The ceramic art of Great Britain from pre-historic times down to the present day, Volume 2 (of 2)

by Llewellynn Frederick William Jewitt

From this period downwards for some years the dates and terms of “hirings” of workpeople, “setting” of houses and land to different tenants, and many other matters of interest, are all entered in his own handwriting in a pocket account-book belonging to Whieldon, now in my own possession. From this book I extract the following entries of “hirings,” for the purpose of showing the small amount of wages paid in those days as compared with the present, and the curious and amusing bargains which were made between master and workman as to “earnest money” and gifts of “old cloaths,” &c. The entries relating to Josiah Spode and Robert Gardner I have already given in another part of this volume:—

1749.		£	s.	d.
Jany. 27.	Hired Jno. Austin for placeing white, &c., pr. week	0	5	6
	Pd. his whole earnest	0	3	0
Feby. 14.	Then hired Thos. Dutton	0	6	6
	Pd. 1 pr. Stockins	0	3	6
	Earnest for vineing[55]	0	15	0
	1 pr. Stockins	0	2	6
	Pd. in part	0	1	0
	Pd. do. in 7 yds. cloth	0	8	9
„ 16.	Hired Wm. Keeling for handling	0	6	0
	Pd. his whole earnest	0	1	0
„ 20.	Hired Wm. Cope for handleing & vineing & cast ware, for	0	7	0
	Pd. his whole earnest	0	10	6
March 8.	Then hired Jno. Barker for ye huvel,	0	5	6
	Pd. earnest in part	0	1	0
	Pd. it to pay more	0	1	0
„ 24.	Hired ... Low for making Slip	0	5	3
	Pd. him in part of his earnest	0	2	6
	To pay more	0	2	6
„ 26.	Then hired George Bagnall, for fireing for this year, for	0	5	3
	Full earnest, 5s.
	Pd. in part, 2s. 6d.
	Hired for 1750	0	5	6
June 2.	Hired Jos. Astbury	0	1	6
	Pd. earnest	0	0	6
1751.
April 6.	Hired Thos. Astbury	0	6	0
	Till Michaelmas, pd. earnest	0	1	0
Oct. 26.	Then hired Cupit	0	2	3
	Pd. earnest	0	0	6
	I am to give him a old pr. of stockings or something.
1752.
	Hired George Bagley for 2 years. 1st year	0	3	6
	2nd year	0	4	0
	To give him a pair of shoes each year.
1753.
June 21.	Hired Wm. Marsh for 3 years. He is to have 10s. 6d. earnest each year and 7s. per week. I am to give an old coat or something about 5s. value.
Aug. 29.	Hired Westaby’s 3 children, per week	0	4	0
	Pd. earnest	0	0	6
	Hired John Everal, per week	0	4	6
	Pd. earnest, 2 pr. Stockings	0	4	0
	1 shilling in cash	0	1	0
	To have a handkerchief.
1749.
June 2.	Hired a boy of Ann Blowrs for Treading ye lathe, per week	0	2	0
	Pd. earnest	0	0	6
1751.
Jany. 11.	Then hired Elijah Simpson for Turning, he is to have pr week	0	8	0
	Whole earnest	2	2	0
	Pd. in part	1	2	0
	Then hired Saml. Jackson for Throwing Sagers and fireing pr. week	0	8	0
	Whole earnest	2	2	0
	Pd. in part	1	2	0
	Pd. more	1	1	0
Feby. 9.	Hired Jno. Edge, for per week	0	6	0
	He is to have earnest	0	5	0
	& a new pr. stockins	0	2	0
	Pd. in part	0	1	0
	Hired his son Saml for	0	1	3
April 6.	Hired Wm. Kent, per week	0	7	6
	To give for earnest	0	12	0
	Pd. in part	0	1	6
	To give a new Shirt at 16d. per yard.
	Hired Ann Blowrs Girl & Boy
	Girl	0	0	9
	Boy, Joseph	0	2	0
	To give earnest, Testament.

The names of workpeople occurring in these hirings are:—

• Jno. Austin,
• Wm. Lawton,
• Robt. Gardner,
• George Bagnall,
• Siah Spoade,
• Jos. Matthewson,
• Jno. Everel,
• Wm. Sale,
• Wm. Ward,
• Thos. Halam,
• Daniel Greatbach,
• Richd. Bell,
• Wm. Marsh,
• Jno. Marsh,
• Jno. Barker,
• Henry Averills,
• Two lads,
• Thos. Barlow,
• Thos. Astbury,
• Sanders,
• Two lads,
• —— Cupit,
• Uria Sutton,
• Benj. Burrows,
• Thos. Dutton,
• Thos. Mee,
• Jno. Kent,
• Wm. Kent,
• Bet. Blower,
• Ann Blowers,
• Boy and Girl,
• James Blower,
• John Blower,
• Ned Blower,
• Wm. Reeves,
• Old Thos. Mee,
• Wm. Keeling,
• Wm. Fox,
• John Lowe,
• Jos. Astbury,
• Thos. Steen,
• Elijah Simpson,
• John Knight,
• Thos. Bagley,
• George Bagley,
• —— Booth,
• Westaby,
• Jno. Edge, Senr.,
• Wm. Cope,
• Jos. Botham,
• James Leigh,
• Saml. Jackson
• Thos. Hallins,
• Jno. Edge,
• Wm. Kent,
• Wm. Amery,
• Boy.

That Whieldon was a man of large property is evident from the entries of “settings” of lands and houses, in the same book, but this is not pertinent to my subject of the goods manufactured during the same period. One or two entries give interesting particulars; thus:—

To send Mrs. Davison.

6 ½ pt. mugs, white, 2d.

1 flat candlestick, Tor.[56]

Mr. Thos. Fletcher, Dr.

	£	s.	d.
To 1 doz. Plates, Tor.[56]	0	8	0
„ 2 ¼ do. plate	0	2	6
„ 2 2 dishes	0	2	0
„ 1 do. painted	0	2	0
„ 1 do. Cream Colr.	0	1	8
„ 5 pails	0	2	6