-75

48-00

5-58 5-31 5-50

37-00

if

It

it

it

37-50

"

it

11 11

36-00

II

it

a

4-00

4-67 4-67

5-33

37-00

a

4 25

2-28 1-64 1-38

5-32 5-48

36-00 ”

600

1-33

5-21

36-00

48-00

4-00

600

1-25

5-00

36-00

48-00

4-00

”

2-33

n

4-50

*

9-58 8-33 ”

»»

37-33 38-00 37-50

5-89 5-29 5-39 6-22

5-61

It

1-00 1-17

8-00

8-33

5-00 4-61 5-10

48-00 ”

600 »»

s. per doz. lb.

For explanation of signs see Reader’s Guide.

4-00

(3-33)

M

4-00

>»

(3-33)

tt

4-00 4-00

tt

3-00 2-75

tt

3-00

5-00

”

3-33 tt

5-00

4-00 3-00

11

5-00 4-00

5-00

WINCHESTER

86

Candles H.Yr.

A

1470 71 72 73 74 75 76 77 78 79 1480 81 82 83 84 85 86 87 88 89 1490 91 92 93 94 95 96 97 98 99 1500 01 02 03 04 05 06 07 08 09 1510 ii 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 1520 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 1530 31 32

600 8-00

A

6-50* 600 6-09 600 1) (6-00)

1-50 1-25 1-06 1-50

Canvas A

Parchment

s. per doz. ells.

s. per doz.

s. per biga

48-00 50-00

4-50 5-00

ff

ff

2-45 2-15 2-83 1-52

4-00 3-67 4-00

Wax

B

s. per s. per s. per doz. gals. doz. gals. doz. lb. 1463 64 65 66 67 68 69

Paper

Cloth

Wine for the Chapel

s. per doz. lb.

s. per piece

B s. per piece

7-17 6-15 6-79 7-14 7-50

36-00 38-00

„

ff

5-00

ft

ft

ft

ff

ft

39-00 40-00

53-33

1-25

ft

40-00 38-00

COLLEGE

48-00 56-00* 48-00

ft

4-41 4-50

Pewter

ft

A

B

s. per doz. lb.

s. per ream

s. per ream

3-00

(5-00) 5*00 (5-00) 5-00 (5-00)

(3-33)

3-25 3-75

tt

1-71 1-68

3-91

3-75

3-67 4-00

4-00 3-50

5-00 ”

7-00* 600

1-50

7-14 8-57 7-68 6-74 6-02 5-70 6-30 5-70

6 00

1-50

5-70

40-00

52-60

400

8-00 10-00

1-25

4-88

40-00 ”

53-33

400

ft

ft

2-25

3-67 3-56

7-25

40-00

53-33

4-50

2-56

4-00

5-00

1-00

7-75

40-00

53-33

4-00

3-00

4-00

5-00

1-25

7-32

40-00

53-33

4-00

2-33

3-33

4-00

ft

7-50

ft

ft

>t

ft

ft

ft

2-67

3-67 4-00 »»

tt

»»

» *» ”

t»

tt

ft

f»

(8-00) ( ” )

7-00 8-00

1-50 ft

»» ft

1-25 ff

8-00 8-00 9-50

12-00

9-74 8 00 900 8-00 8-70 800

H

II

12-00

1-37 1-25

II

ft

12-00

1-12 1-00

l» 1-17 ”

»»

„

ff

52-00

4-50

ft

*»

ft

ft

3-78

ft

ft

>» 4-00 4-50 ”

ft

4-50 4-50* 4-00* 4-25 4-00 4-50 4-00

If

ff ft

»» »»

ff

If

ft

ft

ft

ft

”

63-17*

..

2-50 2-17 2-72 2-63 2-83 3-00

53-33 63-95*

4-20 4-00 4-00 4-50

ft

ff

ft

ft

„

ft

ft

„

»

ff

7-00

”

8-00 >»

1-17

5-33 5-00

40-00

ft

»f

57-17* 53-33

8-00

1-17

4-64

40-00

63-17*

ft

ft

ft

>•

„

”

5-00

”

„

t,

ff

1-25

»»

ff

6-35 5-71 ”

II

8-00 1) ft „ II

8-00 13-15 12-00 10-50 12-00 8-00

16-00

1-17 1-25 1-17 1-00 1-17 1-17 1-00 1-17

8-05 7-25 911 8-47 6-27 5-88 6-26 5-14 4-73 4-13

40-00

5-72 4-11 5-42

39-25 40-00

ff

n

1-00

ft

ft

12-00 8-00

16-00 (16-00) 16-00

„

” 40-00

ff

11-60 (12-00) 12-00

ff

6-02 7-14 7-13 7-00 7-88*

tt

1-00 ft ”

ft

1-00* 1-00

14-00

”

3-67

8-25 7-98 6-27 5-50 6-50 6-00

ft

,t

*

62-00* 53-33 ft

62-00*

ff

ft

*

ft

ft

*

ft

63-33

>»

40-00 36-00 36-90 40-53 36-00 36-00

”

90-08* 65-39* 70-77 86-67* 86-67 78-44* 99-67* 84-00 96-00 88-00 92-00 94-00 104-00

5-00

2-02

ft

ft

3-50 **

(5-00)

3-50

5-00

3-50 5-00

ft

5-00

tt

ft

»* 4-00

>» »» »»

tt

tt

ft

ft

■*

4-00

ft

3-00 »>

4-00 »»

tt

ft

4-00

5-00 »»

3-00

4-00

4-00

ft

ft

ft

ff

ft

ft

V

ft

ft

tt

ft

”

”

tt

4-00 400 4-00

3-00

4-00

ft

ft

ff

tt

ft

ft

ft

»

ft

»»

5-00

»f

4-00

3-00

4-00

5-00

ft

ft

tt

ff

(5-00) 5-00

tt

4-50 5-00

»*

ft

ft

ff

400

tt

ft

ff

ft

ff

ft

2-83 2-56 2-83

»t ft

ft

3-78 4-00

3-00 3-00* 3-00

For explanation of signs see Reader’s Guide.

(3-33)

5-00 4-50 5-00

(3-33)

5-00 ft

5-00

tt

5-00 5-00

ft tt tt

4-00 4-50 4-67 5-17 5-00

tt

(5-00)

(3-33) (3-33)

6-67* 5-00 ff

ft If

(5-00)

3-33

ft

3-33

”

5-33

ff

ff

4-75 4-50

5-00 3-33

87

COLLEGE Wine for the Chapel IL.

>40 41 42 43 44 45 46 47 48 49

1200

1200

12-00 12-00* 16-00

>70 71 72 73 74 75 76 77 78 79 >80 81 82 83 84 85 86 87 88 89 >90 91 92 93 94 95 96 97 98 99

s. per doz.lb.

s. per doz. lb.

100

604 6-16 6-38 6-86 4-61 514 4-90

100

1-00 * 1-00

n

>50 51 52 53 54 55 56 57 58 59 >60 61 62 63 64 65 66 67 68 69

Wax

200

Wine: Election s. per pipe

40 00

Parch¬ ment

Lime

Pewter [

s. per piece

s. per doz. ells.

s. per doz.

s. per biga

s. per doz. lb.

108-00 112-00 120-00 112-00

4-00 4 00*

40 00 112-00

40-00 42-00 47-00 57-00 56-50

5-00

56-92

n

22-50

H

35-00 42-75

2-57 2 50 2-51 2-50 it

40-00

3-18 3-72 3-58 3- 77 4- 00 (4-00) 4-06 4-03

75-00 3-95 4-00 60-00

5 00 4- 67 5- 67 4- 67 5- 33 5-50 5-67 5-50

6-52 6-57 6-50

2- 67 3- 00

4-17 4-11 4-00

7-00 7-58 6-67 8-00 9-25 8-75

4- 50 5- 00

5- 00

6-67

7-00 7-50 7-33 7- 50 8- 00

9-00 7- 50 8- 00 7- 75 9-50 8- 00

6-00

7-50 8-00 8-50 8-00

8-00

5-00 4-67

it

8-60 8-25 8-50

9-00 8-90 8-50 8-00

82-00 80- 50 81- 00

8- 95 9- 00

500

8-50 8-00

9-00* 9-00 9-50 10-00 9-58 10-00 10-25 10-00

5- 50 6- 33 6- 67 7- 00 6-33 6-67

8- 50 8-00 9- 40 10-13 10-00 10-72 10-50 10-00

12-00 9-00

5-50

1 Continued on p. 89. For explanation of signs see Reader’s Guide.

12-50 10-00

4-67 4-67 6-67 4-00

7- 75 8- 00 6-67 5-83 6-67 4-50

H.Yr. 7-75 (8-00) 7- 00* 8- 00 7-50 7-50 7- 75 9-00 8- 50 8-25 8- 50 9- 00

it

108-00

it

8-00

it

4-50

(5-00) (4-50) (5-00) 5-00

9-00

3-99 5-00 3- 33 4- 71 3- 92 4- 50

9-00

n

4 00 4- 33

8-00 8-50 8-00 8-50 8-00 8-50 8-00 8- 50 9- 50 8-50

»

120-43 120-00

300

8-00 10-67 8-50

5-00

92-00

5-00 5-50

7- 00 6-67 6-83

9-00

83- 00 84- 00 88-00

3-33 317 3-67 3-33

6-83 6- 67

Q.14

82-00 83-00

n

3- 00

7 00

60-00 63-87 76-00 70-00

80-00

2- 97

(5 00)

168-00

7- 50 8- 00

it

40-00

it it

5-00 4-00

8-00

78-00 75-00 78-00

47-50 25-00 35-00 30- 00 32-50 31- 58

*

58-00

73-33 80-00

25-00 30-00

»

310 3-00

160-00 48-79 51-17 53-00

5-00 5-50 5-00

48-00 8-73 8- 83 9- 60* 10-00 9-29

8-00

it

4-00* >» *

s. per ream

4-50 (5-00)

3-00

124-44

s. per ream

3-33

2- 67* 3- 00

4-00*

60-00* 66-67 88-00 85-50 81-50

25-00

4-00 400

120-00

4-65 4-93 4-65 4-18 4- 46 5- 83 6- 00 6-93 6-50 8-00

1 00

2-00

s. per piece

Paper

Canvas A

B s. per doz. gals.

>33 34 35 38 37 38 39

Cloth Candles

9-00

1520 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 1530 31 32 33 34 35 36

Sealing Wax1 s. per doz. lb. 10-00

8-00 16-00 10-00

WINCHESTER COLLEGE

88 W ne H.Yr.

Candles1

Chapel1

Election2

s. per doz. gals.

s. per pipe

1603 04 05 06 07 08 09

(3-50)

it

(

1610

11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19

45-00 50-00

220-00 56-00

1640 41 42 43 44 45 46 47 48 49 1650 51 52 53 54 55 56 57 58 59 1660 61 62 63 64 65

66

”

)

»

)

(

”

)

’’

)

(

” ”

) )

(

" ”

) )

( (

” ”

} )

(

200-00

21 22

1630 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39

178-00 195-33

)

(

(

160-00

»

(

105-00

1620 23 24 25 26 27 28 29

s. per doz. lb.

II

tt

H

200-00 (

(

»

)

10-00

6-00

tt

II

10-00

It

II

112-11 122-00

10-00

116-67 114-00

It

12-00

II

12-50

120-00 » „

12-00

”

120-00 *

14-00

16-00

14-00

18-00 18-00

II

It

” ”

)

II

(

”

)

II

(

”

)

II

»

(

”

!

”

!

(

”

)

(

”

)

(3-92)

(4-00) 5-00* (4-00) (4-50) (

’>

)

(

”

)

(

”

)

(

”

)

” ”

> )

28-00 26-00* 26-00

II

It

II

II

tt

”

26-00 28-25 26-00 28-00

II

tt

II

14-00

II

tt

It

II

tt

It

tt

*1

it

it

II

It

it

16-00

35-69

>t

96-00

it

”

»»

»

12-00

)

ft

)

tt

13-00 ii

It

tt

II

tt

13-50 17-00 18-00 13-43

II

120-00

67

>»

II

68

”

tt

69

”

33-00 30-00 33-00 28-00

12-50 13-00 16-00 15-50

12-00

15-00 14-00 II 11

9-00 17-00

20-00

II

16-00

II

II

18-50 16-00 14-50 14-00

9-00

14-50

9-50

12-25 14-00 12-74 14-00

10-00 10-00

II

17-00

14-50 14-00

”

13-33 13-97 13-33

II

12-83 13-00

40-00 34-00 40-00

tt

13-33 14-00 13-67 13-33

„

14-67 16-00 14-67 16-00 14-67

”

13-00

14-00 13-00

13-33

”

I)

12-83

II

II

27-00

15-00

12-00

II

9-50 10-00* 9-00 II

8-00

II

15-68

5-25

14-57 14-67 14-00 14-67 II

10-00

2 Continued from inset p. 87. For explanation of signs see Reader’s Guide.

1737 38 39

5-00

1740 1741'

5-00

„

II

5-38

►

1778 1779 1780 81 82 83 84 85

86

4-50

5-00 5-50 6-17 7-00 II

6-67 II

87

„

88

„

89

II

1790 91 92 93 94 95 96 97 98 99

„

7-08 7-50 7-63 13-00 13-13

1800

13-25

„ tt ,1 II

14-00

14-00 16-00 14-67 (16-00) 14-67

•

to

6-50

6-00

13-75 13-00 13-50

120-00

6-00 7-00

36-00 30-00* 36-00

”

6-75

6-00

12-00

»

l Continued on p. 90.

II

11-86 12-00

II

II

II

II

II

II

12-00

6-50

„

28-31 30-00 27-00

96-00

12-50 14-00 13-00 14-00

It

II

”

12-00

II

” ”

12-99 12-29

120-00

12-00 12-00

II

12-48 11-91 12-67

II

tt

13-33

II

6-00 8-00

II

14-87 16-00 13-00 14-00

(

18-00

7-00 7-50 7-00

It

II

12-00

15-00

II

II

23 24 25

It

13-00 12-75

II

tt

II

5-00

21 22 '

II

13-11

26-00

tt

13-25 13-42 13-33 13-33*

8-50 7-50

7-00

10-00

»»

tt

5-50 5-75 5-50

1720

II It

It

14-00

II

12-00

It

||

II

tt

12-67

tt

It

15-00

II

II

14-85 14-17 13-33 12-50 12-67 11-69

26-00

(4-00) (

7-50 8-25

tt

)

(3-83)

(

14-00

21-00

(

(

6-50

12-00

»

10-00

tt

II

14-00

1712 13 14 15 16 17 18 19

II

12-50 12-33 12-67

15-00

tt

120-00

s. per bu.

6-00

6-00

)

)

6-00

II

It

1670 71 72

tt „

14-00

s. per doz. lb. 9-00

II

5-00

tt

120-00

5-00

II

tt

”

96-00

Salt 3: White

Pewter1

II

16-00 15-00 16-00

12-00

1*

s. per biga

II

6-00

10-92

*

”

13-00

11-00 120-00

s. per doz.

II

10-50

»

) )

13-00

It

120-00

” ”

s. per doz. ells

9-73

(3-67) (

96-00 80-00 96-00

Lime1

118-18 121-64 109-10

3-67

72-00

Parch¬ ment1

s. per s. per doz. ells doz. ells

3-50

3-50 (3-50) (3-67)

64-00

Holland1 Lockram1

s. per piece

(3-50) 56 00

Canvas B1

H.Yr.

40-00 43-33 50-00 tt

Cloth A1

15-00 12-56

01 02 03 04 05 06 07 08 09 1810

14-83

11 12

13 14 15 16 17

14-67 3 Continued from inset p. 84

II „ „ II

18-50 II „ „

18-88 18-75 19-25 19-00 19-50 II

19-25 18-75 18-50

WINCHESTER

COLLEGE

Tiles

TilePins

s. per

s. per qr.

H.Yrs.

1451 52 53 54 55 56 57

4-00 3-89 3-33

5-00

3-33 5-50 5-42 5-50

2-67 tt

2-22

1466 1470 71 72 73 74 75 76

6-00 5-00* 5 00* 500

2-00

2-00

10-00

88

2-00

89

2-67 2-33

5-83

1512 13 14 15 16 17 18 19

23 24 25 26 27 28 29 1530 31 32 33 34 35 36

1,000

s. per qr.

s. per doz. lb.

1537 38 39

5-78

2-00

6-00

1540 41 42 43 44 45 46 47 48 49 1550 51 52 53 54 55 56 57 58 59 1560 61 62 63 64 65

66

6-00 ft

3-00 2-67

n

1610 ii

tt

12

15-00 12-50 15-00 15-50 15-67 14-00 15-25

6-00 8-00 10-00

6-45

21 22

4-00 It

6-67 7-58

tt

20-00 10-33

It

10-00

5-50

14-50

8-50 10-67

9-50

12-00 6-67

5-33 tt

2-00

69

5-00 6-67

2-00 6-67

2-00

6-67

2-00 2-00

6-67 6-83 (6-00) ( ” ) (6-33)

2-00 2-00

1580 81 82 83 84 85

86 2-00 5-00

87

»

88

2-33

89

2-00 5-44*

6-00 3-00 2-33 5-00 5-50

2-11

5-25*

2-50 2-33

5-50

tt

1590 91 92 93 94 95 96 97 98 99 1600

n 16-00

12-00 12-00

10-00*

8-00

10-00

5-33 4-67

„

6-00

„ *

ft tt

8-75*

10-00 »

7-33 6-67 »»

tt tt

6-67 tt

8-00 6-67 9-00* 9-76* 8-78*

10-00

12-00 8-00 12-00 12-00 11-67

tt

12-00 12-00 16-00

6-67

8-00

12-00 16-00

7-13*

12-50

12-00

9-00*

10-00

9-33*

12-00

tt

8-99* 10-25* 10-50* 10-59

9-16

8-00

TilePins

Sealing Wax

s. per qr.

s. per s. per doz. lb. doz. pair

12-00 tt

03 04 05 06

(11-67)

Rabbits2

12-50

12-00

10-67 »» (10-67) 11-33 10-67 » n tt

12-83 13-04

12-00 16-00

12-00 n

16-25 16-00

”

1640 41 42 43 44 45 46 47 48 49

»> tt

” »*

It

tt

16-00

12-00

tt

It

1650 51 52 53 54 55 56 57 58 59 1660 61 62 63 64 65

12-00

69

8-00

” 14-00

1670 71 72

67

68

12-00 15-00 16-56*

tt

16-00 15-50 16-00

10-67

tt

12-41

It

12-21

12-00

10-67

»» »

tt

tt

»♦ 10-72

tt

»*

tt

12-00 16-00 16-33

16-00

20-00

17-50 19-38

16-00

12-00

20-00 21-00

” 16-00

21-00 ”

tt

18-00

12-00 ” 14-00

12-00 25-00

20-00 20-00 22-00 18-00 19-00

12-00 ” ”

12-00 ”

tt

It

8-00

”

i Continued from inset p. 87.

10-17 13-54

tt

12-00 8-00

12-89 11-31 12-24

12-88

tt

10-67

13-88

12-00

15-00

tt

14-29 13-40 13-72 13-83

13-61

tt

1630 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39

10-67

„

15-72* 16-67

12-00

15-00 »>

66

»»

11-00 10-00 11-00

12-00

15-25 15-00

10-67

23 24 25 26 27 28 29

»» »» 13-67

10-00

01 02

13 14 15 16 17 18 19 1620

4-67*

6-00

1,000 13-04 12-72 12-58*

tt

2-93 3-00

s. per 1607 08 09

600 5-61

68 1570 71 72 73 74 75 76 77 78 79

Tiles H.Yr.

67

2-67

1520

21 22

s. per

2-33

6-33

02

1507-09

Sealing Wax1

6-67

1501

03

Tilepins

2-00

1484

1490-91 92 93 94 95 96 97 98

2-33 2-55 2-33 2-19

1479

1487

Tiles H.Yr.

1,000 1443-44 45 46 47

89

2 Continued from p. 84 ; continued on p. 84 inset.

For explanation of signs see Reader’s Guide.

14-63 12-17 15-86 14-40 14-00 15-88

WINCHESTER

90 Wine : Chapel1

Coal2

Candles3

Cloth A4

Sealing Wax

Parchment1

Lime1

Tiles

s. per doz.lb.

s. per piece

s. per doz.lb.

s. per doz.

s. per biga

s. per

H.Yr. s. per s. per doz. gals. chaldron 1673 74 75 76 77 78 79

96 00

1680 81 82 83 84 85

»

ii n it

ii ii

n it

ii

1690 91 92 93 94 95 96 97 98 99

12-00

12-00

II

II

II

9-50

39-09

ii

18-00

ii

20-00

19-00 18-00

37-33 41-21 67-00 71-93

ii

16-00

13-00

II

16-00 14-89 14-00

ii

20-00 II

II II

20-00

12-00

96 00

II

14-00

II

II

”

It

16-33

12-00

20-00

16-00

II

II

14-00*

II

20-00

14-00

144-00

1770 71 72 73 74 75 76 77 78 79

16-00 20-00 II

16-00

20-00

18-00

II

14-00 II

21-00 II

1780 81 82 83 84 85

II

14-00

II

17-50 58-67

II

14-00

Coal

II

Cloth A

86

H.Yr.

12

13 14 15 16 17 18 19

(5-50) (

-” »

( (

1720

(

> ) )

”

”

1743 44 45 46 47 48 49

11 II

)

)

II

21

II

22

II

23 24 25 26 27 28 29

II

1750 51 52 53 54 65 56 57 58 59

II II

(5-50)

( ) ( ( ( ) ( ” ( ”

1730 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39

34-75 39-93

1740 41 42

35-25 34-03 31*50

Cloth A

s. per s. per chaldron doz. lb.

s. per piece

s. per piece

88

89

33-00 33-38 31-50

7-00 (7-00)

II

(

”

)

30-75 37-50

(

>'

)

II

(

36-00 39-00 40-50 39-00 41-25 37-20 31-50

(

II it ii ii

”

)

”

)

ii

)

ii

( (

”

)

(

"

)

(

»

)

7-00 (7-00) (

120-00 II

--

)

•i

ii

120-00 II

II II

33- 00 34- 50 33-08 34-50

r°s 7-50

8-00 II

120-00 ”

) II

(

87 s. per chaldron

II

Candles

H.Yr.

18-00

II

02

11

7-76

Coal

20-00

II

01

1710

13-50 12-50

13-00

24-00 18-00

II

II

II

37-00

13-00

II

II

144-00

II

12-04

24-00

120-00

03 04 05 06 07 08 09

14-00 14-50 13-00

20-00

48-00

1700

12-00

38-00 40-00 38-00

*14-00 14-50 14-00

• n

45-29

13-32 12-50 12-78

36-00 38-00 32-00

II

ii

Lockram1

s. per s. per s. per s. per doz. lb. doz. ells. doz. ells. doz. ells.

20-00

37-97 37-81

ii

Holland1

1,000

II

15-33 14-67

ii

96 00

14-67 16-00

II

ii

ii

125-68

10-00 II

40-00 31-33

ii ii

88

89

it

li

86

87

120-00 n

48-60 42-00

Pewter1 Canvas B1

COLLEGE

"

)

”

)

”

II

II

35-00 39-64 42-75 37-50* 33-94 33-00 34-60

1790 91 92 93 94 95 96 97 98 99

120-00 II II

II II II

31-50

II

II

II

II

II

II

II

1800

36-75 38-63 41-25 39-75 37-88 34-88

ll

01

II

02

II

03 04 05 06 07 08 09

II II II

>»

)

II

>•

)

II

(

»

)

(

>'

)

II

(

»

)

II

(

»

)

”

1760 61 62 63 64 65

66 67 l»

68

»»

69

II

II

39-00 36-75 38-81 33-94 32-44 31-31 28-50

II

II

II

II

II

II

II

II

II

ll

36 01 39-75 43-50 41-70 39-00

7-50

132-00 138-00

II

57-57 55-00 46-50 40-50 46-50 52-50 49-50 46-50 49-50 59-63 56-25 63-72

II

II

II

168-00

10-00

II

9-50 9-00 9-50

ll

10-00

1,

II

ll

ll l,

II

„

10-83

I,

11-00

ll

11-33 10-83 10-67

ll II 1,

12-00

,1

15-00 14-50

ll ll

II II

1810

„

11

57-75 56-25

11-83

II

„

„

II

12

II

II

14 15 16

53-25 47-25 44-25

13- 83 14- 83 13-83 12-33 10-33

180-00 II II

168-00

”

1

Continued from p.

.

88

2

Continued in insets.

3

Continued from p.

88

and in inset.

For explanation of signs see Reader’s Guide.

4

Continued from p.

88

and in insets.

j

ETON COLLEGE

ETON COLLEGE — SECTION SUMMARY

92

Commodity

Price Unit

Index Base 1720-44 No. of Shillings years

Period Covered

Gross

I. Straw Hops : Unspecified & Flemish (A) English (B)

Tables Pages

Net

1488J-1604J

117

75

143-144

P.R:706-707

24

1535 -1628 1588 -1829

94 242

58 203

143-144 144-147

P.R:706-707 P.R:707-711

27-83

25

1579 -1831

253

240

144-147

P.R:707-711

1-97 2-42

24 25

1601 -1830 1686 -1831

230 146

211 146

144-147 145-147

P.R:707-711

1597 -1672 1789 -1830 1590J-1670 1775 -1830

76 42 81 56

62 18 68 36

16531-1830 1550J-1830 1593+-1778 1598 -1830 1579I-1646J 1734 -1804 1771 -1830 1596J-1641 1598J-1778 1644J-1830 1444 -1558

178 281 186

176 277 96

68 71 60 46 181 187 115

26 41 36 36 102 187 62

145-147 P.R:708-711 143-147 P.R:706-711 148 P.R:707-710 Series Note p. 124 „ P- 124 »» „ p. 125 It ,, p- 125 It tf ,, p. 126 148 P.R:707-710 145-147 P.R:709-711 143

1614 -1830 1505 -1672

217 168

213 111

144-147 P.R:707-711 143-145 P.R:706-708

1497J-1678J 1550^-1723 1550J-1682+ 1520 -1648 1555+-1665

182 174 133 129 111

142 122 103 56 72

143-145 P.R:706-708 143-148 P.R:706-709 143-148 P.R:706-708 Series Note pp. 137-138 „ p. 139 It

1636 -1830

195

155

145-147 P.R:709-711

1501+-1648J 14887-1584+

148 97

119 51

143-148 143-144

load

(18-191

cwt.

(72-04) 125-25

it

Length in years

XL qr.

Malt

m. Mutton :

A B

stone it

X. Wine : Sack Sherry Claret Port

gal. pipe gal. pipe

148 Series Note p. 114 148 Series Note p. 115

XI. Coal Charcoal Bavins Faggots Bushes Stackwood : A B T allwood Billets Candles Wax

chaldron load

33-44 50-00 6-78

25 25 16

11-50 14-94

4 4

8-68 6-05

17 25

yd. doz. ells.

5-75 (11-34)

25

load 1,000

(26-32) 13-00 (21-36)

2

1-24

14

it

C load it it

load doz. lb. a

it

xn. Cloth Linen and Canvas

XIV. Lime Bricks Tiles : Plain Ridge & Gutter Paving

it

100 II

XVI. Bark

yd.

xvn. Paper Sealing Wax

ream doz. lb.

ii tZ&lZr£fc}.Eh& v**' f ^ "■** *£+''* fi*rt miS. „ L c

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f

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4

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Eton College Audit Book:

(For transcription see p. 752)

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