Our Legal Heritage, King AEthelbert, 596 to King George III, 1775Reilly, S. A.
History
Our Legal Heritage, King AEthelbert, 596 to King George III, 1775
Reilly, S. A.
Law -- England -- History
The wage ceiling for servants is: bailiff of agriculture 23s.4d.
per year, and clothing up to 5s., with meat and drink; chief
peasant, a carter, chief shepherd 20s. and clothing up to 4s.,
with meat and drink; common servant of agriculture 15s., and
clothing up to 3s.4d.; woman servant 10s., and clothing up to 4s.,
with meat and drink; infant under fourteen years 6s., and clothing
up to 3s., with meat and drink. Such as deserve less or where
there is a custom of less, that lesser amount shall be given.
For laborers at harvest time: mower 4d. with meat and drink or 6d.
without; reaper or carter: 3d. with or 5d. without; woman laborer
and other laborers: 2d with and 4d. without.
The ceiling wage rate for craftsmen per day is: free mason or
master carpenter 4d. with meat & drink or 5d. without; master
tiler or slater, rough mason, and mesne [intermediary] carpenter
and other artificiers in building 3d. with meat and drink or 4d.
without; every other laborer 2d. with meat and drink or 3d.
without. In winter the respective wages were less: mason category:
3d. with or 4d. without; master tiler category: 2d. with or 4d.
without; others: 1d. with or 3d. without meat and drink.
Any servant of agriculture who is serving a term with a master and
covenants to serve another man at the end of this term and that
other man shall notify the master by the middle of his term so he
can get a replacement worker. Otherwise, the servant shall
continue to serve the first master.
No man or woman may put their son or daughter to serve as an
apprentice in a craft within any borough, but may send the child
to school, unless he or she has land or rent to the value of 20s.
per year. [because of scarcity of laborers and other servants of
agriculture]
No laborer may be hired by the week.
Masons may no longer congregate yearly, because it has led to
violation of the statute of laborers.
No games may be played by laborers because they lead to [gambling
and] murders and robberies.
Apparel worn must be appropriate to one's status to preserve the
industry of agriculture. The following list of classes shows the
lowest class, which could wear certain apparel:
1. Lords - gold cloth, gold corses, sable fur, purple silk
2. Knights - velvet, branched satin, ermine fur
3. Esquires and gentlemen with possessions to the value of
800s. per year, daughters of a person who has possessions to
the value of 2,000s. a year - damask, silk, kerchiefs up to
5s. in value.
4. Esquires and gentlemen with possessions to the yearly
value of 800s. 40 pounds - fur of martron or letuse, gold or
silver girdles, silk corse not made in the nation, kerchief
up to 3s.4d in value
5. Men with possessions of the yearly value of 40s.
excluding the above three classes - fustian, bustian,
scarlet cloth in grain
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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