Spirit of the times. [volume] (Ironton, Ohio) 1853-1858, 1854-06-20
ST. DAYID'S..


h'' Earth Is notify native cline.
----------------
ST. DAvIDS. ,soa }i.
The article below Is written by the Rev. w. Basil
Jones, the accomplished historian ofst David's.
Having been permitted by the kindness Of the
Dean and Canons Of st. David's to make ex-
tracts from the records Of that Cathedral,
took the opportunity in the course of last year,
of copying some of the early accounts ofre-
ceipts and disbursements. It has since occur
red TO me that it might be both instructive and
entertaining, to throw together few extracts
extremely instructive, as throwing light upon
o,Ir exclusive attention to the more brilliant,
'butnot more important features Of history, We
ure too apt to overlook. And venture to think
,eru accounts, as every school boy knows, arc
intensely wearisome, il often happens that an
cient accounts are uncommonly amusing. H'
The volume frcm which these extracts are
made, is marked "Liber Communis. No. l."
and the greater part of Il consists Of transcripts
made apparently about the middle Of the sew
enteenih century, from rolls Of expenses and
uther accounts Of the fourteenth fftee nth, six.
teenth, and seventeen centuries. These rolls
have been copied in chronological order, but
nre un nfortunately very far from continuous;
the copyist did MT re ID MSS. so as entirely to
preclude the reader from the occasional neces.
sty Of making coniectural smendstions Of his
own. In spite Of these defects. the Liber G m
snunis 10 a most valuable, and as have alrea
say hined, in some places very amusing vol
Urne .".
Before proceeding 10 give instances o! either
quality, must say few words on the method
formerly adopted in keeping the accounts
The care Of them seems to have been entrusted
to an officer calleAEbe Communarius generally,
and probably alwaysa member of the college
of Wears Choral. This officer, who in one IN.
stance at least was in the Holy Oders, and In
another combined his duties with that Of Or
sanist, appears to Naye stood 10 the Supervisor
crrmaster Of the Fabric, annually elected from
among the Canons, in the same relation that
the SIb sacrist did to the Treasurer, but 1t is
evident, from the scanty data which we pos
sess, that his Office was held in perpetuity. II
may be added thai his labors were by no means
sratuitous; although the remuneration seems
70 have varied at different times. ...Il
The accounts themselves appear in two forms.
In the first place we have weekly statement
OF expenses, confined as it would seem to those
which were incurred in some par tlcular work,
as in the repair Of the fabric. The statements,
copies OF which were probably sent up weekly
by the Communar TO the Master Of The Fabric,
or the CHAPTER, bear the title of "Communi
cata," and the disbursements Of each week are
headed with the following formula. Comml.
nicata die mensis Januri pro septimana pre-.
cedente." think, moreover that ! ON moi
mistaken in asserting that the returns were al
ways made on Sunday. ,..,,.-1 Z
Further we have an annual summary Ot re
ceipts and expenditure, called the "Cemptus,"
or, as it is frequently written, by pardonab!t
error, the &c ,mpotus." This account is al
ways calculated from the feast Of St. Peter, ad
Vincula. ,..,s .ai4 a,
1t unfortunately happens that we have nc
means of iuding OF the exact relation IN which
these two systems stand to each other; a. the
Communicate only occur for the year 1855, and
the earliest Computus is that of William War
ryn. in 1890. Subsequently we have Comput
Of william Warryn, in 1892, ofJOhn Emlott in
1889 and f54l, of w illam Martyr in 1851, and
OF Griffith ap Howell in 1860 and 1865. Aftel
this period they became more regular; but thej
are not quite continuous until the middle Of the
seyenteenth century. The want Of time com
pels me at present 10 confne myself to The
Communicate of 1886; which ID, as have said
the only specimen of its class which we pos
sess: and as it 10 at once the most ancient por'
.tion of the Liber Communis, and the only ont
(which descends into minute detail, 20 1t Is al
together the most valuable for purposes Of gen
'efsa history. Unqusstionably the most impor
Iant informal ion is that which It affords %
the condition ofthe laborins classes. We iearf
that the wages Of . comman day laoorer were
ed. . day, o. ied. week; but that they wef,
reduced In winter to 2id. q day, OF ID pence
week. There are no data for fixing the exac
time at which this reduction commenced ant
ended; but it certainly began before Novem
ber. Workmen engaged ia any special servic'
recurring an unusual amount Of physical exer
tion. received, even in winter, the full wage
Sd. In two weeks indeed, the laborefs recei
we'd I'D for four days work; and in another
ending August l4d.,, for four and half day
work. One workman was in the regular pa!
ofthe Chspter, and received IL pence weekly
thfouehout the year. "A boy y paid at the rat
offd. q day. This scale Of payment is ia, ,ac
cordAnoe with an ordnance Of Bishop Adam
Houehton, made four yeas before this date.- :.
He forbid any common labofer within his lord
shin Of Dewisland, TO take for days wage
more ,thsh2d:s With food Z sof ID, with6tt ~
SKILLED labor was Of course remunerated Z
higher rate. Masons had I'D: day, ana =
Cd, week .though In winter their wee.YSa
ReS WB I0quO00 " - q lSsss 49,. Z.
a. 4 week. Il. aHeek wss the remuneration
Sfa alst-rats caIpsn.er. such q we may con
ceive the digni6sd person . have been. WI
bears the name, style. and title Of ''Slagiete
Johannes CaTpsntafius. A more osdinar
vortmau, who beans the plebeian denom'n:
Nm Of Jak fIakker, has 3 : day, and 2. %
!. veek. Other caypehten have Sd. .. DAY, 9
5. a. 4 week and . lonEaeyInAn described Z
es.srvient magisti JohAnni1t has .. Cd. ).
A blackmitk. WHO ~ generally paid by =
,oh. svoras 70 have been rsnaunesatsd y the ~
cCfsd. per diem, sad tie anith' snpsezed 3
ia Caaptef wcald appssy 2 have re e: :;
~ ~ IA mending the woekmsn's tools. ~
SssSs.t vares Of I'll. except those Of N job
~ Csmeuter, wese gwen % q glssies. vi
- employed fos gsss thaA Soef months
"A ~ M hiss Il. ea,ss q a,day: a n q -
ed 70 that r,ts ~ the Ststats s'ssoay estse.- !.
Fiss "a riding hone ~ "a. = ~ !ss
"a 81 Er d E