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

132 TEXTILES TEXTILESnot exceedl6 11s. rising then in 1620 to L28 5s. IO~.,aftet which it fell again. The scheme was finallyabandoned in 1627, the relief immediately rising toL43 7s. 6d.lRichard Dunning describes how in Devon " forEmploying Women, . . . We agreed with one Person,who usually Employed several Spinrtcrs, . . . hewas to employ in Spinning, Carding, etc., all suchWomen as bv direction of the Overseers should applyto him for work, to pay them such Wages as theyshould de~erve."~" Mary Harrison, daughter of Henry Harrison, wascomited to the hospital1 at Reading to be taught tospyn and earne her livinge."' Similarly at Dor-chester " Sarah Handcock of this Borough havingthis day been complayned of for her disorderlycarriage and scolding in the work house . . . .. . . . among the spinsters, is now ordered tocome no more to the work house to work there,but is to work elsewhere and follow her work, orto be further delt withal1 according to thela~e."~At Dorchester a school was maintained for someyears in which poor children were taught spinning :"This day John Tarrenton . . . . is agreedwithall to vndertake charge and to be master of theHospitall to employ halfe the children at presentat burlinge,' and afterwards the others as they arewilling and able, To have the howse and Tenne perannum : wages for the presente, and yf all the Childrencome into burlinge, and ther be no need of the womenthat doe now teach them to spinne, then the Towne1 Sus. Arch. Call., Vol. xx., pp. 99-roo, Acct. Book of Cowdon.Dunning, Plain and Easie Method, p. 8, 1686.Guilding, Readrng, Vol. II., p. 294.Mayo (C.H) Municipal Records of Dorcbestez, p. 667, 1635.To burl, " to dress cloth as fullers do."to consyder of Tarrington to giue him either partor all, that is ix pownd, the women now hath.' . . .Another entry, February 3rd, 1641-5, records thatMr. Speering doth agree to provide spinning workfor such poore persons that shall spin with thoseturnes as are now there [in the hospital house] . . .and to pay the poore for their spinning after the vsualrates for the worke they doe.2In 1649 it is entered " This day Thos. Clenchwas here, and demanded 10 li. per ann. mo.rethan the stocke of the Hospital, which is 150 li.lent him for the furnishing of the house with workefor spinners, and for the overlooking to the children. . . the spinners shall have all the yeare 33d. a li.for yearne . . . . and that there be as manychildren kept aworke as the roomes will hold . . .wee shall take into consideracion the setting of thepoore on worke in spinning of worsted, and knittingof stockins, and also of setting vp a trade of makingsackcloth.'Schemes for teaching spinning were welcomedwith enthusiasm by the economists of the period,because in many districts the poor rates had risen toan alarming height. They believed that if onlythe poor would work all would be well. One writerurged " That if the Poor of the Place do not know howto spin, or to do the Manufacture of that Place, thatthen there be Dames hired at the Parish-Charge toteach them ; and Men may learn to spin as well asWomen, and Earn as much money at it as they canat many other empl~yments."~ Another writer calculatedthat if so employed " ixcl children whch daieliewas ydle may earne one W' another vjd. a weke wVhl Mayo (C. H.), Municipal Records ofL)orcberter, p. 515, 1638.Ibid, p. 521.Ibid, pp. 517-8.Trade of England, p. ro, 1681.