These rates are confirmed by entries in account books,[219] but it was more usual to pay by the piece. Though it is always more difficult to discover the possible earnings per day of women who are working by a piece rate in their own homes, it so happens that several of the writers who discuss labour questions in the woollen trade specially state that their estimates of the wages of spinners are based on full time. John Haynes quoted figures in 1715 which work out at nearly 1s. 6d. per week for the spinners of wool into stuffs for the Spanish Trade, and about 2s. 11d. for stockings,[220] another pamphlet gives 24s. as the wages of 9 spinsters for a week,[221] while in 1763 the author of the “Golden Fleece” quotes 2s. 3d. a week for Spanish wools.[222] Another pamphlet says that the wages in the fine woollen trade “being chiefly women and children, may amount, one with another to £6 per annum.”[223] A petition from the weavers, undated, but evidently presented during a season of bad trade, declares that “there are not less than a Million of poor unhappy objects, _women and children only_, who ... are employed in Spinning Yarn for the Woollen Manufacturers; Thousands of these have now no work at all, and all of them have suffered an Abatement of Wages; so that now a Poor Woman, perhaps a Mother of many Children, must work very hard to gain Three Pence or Three Pence Farthing per Day.”[224] Footnote 219: (_Howard Household Book_, p. 63, 1613.) “Widow Grame for spinning ij stone and 5ˡ of wooll vjs. To the wench that brought it iijid. To Ellen for winding yarn iij weekes xviijid.” (Fell, Sarah; _Household Accounts_, Nov. 28, 1677, p. 439.) “Pd. Agnes Holme of Hawxhead foʳ spininge woole here 7 weeks 02.04.” Footnote 220: Haynes, _Great Britain’s Glory_, pp. 8, 9. Footnote 221: _Weavers’ True Case_, p. 43, 1719. Footnote 222: James, John, _Hist. of the Worsted Manufacture_, p. 239. Footnote 223: _Further considerations for encouraging the Woollen Manufactures._ Footnote 224: _Second Humble Address from the Poor Weavers._ Though these wages provided no margin for the support of children, or other dependants, it was possible for a woman who could spin the better quality yarns to maintain herself in independence.