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| written about 1791-1798, published 1799 - Transcribed by Linda Nisbet, New Zealand | |
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The Price of Labour.
The wages of day-labourers are, in winter, from 10d. to 1s. and in summer from 1s. 2d. to 1s. 4d. a-day. Journeymen weavers earn from 10s. to 14s. a-week, and some 20s. In harvest, the men's wages, a-day, for reaping, are from 1s. 4d. to 1s. 6d., and the women's 1s.; both of them furnish their own provisions out of their wages. Colliers earn from 2s. 9d. to 3s. each day; but are so many days out of the pit, that they seldom, at an average, earn above 30l. annually. The wages of domestic servants are, for men 10l., and for women from 3l. to 5l. a-year. A ploughman's wages are, in general, about 10l. or 12l.; but some who have excelled at the ploughing matches, some time ago introduced into this country, have got their wages advanced to 25l. a-year, besides bed, board, and washing. The expenses of a common labourer's family, when married, are generally about 16l. a-year.
Based on pages created by Robert Dixon.