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

AGRICULTUREExcept in exeptional circumstances his wife's earningswould not amount to more than IS. a week and hermeat and drink. The more young children there were,the less often could the wife work for wages, and whennot doing so her food as well as the chidren's must bepaid for out of the family income.In a family with three small children it is unlikelythat the mother's earnings were more than whatwould balance days lost by the father for holidaysor illness, and the cost of his food on Sundays, butallowing for a small margin we may assume that 3s. 6d.was the weekly income of a labourer's family, and thatthis sum must provide rent and clothing for the wholefamily and food for the mother and children.A careful investigation of the cost of living isnecessary before we can test-whether this amount wasadequate for the familv's maintenance.There is no reason to suppose that a diet inferiorto present standards could maintain efficiency in theseventeenth century. On the contrary, the Englishrace at that time attributed their alleged superiorityover other nations to a higher standard of living.''The dietary in charitable institutions gives an idea of what was considered barenecessity.(Children's Diet in Chrzst Church Hosprtal, 1704.)For breakfast, Bread and Beer. For dinner, Sunday, Tuesday, and Thursday,boiled beef and pottage Monday, mllk pottage, Wednesday, furmity. Fridayold pease & pottage. Saturday water gruel. For supper bread and cheese orbutter for those that cannot eat cheese. Sunday supper, legs of mutton. Wednesdayand Friday, pudding pies.(Stow, London, Book I, p. 182.)Dzet for Workhouse, Bashops~ote Street, London.They have Breakfaets, dinners, and suppers every day in the week. For each mea4 OZ. bread, I$ oz. cheese, I oz. butter, I pint of beer. Breakfast, four days, breadand cheese or butter and beer. Mondays a pint of Pease Pottage, with Bread and Beer.Tuesdays a Plumb Pudding Pye 9 oz. and beer. Wednesdays a pint of Furmity.On Friday a pint of Barley Broth and bread. On Saturdays, a plaln Flower SewetDumpling with Beer. Their supper always the same, 4 oz. bread,^) of cheese or I oz.of butter, and beer sufficient. (Stow, London, Bock I, p. 199).Lady Grzsell Bazllae gives her s~rzlant's dzet :Sunday they have bolld beef and broth made in the great pot, and ~lways the brothmade to serve two days. Monday, broth made on Sunday, and a Herring. Tuesday,broth and beef. Wednesday, broth and two eggs each. Thursday, broth and beef.Friday, Broth and herring. Saturday, broth without meat, and cheese, or a puddenA comparison between the purchasing power ofmoney in the seventeenth and twentieth centuries isunsatisfactory for our purpose, because the relativevalues of goods have changed so enormously. Thus,though rent, furniture and clothes were much cheaperin the seventeenth century, there was less difference inthe price of food. Sixpence per day is often givenin Assessments as the cost of a labourer's meatand drink and this is not much below the amountspent per head on these items in wage-earners'families during the first decade of the twentiethcentury.One fact alone is almost sufficient to prove theinadequacy of a labourer's wage for the maintenanceof his family. His money wages seldom exceeded theestimated cost of his own meat and drink as suppliedby the farmer, and yet these wages were to supplyall the necessaries of life for his whole family. Someidea of the bare cost of living in a humble householdmay be gained by the rates fixed for pensions and byallowances made for Poor Relief. From these itappears that four shillings to five shillings a week wasconsidered necessary for an adult's maintenance.The Cromwell family paid four shillings weekly " tothe widd. Bottom for her bord."' Pensions formaimed soldiers and widows were fixed at four shillingsper week " or else work to be provided which willmake their income up to 4s. per week. Sick andwounded soldiers under cure for their wounds tohave 4s. 8d per week.""or blood-~udenr, or a hagish, or what is most convenient. Breakfast and super, haan oatloaf ora proportion of broun bread, but better set down the loaf, and seenon is taken or wasted, and a muchkin of beer ormilk whenever there is any. Atdinner a mutchkin of beer for each. Barllie (Lady Grtsell). Housebold BookPp. 277-8. 1743.Cromwell Family, Bills and Receipts, Vol. II., p. 233, 1635.' Acts and Ordinances of the Interregnum, II., p. 556. (For Maimed Soldiers andwidows of Scotland and Ireland, Sept 30, 1651.