IN DAYS GONE BY

Evening Post, Volume CXV, Issue 13, 17 January 1933, Page 11

IN DAYS GONE BY

COST OF HOUSEKEEPING

A very old account book kept from 1797 to 1800 by a North Canterbury squire throws an interesting light on. the housekeeping of those days, when people ate more and drank more and "maintained bigger establishments than we do now (states an English exchange). " The wages of the domestic staff, paid half-yearly at Whitsuntide and Martinmas, were certainly incredibly low. A man servant received from 10 guineas to 12 guineas a year; and women were still worse off, a cook-maid getting 6 guineas (one only in this record, an obvious treasure, had as much as £7 10s) and other maids '4 guineas each for twelve -months' service; - They must have earned their pay, too, by hard toil when spinning, washing, and sewing by hand were pajt of the regular routine, as well as buttermaking,. jam-making, baking, poultry and game plucking, and water carrying. In comparison with their wages, the 12s 6d given to one .Jane.. Mil-1 burn for spinning and knitting six pairs of.dark woollen stockings sounds niuniticcnt. THE EXTRAVAGANT SEX? . The master of the house did the shopping, and the cost of his journeys into- the neighbouring market town are chronicled almost daily. Thus, his , dinner at an inn, 2s 6d or 3s; hostler, Is; servant's expenses, 2s; and sometimes turnpike, 8d or Is 2d. Gentlemen then, wore their hair powdered, as is revealed by,the items of his personal expenditure, a follows:—Powder and pomatum, 2s lOd; power puff, 2s 6d; hair riband, 8s; two muslin neck-cloths, 10s ,10d; gloves, 2s; . waistcoat and stockings, £2 lls 6d; spurs, 7s 9d; \ silver buckles, 2'guineas; and usually ' every week, snuff, Is 9d. So you sco that men wero tlio extravagant sex in the eighteenth century. " -

This North Canterbury squire was in the habit of getting his own clothes from an cxpensivo tailor, while he clad his household in homespun. ,Ho refers to his wife as Mrs. E., which antagonises his descendants, xmtil one recollects that Mr. Bennett, of 'Pride and Prejudice,' invariably addressed his incomparable lady as "Mra. Bennett.?' He jots down periodically "MrsE., £1 Is"; or "Mrs. E., 10s 6d"; and once, "Mrs. E. has had £2>2s lately" doubtless an ample dress allowance for her. During these years only two books were bought, an encyclopaedia at £3 17s 6d and a cookery book at 65., HEAVY WINE BILL. Tea was greatly drunk. The first purchases set down in the squire's account book are "Jib green tea, 45," "Jib Bohea, 2s 6d'J; and afterwards he provided' constantly some kind of tea at 8s a lb, or 241b of.te?, from London at £6 14s. Coffee was Is 6d a lb, and sugar was jdearish—as, "Two loaves sugar 13d a lb, 2Ubs, £1 3s OJd,1'?-and "3st soft sugar at 7d, £1 2s 6d.?' Meat was chea.p. Beef rose in his time from 3Jd a lb to sd, legs of mutton from 2s each to 3s, and veal and lamb were bought by the stone.' Salmon was 8d a lb, a codfish was 2s, and a couple of ducks.were 2s Bd." The outlay on beer and wine in those days of open house entertainment was' heavy. In one year his brewer's- bill was £14 11s 9d, and his vintner's £25, and the barley made into malt cost £.20. He paid 15s for a gallon of rum and 8s for one of brandy. His annual bill for cheese was about £30, and during one month of June, when the supply from his own garden had probably finished, he spent, 9s 3d on potatoes. - Expenses which we now pay differently are included in his accounts with chandlers. The cost of his wax candles for one half-year was £2 7s 3d, and the tallow chandler's bill was £1 3s 9d. He also employed a weaver (which reminds one of Mary Webb's novel, "Precious Bane") and a bleacher. WINDOW TAX. The taxes imposed upon him' while the war with Napoleon was raging inspire us with a sympathy of a fellow feeling. The iniquitous window tax was then in force, and in the terrible year 1799 he wrote: "33 windows, £14 12s; chaise, £9 12s; two carriage horses, £3 12s; servant, £1 10s; cart horses, £1 4s;'and for eight dogs, £2 8s"; from which it is clear that living in the "good old days" was full of expenses.