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From: [l--e] at [sq.sq.com] (Liam R. E. Quin)
Subject: Mediaeval Prices
Date: Tue, 17 Aug 93 00:49:54 GMT
// This is one of a very occasional series of articles from old books; I post
// an installment every few months. This one is from an 1883 transcription
// of a 16th Century collection of old manuscripts relating to Berkeley (in
// England, not California... Pronounced `barkly').
// The document gives prices from Edward Ist's reign and for two later times.
//
// Notes on Orthography (letters & spelling) and on Units of Money at the end
// of this document. In general, the original spelling is retained.
*
(The Lives of the Berkeleyes, Vol I, p. 161, 1321)
*
Prices of Corne Cattle Pultry &c.
*Also* theis Accompts will truely informe this noble Family what were the
vsuall prices of Catle, Corne, Pultry and other provisions expended in the
house of this lord, and as the same were vsually bought and sold in fayres
and marketts duringe that twenty and seaven yeares of Edward the first
raigne, wherein this Lord lived a Baron, viz\t.
Wheat the Quarter at ... ... 2s 4d, 3s, 4s and 5s
Maslin the Quarter at ... ... 2s, 2s 4d, 3s and 4s
Barly the Quarter at ... ... 20d, 2s 8d, 3s 4d, and 4s
Beanes the Quarter at ... ... 2s, 2s 8d, 3s 4d, and 4s
Otes the Quarter at ... ... 20d, 2s, 2s 4d | [f.193]
Pillcorne, from the Mill,
the Quarter at ... ... ... 3s, 3s 8d
An Oxe at ... ... ... ... 10s---11s---12s
A Cowe and Calfe at ... ... ... 9s---10s
A bacon Hogg at ... ... ... 5s---5s 6d
A fat porket at ... ... ... 2s---2s 2d
A fat sheep at ... ... ... 17d---18d---20d---2s
A Lamb at ... ... ... ... 10d---12d
A Goose at ... ... ... ... 3d
A Capon at ... ... ... ... 2d [p.162]
A Hen at ... ... ... ... 1d ob~
A Duck at ... ... ... ... 1d
4 Pigeons ... ... ... ... 1d
20 Eggs ... ... ... ... 1d
*And* in the fifteenth yeare of Kinge Edward the second, when thys Lord dyed,
the prices stood thus . viz\t.
*Wheat*, the quarter ... ... ... 4s
Maslin the quarter ... ... ... 3s
Barly the quarter ... ... ... 3s
Beanes the quarter ... ... ... 3s
Otes the quarter ... ... ... 2s
Fetches the quarter ... ... ... 20d
Malt of wheat the Quarter ... ... 6s
Malt of Otes the Quarter ... ... 2s 2d
Malt of Barly the Quarter, ... ... 4s
A Quarter of Apples ... ... ... 10d
A Sturgeon in the xix th. of Edward the }
second sold for } 26s 8d
An oxe at ... ... ... ... 20s
An Oxe hide ... ... ... 3s 6d
A Cowe and a Calfe, at ... ... 12s---13s---15s
A sheep, beetweene ... ... ... 17d and 2s
A Sheepskyn, accordinge to the growth of
the fell, at 4d., 5d., 6d. such as were killed
for provision of the house.
A Lambe, at ... ... ... ... 12d
A goat Skin, at ... ... ... 4d ob~
A Goose, at ... ... ... ... 3d
A Ducke, at ... ... ... ... 1d q/r
The rest as before.
Threashing a quarter of wheat ... 2d
Threashing a quarter of beanes ... 1d ob~
Threashing a quarter of Oates ... 1d
Wages of a day laborer ... ... ob~ q/r // laborer _sic_.
A yeomans bord wages, per diem ... 1d ob~
A groome or Pages boord wages per diem 1d // orig. p/~ di&e-bar;
// p. 163
And by a proclamation in the viij th. of this kinge, none might sell
wine in theire Tavernes, above iij d. the gallon.
// Margin note: Claus: 8. E. 2. m: 2.
*In the* tyme of Kinge Edward the third, generally about theis rates as
followe, but the further in his longe raigne of fiftye yeares, the dearer.
As thus viz\t.
Wheat the quarter ... ... ... 5s 4d---7s---10s
Barly the quarter ... ... ... 4s---5s 4d
Beanes the quarter ... ... ... 4s
Otes the quarter ... ... ... 2s 8d---3s 4d
Bay salt the quarter, ... ... 18d
An Oxe from 14s. to ... ... ... 24s
A Sowe and six pigs ... ... ... 5s
A boare ... ... ... ... 4s
A Calfe ... ... ... ... 2s
A Store pigge or shote ... ... 12d
Pigeons, the dozen ... ... ... 3d---3d ob~---4d
An Haggard Falcon ... ... ... 20s
In the residue little variation | [f.195]
*And* in the tyme of Kinge Richard the second, for the two' and twenty yeares
of his raigne, the prizes of graine, Cattle and pultry, were rather cheaper
then dearer, but the difference in effect that was, was in
the temperature and season of the yeare. // prizes, _sic_. for prices.
A weight of wool (beinge . 21 pound) called pondus, ... 5s.
A sacke of wool at ... ... 7li. 6s. 8d.---8li.
Onions, a Bushell ... ... ... ... ... 8d.
Eggs . 20 for a peny, which in 150. yeares did never rise nor fall.
*And at* this day, wherein I write, Anno 1622, the Comon prizes of the like
Comodities in the same place, is generally thus. viz\t.
Wheat the Quarter ... ... ... 36s
Maslin the Quarter ... ... ... 26s 8d
Barly the Quarter ... ... ... 20s
Barly malt the Quarter ... ... 24s
Beanes the Quarter ... ... ... 20s
A draught Oxe, about ... ... 5l. // l. [sic] for li.
// page 164
A Cowe and a calfe about ... ... 3li.10s.
A Sheepe about ... ... ... 8s
Eggs 5 for ... ... ... ... 1d
*And* theis prizes stand in resemblance of the like corne and Cattle in my
old former valuations; which as well for the instruction of him that delights
herein, As for avoydance of the like error this lord fell into, I have
clustered here togeather.
*As for* horses in those active old ages of the three Edwards, and of kinge
Richard the second, the lord Berkeleys have payde for horses of service in
the warrs, and for the saddle, and draught, as deere as nowe in our dayes;
100li., 100 markes, 50li., 30li., 20li., 10li. 20 nobles, 5li., &c.
// Margin note:
// Polichr: lib: 7
// cap: 38.
*But* of yeares of dearth and of extremities, when through scarcity prizes
were as deere as nowe, mentioned in divers Chronicles, I have not spoken; But
desire to bee vnderstoode of the comon and usuall prizes in each ordinary
and temperate yeare.
// Margin note:
// com&p-tilde;i predc&t-tilde;. in
// Castro de Berkeley.
*And* theis Accompts will further informe this noble family, That when this
lord was free from forren imployments, hee went often in progress from one of
his Manor and farme houses to an other, scarce two miles a sunder, making his
stay at each of then for one or twoe nights overseeing and directinge the
forementioned husbandries, And soe backe to | his standinge houses // [f.196]
where his wife and family remayned, which was very great, as after appeareth,
sometymes at Berkeley Castle, at Wotton, at Bradley, at Awre, at Portbury,
And vsually in Lent, at Wike by Arlingham, for his better and neerer
provision of Fish: where, for his famous
// Margin note:
// Com: 6. et 7. E:
// 2.inCastro do Berk:
weares of Rodly, Geron, and Put'house, he had a spetiall Officer called
Piscator de Berkeley, whose annuall Accompts, comonly came vnto 30li. per Ann~;
for fish there taken: Some of which doe speake, That of antient custome, the
Constable of Berkeley Castle was vpon the first sunday in Lent allowed a salmon
for his dinner, which in this Seaventh of Edward the second, cost---x d. ob~.
*
Monies, Weights and Measures, and Other Terms:
Taken from Chambers' English Dictionary, except some marked [SOED] which
are from the Shorter Oxford English Dictionar (2 Vols, Oxford).
q/r = quadrans = farthing = quarter of a penny (0.25d)
ob~ = obulus = halfpenny (0.5d)
1d is a penny (denarius, plural is danarii)
1s is a shilling (solidus, plural is solidii), worth 12d
1li is a pound (librum, plural libra), woh 20 shillings, i.e. 240d.
a noble was a gold coin worth 6s 8d. (80d, or 1/3 of a pound)
a mark was the value of 8 ounces of gold or silver; 123 4d (!)
a Quarter is eight bushels.
a bushel is (a dry measure of) 8 gallons.
A Quarter of corn may have weighed about a quarter of a ton at
one time, I don't know if it still would!
Fetch = Vetch, a grain [SOED]
Maslin = Mixed Grain, esp. rye mixed with wheat.
Also, bread made of the same. [SOED]
Pilcorn = A kind of oat, in which the glumes or husks do not adhere to
the grain, but leave it bare. Also called pilled oats. [SOED]
Porket = a small or young pig or hog; a young hog fattened for pork
[SOED]
Orthography:
\t. is a superscript t with a dot centred below it;
ob~ shuld have the ~ through the ascender of the b, for obulus, halfpenny
q/r should be a q with a subscript 3 at a slight angle, for
quadrans, farthing. (the "3"is actually a kind of terminal r)
The signs for currency (li, s, d) are superscripted with a centred dot
beneath them on the baseline. Simarly the th in xix th.
*Blackletter* is thus marked.
A | indicates a new page in the original, together with the folio;
I am using the 1883 (and only printed?) edition, and page numbers (marked
with p.nnn rather than f.nnn) refer to that edition.
An em dash is indicated as --- and is set (1883 edition) with no spaces
on either side.
Notes in [brackets] are as printed;
// Notes like this are mine (i.e. Liam's)
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--
Liam Quin, Manager of Contracting, SoftQuad Inc, +1 416 239 4801 [l--e] at [sq.com]
[Thyrsis, village-shepherd] Flushed with wine in the noontide, under the pine
lies sleeping --/But lo, Love Himself has taken the crook, and shepherds them.
[Myrinus - Love the shepherd; trans. F. L. Lucas, Golden Cockerel Press, 1936]