SUPPLEMENT TO MINUTES,
From antient Records, &c. being a Copy of a printed Assessment
of Wages payable to Artificers, Servants and Labourers,
within the liberties of the City, A. D. 1594.
City of
Canterbury.
William Amye, mayor of the city of Canterbury, Simon Brome, Richard Gaunt, Ralfe
Bawden, Edward Nethersole, Bartholomew Brome,
Markes Berrye, Thomas Long, Thomas Hovenden,
James Frengham, William Clarke, Charles Whetenhall, Robert Wyn, aldermen and justices of the peace,
within the said city, and Nicholas Mitchell, sheriff of
the same city, assembling themselves together in the
Guildhall of the said city, the 2d of May, in the 36th
year of the reign of our most gracious and sovereign
lady Elizabeth, by the grace of God of England,
France and Ireland, defender of the faith, according to
the purport, true meaning and intent of one estatute,
made at the Parliament holden at Westminster, the 12th
day of January, in the fifth year of the reign of our
sovereign lady the Queen's Majesty, that now is, touching divers orders for artificers, labourers, servants of
husbandry and apprentices, calling unto them divers and
sundry grave and discreet persons, of the said city,
have rated, limited and appointed the wages of artificers, handicraftsmen, husbandmen, and labourers,
within the said city, and liberties of the same, as followeth,
First, Every labourer by the day, from Easter to Michaelmas, with meat and drink, 4d. finding himself, 10d. and
from Michaelmas till Easter, with meat and drink, 4d. without meat and drink, 8d. Mowers, by the day, with meat
and drink 8d. without meat and drink, 14d. Grass in
marsh grounds, with meat and drink, 10d. without meat
and drink, 16d. By the acre, oats and barley, with meat
and drink, 4d. without meat and drink, 8d. Laying upon
the band, and binding and copping of oats, 8d. barley 10d.
Reapers, by the day, the man reaper, with meat and drink,
6d. without meat and drink, 12d. The woman reaper,
without meat and drink, 8d. with meat and drink, 4d.—Reapers by the acre, the reapers for binding and copping of
wheat and rye in uplands, without victuals, 2s. 4d. and with
victuals, 14d. In the marsh, without victuals, 3s. 4d. with
victuals, 2s. The reaping, binding and copping of peas and
tartes, without meat and drink, 2s. 4d. with meat and drink,
12d. Threshers, by the quarter, with meat and drink, for
the quarter and making clean of wheat and rye, 5d. oats and
barley, 3d. finding themselves, for the quarter and making
clean of wheat and rye, 12d. oats and barley, 6d. Ditches
out of the whole ground, for every rod, of nine foot in
breadth at the brinks, four foot in the bottom, and four foot
deep, 12d. of four foot in the top, two foot and an half deep,
and one foot and a half in the bottom, 5d. and so forth, in
other ditches, after this rate, for cleansing and scouring of
old ditches, after the rate of the new ditches, according to
the foulnes of the same. For plashing and teening of a quick
hedge, for every rod, 2d. and for dead hedge, 2d, for letting pale, without rail, even at the head, the rod, 8d. and
not even at the head, the rod, 7d. For selling, cutting and
making of hosterie faggots, the hundredth, 14d. of other
faggots, the hundredth, 13d. billets, the thousand, 12d.
tale wood, the load, 4d. For selling, cutting and burning
of a load of coal, containing 30 sacks, 4s. For setting single rail, with post, the rod Id. double rail, the road 2d.
The chief carpenter, with meat and drink, 8d. without
meat and drink, 14d The best bvricklayer, tyler and sawyer, from Easter to Michaelmas, with meat and drinks, 7d.
without meat and drink, 14d. in winter seasons, with victuals, 6d. without victuals, 12d. Master plouthwight, as
the carpenter; every of all the said artificers, from Easter till
Michaelmas, with victuals, 6d and without victuals, 10d.
In winter, with victuals, 4d. without victuals, 8d. The best
apprentice of an artificer, for the summer season, with victuals, 4d. without victuals, 9d. In winner season, with victuals, 4d. without victuals, 7d. Sawyers, for the hundredth
of board work, without victuals, 2s. For slitting work, the
hundredth, 2s. 2d. Thatcher, with meat and drink all the
year, every day he worketh, 6d. The thatcher's man, with
victuals, 4d.—by the hundredth, with victuals, 10d. without
victuals, 20d. Master milnwritht, by the day in summer,
with meat and drink, 10d. without meat and drink, 10d.
By the day in winter, with meat and drink, 7d. without
meat and drink, 13d. Plaisterer, in winter, with meat and
drink, 6d without meat and drink, 12d. in summer, with
meat and drink, 7d. without meat and drink, 14d. Brickmaker, by the thousand, for digging the earth, making
striking and burning, having all other necessaries brought unto
him, with victuals, 3s. Tilemaker, his servant, by the thousand, without meat and drink, 12d. Master freemason, by
the day in summer, with victuals, 8d. without victuals, 14d.
in winter, with victuals, 6d. without victuals, 13d Plumbers, for laying and casting the hundred, with meat and drink,
2s. For common work, by the day, with victuals, 8d.
without victuals, 14d. Glazier, by the day, with victuals,
7d without victuals, 14d. Carver and joiner, by the day,
with victuals, 8d. without victuals, 14d. Their servants, in
summer, with victuals, 6d. without victuals, 10d. in winter, by the day, with meat and drink, 6d. without meat and
drink, 12d. his servant, in winter, with meat and drink,
4d. without meat and drink, 10d.
The bailiff of husbandry, which taketh charge, with his
livery, 3l. without his livery, 3l. 6s. 8d. The best servant,
with his livery, 40s. without his livery, 46s. 8d. The se
cond sort, with his livery, 33s. 4d. without livery 40s.
Every boy, from 14 years of age till 18 years, 20s. or else
meat and drink and cloth, and 6d. a quarter. Women servants by the year, the best sort, without livery, 33s. 4d—The second sort, without livery, 20s. Clothier his foreman,
3l. 6s. 8d. The journeyman, 43s. 4d. Weaver his foreman, 3l. The common servant, 50s. Fuller, the mill-man,
alias the thicker of cloths, 4l. The boiler, 53s. 4d. Sheerman, the best servant, 3l. the common 40s. Dyer, the
wringer, alias the under-dyer, 4l. Hosier or taylor, the foreman, 3l. the common servant, 46s. 8d. Shoemaker, the
best servant, 41. the common servant, 53s. 4d. Tanner,
the marketman, 31. the common servant, 46s. 8d. Pew
terer, the foreman, 31. 10s. the common servant, 46s, 8d.
Baker, the furner, alias the setter, or seasoner, 41. the common
servant, 53s. 4d. Brewer, the head brewer, 4l. the common
servant, 53s. 4d. Glover, the waterman, 4l. 6s. 8d. the best
shopman. 3l. 10s. the second fort, 40s. Culter, the fore
man, 53s. 4d. the common sort, 40s. Smith, the best
servant, 4l. the second sort, 40s. Saddler, the best servant,
3l. the second, 40s. Spurrier, his servant, 40s. Currier,
the common servant, 40s. the best, viz. that worketh wet
and dry, and also colour, 3l. 6s. 8d. Turner, his servant,
40s. Capper, the best servant, 3l. the second sort, 50s.—Hatter, hatmaker, as the capper. Bowyer or fletcher, the
best servant, 53s. 4d. the second fort 33s. 4d. Arrow-head
maker, his servant, 46s. 8d. Butcher, the foreman and best
servant, 4l. the second fort 3l. Cook, his man, 40s.—Corn
miller, the grinder, 53s. 4d. the loader, 53s. 4d. Wheelwright, the best servant, 53s. 4d. the second sort, 40s.—Limeburner, his servant, 40s. Linen weaver, the best servant, 50s. the second sort, 40s. Cooper, the best servant,
4l. the second servant, 46s. 8d. Pot-maker, his man,
33s. 4d.
In witness whereof, the seal of the office of Mayoralty, of
the said city of Canterbury, to these presents is fixed and set,
dated the day and year first above written, 1594.
This assessment being returned to the Queen, in Council,
her Majesty issues a Proclamation to inforce the same.