Archivo del autor: Peter Van der Heyden. docenciapvdh@outlook.com

But the weekly wages of the labourer do not show the totality of his yearly income. Firstly, there are increased payments in the harvest month, which were generally twice the normal weekly rate; however, the wife and children had to work as well, without own payment. The hours were very long, particularly in summer; “inSigue leyendo «12.2. Totality of Earnings»

Monetary system Pounds (£ or L.), shillings (s.), pennies or pence (d.)1 Pound = 20 shillings, 1 shilling = 12 pence Wage of farm labourer = 9 to 12 shillings per weekWage of male worker in textile factory = 20 to 30 shillings per week Dry weight measures 1 bushel wheat = 60 lb., 1 quarter =Sigue leyendo «12.1. Wages»

12.1. Wages https://history.pictures/2020/02/26/12-1-wages/ 12.2. Totality of Earnings https://history.pictures/2020/02/27/12-2-totality-of-earnings/ 12.3. Wheat Prices https://history.pictures/2020/02/28/12-3-wheat-prices/ 12.4. Standard of Living 1815-1834 https://history.pictures/2020/02/28/12-4-standard-of-living-1815-1834/ 12.5. The New Poor Law https://history.pictures/2020/02/28/12-5-the-new-poor-law-1834/ 12.6. Real Family Budgets https://history.pictures/2020/02/28/12-6-real-family-budgets/ 12.7. Conditions of the Labourers 1834-1860 https://history.pictures/2020/02/29/12-7-conditions-of-the-labourers-1834-1860/ 12.8. New Implements https://history.pictures/2020/02/29/12-8-new-implements/ 12.9. Calculation of Cost of Living https://history.pictures/2020/02/29/12-9-calculation-of-cost-of-living/ 12.10. Real Wages https://history.pictures/2020/02/29/12-10-real-wages 12.11. Wages, Expenses, RealSigue leyendo «Chapter 12. Wages and Living Conditions of Agricultural Labourers 1815-1860»

In 1795, the magistrates of Speenhamland, Berkshire, decided on a new method of financially helping the poor in their district. The procedure agreed was to use money received as parish rates, to make up the amount earned by the man in his work (or zero, if he had no work) to a monetary amount definedSigue leyendo «11.17. Poor Rates»

All of the reports that we have, mention that the majority of the farmworkers’ cottages were in a very bad state, as they were small, badly constructed, and let in the rain and the wind. Below we have a typical cottage of this type. Rural housing in Middlesex c. 1800. Engraving by J. T. SmithSigue leyendo «11.16. Housing»

To show the large-scale effects over time of some of the points we have explained, we have here a calculation of the total earnings of a typical family, which includes:  weekly winter wages of the man; earnings of the man from summer wages, harvest wages, and task-work; income of the wife and children from spinningSigue leyendo «11.15. Calculation of Total Income»

The worst job on the farms at the end of the eighteenth century and the beginning of the nineteenth century, was threshing the corn with a flail. The flail was an instrument of two wooden rods joined together at a hinge. The worker hit the corn stalks on the ground of the barn, so asSigue leyendo «11.14. Threshing Machines»

            From the data as to weekly wages, and as to costs of living, we can now construct the real wages in each year (a figure in the 4th or 8th column which is above 100.0, means that the year was better than 1770):  Earnings Expenses Real Wage Earnings Expenses Real Wage 1770 100.0 100.0 100.0Sigue leyendo «11.13. Real Wages»

For the basic data of the percentages of the expenses of a typical agricultural family, we can take the three Cases in Berkshire, identified above.   Barkham BerkshireLow CaseReal 17877 persons Barkham Berkshire Middle CaseReal 17877 persons StreatleyBerkshire High CaseEst. 17877 persons Average           Cereal, bread 61 46 43 50 Meat,Sigue leyendo «11.12. Cost of Living Indices»

In some counties, the financial conditions between the farmer and the labourer, or between the landowner and the labourer, were different from the norm in England. In Northumberland many of the better segment of labourers or servants received nearly all their income in kind.  “Through the greatest part of this county, and especially upon theSigue leyendo «11.11. Types of Work Contract in Different Counties»