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Social Changes in Sussex. 277 |
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May, 1677, John Divall came to live with me. I bargained with him for £1 wages per an., besydes my kindnesses, I being to give him 6 weekes warning and hee mee also as much. I must remember out of my man John's wages to deduct 12s., payed to his brother for supplying his absence while he souldiered."
Here we will take leave of the Rev. Giles Moore and his servant-bargainings and troubles, and pass on to Mr. Timothy Burrell—Councillor Burrell, as his neighbours called him—of Ockenden, Cuckfield. *His journal touches closely in point of time on that of the Rector of Horsted Keynes, the first entry in it bearing date April, 1686—the reign of James the Second. Wages had not risen in the meanwhile, for, writes Mr. Burrell in 1689, " Thos. Godsmark came to me as footman at the wages of 30s. per annum, with coat, breeches, and hat;" and, in the following year, "John Piccomb came as footman at 30s. per an. and a livery. Anne Baker came as cook at 55s."
Thomas Godsmark, therefore, did not stay very long at Ockenden. His successor seems to have done better, for, in 1691, we find this further reference to him:—"I payd Jack Piccomb in full of his quarter's wages 7s. 6d. To mend his coat and breeches, is., and to buy stockings, is. 6d." Just previously, "Two hats for my fellows liveries, 10s."
As he speaks of his " fellows " in the plural, perhaps Mr. Burrell had two footmen. He was, we must bear in mind, a gentleman of family and property as well as a barrister-at-law. And yet he did not disdain to pay his servants in kind; ex. gr.:—" I paid John Coachman (John the coachman) part of his wages in money and i4lbs. of wool, 10s." A modern gentleman, or, for the matter of that, a modern coachman, would think it rather strange to pay or be paid in wool!
Mr. Timothy Burrell had a wife—indeed, he had three, for he was thrice married—and yet he, like Mr. Giles Moore, seems to have done the "bargainings" with his servants, male and female. Nor did he, any more than the Rector of |
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