W. H. P.
Wages in the last Century (Vol. iii., p. 143.).—I have a note on this subject which is at A. A.'s service, extracted from the Gentleman's Magazine for May 1732, vol. ii p. 771.:—
"Wages (Yearly) appointed by the Justices, A.D. 1732, to be taken by the Servants in the County of Kent.
| £ | s. | d. | |
| Head Ploughman, Waggoner, or Seedsman | 8 | 0 | 0 |
| His Mate | 4 | 0 | 0 |
| Best Woman Servant | 3 | 0 | 0 |
| Second Sort | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| Second Ploughman | 6 | 0 | 0 |
| His Mate | 3 | 0 | 0 |
| Labourers by the Day, in Summer | 0 | 1 | 2 |
| Ditto, in Winter | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| County of Gloucester. | |||
| Head Servant in Husbandry | 5 | 0 | 0 |
| Second Servant | 4 | 0 | 0 |
| Driving Boy under 14 Years | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Head Maid Servant in Dairy, and Cook | 2 | 10 | 0 |
| Second Maid Servant | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| Mower in Hay Harvest, without Drink, per Day | 0 | 1 | 2 |
| With Drink, per Day | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| Mower and Reaper in Corn Harvest, with Diet, per Day | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| Other Day labourer, from Corn to Hay Harvest, with Drink only, per Day | 0 | 0 | 8 |
| With Diet, per Day | 0 | 0 | 4 |
| Without Diet or Drink, per Day | 0 | 0 | 10 |
| Carpenter, Wheelwright, and Mason, without Drink, per Day | 0 | 1 | 2 |
| With Drink, per Day | 0 | 1 | 0." |
I send the note as I have it in my commonplace book; but I should think that the periodical from which the above is extracted, contains much that would suit A. A.'s purpose.
E. S. Taylor.
Martham, Norfolk.
Tradesmen's Signs (Vol. iii., p. 224.).—The projecting signs over tradesmen's shop-doors were removed under the London Paving Act, 6 Geo. III. c. 26. s. 17. In the Percy History of London, i. 179., the act is erroneously said to have been passed in 1762. From Malcolm's Anecdotes of London, pp. 468, 469., it seems that the clause in question was inserted in the act in consequence of inquiries by a committee appointed by the Court of Common Council in 1764. Mr. Peter Cunningham, in the "London Occurrences" prefixed to his Handbook for London, says: "1766. The house-signs of London taken down."
No doubt the existing Metropolitan Paving Acts contain clauses which will prevent tradesmen from again putting up projecting signs.