Did their wives work?
15 returned no.
6 said their wives were “unable.”
1 had lost the use of her limbs.
2 did, but “not often.”
4 did “when they could.”
10 worked “sometimes.”
12 answered yes.
1 sold cresses.
15 made no return (11 having no wives and 1 being deaf and dumb).
Hence two-fifths of the wives (22 out of 56) do no work, 16 do so occasionally, and 13, or one-fourth, are in the habit of working.
What were wives’ earnings?
10 returned them as “uncertain.”
1 “didn’t know.”
1 estimated them at 1s. 6d. per week.
1 at 1s. to 2s. „
2 at 2s. „
3 at 2s. or 3s. „
2 at about 3s. „
1 at 2s. to 4s. „
1 at 3s. or 4s. „
1 at 3d. or 4d. per day.
43 gave no returns (having either no wives, or their wives not working).
1 was deaf and dumb.
So that, out of 29 wives who were said to work, 16 occasionally and 13 regularly, there were returns for 23. Nearly half of their earnings were given as uncertain from their seldom doing work, while the remainder were stated to gain from 1s. to 4s. per week; about 2s. 6d. perhaps would be a fair average.
What wages were they themselves in the habit of receiving?
| 3 | had | 16s. 6d. | per week. |
| 2 | „ | 16s. | „ |
| 28 | „ | 15s. | „ |
| 3 | „ | 14s. 6d. | „ |
| 1 | „ | 14s. | „ |
| 2 | „ | 12s. | „ |
| 15 | „ | 9s. | „ |
| 4 | „ | 8s. | „ |
| 5 | „ | 7s. | „ |
| 4 | „ | 1s. 1½d. a day and 2 loaves. | |
Hence it is evident, that one-half receive 15s. or more a week, and about a fourth 9s.
It was not the parishes, however, but the contractors with the parishes, who paid the higher rates of wages: Mr. Dodd, for St. Luke’s; Mr. Westley, for St. Botolph’s, Bishopsgate; Mr. Parsons, for Whitechapel; Mr. Newman, for Bethnal-green, &c.