A Discourse of Coin and Coinage [25]
the Meat and Drink of the
Day-labourer is valued but three halfpence, but by the 11th of
Henry the Sixth, the Pound of sterling Gold being (then brought
from 16l. 13s. 4d. to 22 l. 10s. 0d. and the silver from 30s to
37 s 6d.: From the 11th of Henry the Seventh until the 6th of
Henry the Eight, there was no new Rate upon hire of Labourers or
Servants wages: but that year there was a new Statute, which
notwithstanding was little or nothing different in the Rates from
the former, except in some Particulars which are not pertinent to
this Inquiry.
So likewise hitherto did the value of the King's Money remain
the same, and so continued until the 18th of Henry the Eight,
when the Commission was given for the Alteration of the Coins to
Cardinal Wolsey, which brought in great Confusions among the
values of Money, which together with the excessive quantities of
Gold and Silver, which about those times began to be brought into
Christendom out of the West Indies, were the occasion that the
Statutes for Labourers and Servants were no further observed
because the prices of all things being much inhansed, Labourers
and Servants could not live upon their Hire and Wages ordained by
the Statute: and this is acknowledged in the Preamble of the
Statute of the 5th of Q. Elizabeth (which is the next Statute for
the rating of Servants and Labourers wages, after the 6th of
Henry the Eighth) by which Statute all former Statutes for
Labourers and Servants are repealed, and an exact Course set down
how the Rates for the Wages of Servants, and Hire of Labourers
shall hereafter be set down by the Justices of Peace, in
Sessions, having regard to the price of victuals, and other
things for maintenance: so having thus deduced the Rates of
Servants and Labourers from time to time. It remaineth now only
that I examine some of the late Rates set down in the Counties
Adjacent, and compare them with those of the 25th of Edward the
Third, and 12th of Richard the Second, and that I do calculate
how much these later Rates do exceed the Ancient: and deducted
from the later Rates do exceed the Ancient: and deducting from
the later Rates so much as the values of the Moneys of Gold and
Silver hath been raised, which induceth rather a nominal than a
real Increase of the price, it will follow, That whatsoever
increase hath been more of the Rates, that it hath grown from the
great quantities of Gold and Silver brought into Spain out of the
Indies, within these Hundred years.
In the Statute of 25th of Edward the Third, the threshing of
a Quarter of Wheat or Rye, is rated at ijd. ob. By the Rate, in
Middlesex, of the 17th of King James, which is the last Rate made
there, the Threshing of a quarter of Wheat is eighteen pence,
which is above seven times as much as in the old Statute; the
stone, either of Wheat or Rye in Essex by the rate now in force
is 16d which is above six for one, wherein it is to be observed
that in that they shall give more: and yet we know that the
Bushel, and consequently the Quarter in many of the remoter
sheirs containeth half as much more as in these Counties near
unto London. The threshing of a quarter of Barley, Oats, Pease,
or Beans, by the Statute of 25th of Edw. the Third, is rated at 1
1/2 d. ob; but by the said Rate in Middlesex the quarter of
Barley is rated at 10d and Beans and Peas at nine pence, which,
by a medium comes to be between six and seven times as much. And
by the said rate in Essex they are rated at ten pence and eight
pence which by a medium, comes to six times as much; and in this
likewise the aforesaid Observation of the difference of the
measure doth hold.
By the said Statute of 25th Edward III it is provided that in
time of Hay making none shall pay above a penny for hay making,
but by the said rate in Middlesex, the hire of a man a day for
hay-making is 10 pence, for a woman viii pence, and by the same
rate in Essex, the hire of a man is rated at xii pence, and the
hire of a woman at ix pence, which, by the medium, is ten times
as much as
Day-labourer is valued but three halfpence, but by the 11th of
Henry the Sixth, the Pound of sterling Gold being (then brought
from 16l. 13s. 4d. to 22 l. 10s. 0d. and the silver from 30s to
37 s 6d.: From the 11th of Henry the Seventh until the 6th of
Henry the Eight, there was no new Rate upon hire of Labourers or
Servants wages: but that year there was a new Statute, which
notwithstanding was little or nothing different in the Rates from
the former, except in some Particulars which are not pertinent to
this Inquiry.
So likewise hitherto did the value of the King's Money remain
the same, and so continued until the 18th of Henry the Eight,
when the Commission was given for the Alteration of the Coins to
Cardinal Wolsey, which brought in great Confusions among the
values of Money, which together with the excessive quantities of
Gold and Silver, which about those times began to be brought into
Christendom out of the West Indies, were the occasion that the
Statutes for Labourers and Servants were no further observed
because the prices of all things being much inhansed, Labourers
and Servants could not live upon their Hire and Wages ordained by
the Statute: and this is acknowledged in the Preamble of the
Statute of the 5th of Q. Elizabeth (which is the next Statute for
the rating of Servants and Labourers wages, after the 6th of
Henry the Eighth) by which Statute all former Statutes for
Labourers and Servants are repealed, and an exact Course set down
how the Rates for the Wages of Servants, and Hire of Labourers
shall hereafter be set down by the Justices of Peace, in
Sessions, having regard to the price of victuals, and other
things for maintenance: so having thus deduced the Rates of
Servants and Labourers from time to time. It remaineth now only
that I examine some of the late Rates set down in the Counties
Adjacent, and compare them with those of the 25th of Edward the
Third, and 12th of Richard the Second, and that I do calculate
how much these later Rates do exceed the Ancient: and deducted
from the later Rates do exceed the Ancient: and deducting from
the later Rates so much as the values of the Moneys of Gold and
Silver hath been raised, which induceth rather a nominal than a
real Increase of the price, it will follow, That whatsoever
increase hath been more of the Rates, that it hath grown from the
great quantities of Gold and Silver brought into Spain out of the
Indies, within these Hundred years.
In the Statute of 25th of Edward the Third, the threshing of
a Quarter of Wheat or Rye, is rated at ijd. ob. By the Rate, in
Middlesex, of the 17th of King James, which is the last Rate made
there, the Threshing of a quarter of Wheat is eighteen pence,
which is above seven times as much as in the old Statute; the
stone, either of Wheat or Rye in Essex by the rate now in force
is 16d which is above six for one, wherein it is to be observed
that in that they shall give more: and yet we know that the
Bushel, and consequently the Quarter in many of the remoter
sheirs containeth half as much more as in these Counties near
unto London. The threshing of a quarter of Barley, Oats, Pease,
or Beans, by the Statute of 25th of Edw. the Third, is rated at 1
1/2 d. ob; but by the said Rate in Middlesex the quarter of
Barley is rated at 10d and Beans and Peas at nine pence, which,
by a medium comes to be between six and seven times as much. And
by the said rate in Essex they are rated at ten pence and eight
pence which by a medium, comes to six times as much; and in this
likewise the aforesaid Observation of the difference of the
measure doth hold.
By the said Statute of 25th Edward III it is provided that in
time of Hay making none shall pay above a penny for hay making,
but by the said rate in Middlesex, the hire of a man a day for
hay-making is 10 pence, for a woman viii pence, and by the same
rate in Essex, the hire of a man is rated at xii pence, and the
hire of a woman at ix pence, which, by the medium, is ten times
as much as