working life of women seventeenth century - School of Economics ...

52 AGRICULTURE AGRICULTUREhave of her 1.00' to m0 Recd. of Myles Gouth wifefor ploughing for her I .oqArithmetic was not considered a necessary itemin the education of girls, though as the followingincident shows, women habitually acted in financialmatters.Samuel Bownas had been sent to gaol for tithe, butthe Parson could not rest and let him out, when hewent to Bristol on business and spent two weeksvisiting meetings in Wiltshire. After his return, whileaway from home a distant relation called andasked his wife to lend him ten pounds as he wasgoing to a fair. She not thinking of tithe which wasmuch more, lent it and he gave her a note, whichaction was approved by her husband on his return ;but the relation returned again in Samuel Bownas'sabsence to repay, and tore the note as soon as he receivedit, giving her a quittance for the tithe instead.She was indignant, saying it would destroy herhusband's confidence in her. The relation assured herthat he would declare her innocence, but he couldnot- have persuaded her husband, for "he wouldhave started so many questions that I could not possiblyhave affected it any other way than by ploughingwith his heifer."'Women's names frequently occur in presentmentsat Quarter Sessions for infringements of bye laws.The Salford Portmote "p' sent Isabell the wyef ofEdmunde Howorthe for that she kept her swyneunlawfull, and did trespas to the corn of the saidRaphe Byr~m."~Katharine Davie was presented " for not pavingbefore her doore." Mrs. Elizabeth Parkhurst for" layinge a dunghill anenst her barne and not makingethe street cleane." Isabell Dawson and EdmundCowper for the like and Mrs. Byrom and some men"for letting swyne go unringed and trespassinge intohis neighbors corne & rescowinge them when theyhave beene sent to the fould."' " Charles Gregorie'swife complained that shee is distrained for 3s. for anamerciament for hoggs goeing in the Streete whereupon,upon her tendring of 3s. xijd is restoredwith her flaggon."' The owner of the pig appearsvery often to be a married woman. At Carlisle in1619: ,'We amarye the wief of John Barwicke forkeping of swine troughes in the hye streyt contrarythe paine and therefore in amercyment according tothe orders of this cyttie, ~iid."~Such women may often not have been farmersin the full sense of the word, but merely kepta few pigs to supplement the family income. Even thegentry were not too proud to sell farm and gardenproduce not needed for family consumption, and arealluded to as " . . . our Country Squires, whosell Calves and Runts, and their Wives perhaps Cheeseand Apples."Many gentlewomen were proficient in dairy management.Richard Braithwaite writes of his wife :" Oft have I seen her from her Dayrey comeAttended by her maids, and hasting homeTo entertain some Guests of QualityShee would assume a state so modestlySance affectation, as she struck the eyeWith admiration of the stander-by."The whole management of the milch cows belongedto the wife, not only among farming people but alsol Fell (Sarah), Household Accounts, p. 339, 1676.B Zbid, p. 386, 1677."ownas (Samuel), Ltfe, pp. 116-17.' Salford Portmote Records, Vol. I, p. 3, I 597.' Salford Portmote Records, Vol. II., pp. 67, 1633.' Guilding. Readtng Records, Vol. IV., p. 512, 1653.a Ferguson, Muntcrpal Records of Carlisl., p. 278.' Howe!l, Fam~lzar Letters, p. 290, 1644.