Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1884-07-27
PRICES IN 1880.
The Cost of Living In England a Hun
dred and Fifty Years Ago.

The Cost of Living In England a Hun
bred and Fifty Years Ago.
Mr.. Gervase Scrope, of Cockerington,
who died in 1741, and his son and success
sor, Thomas Scrope, of Cockerington and
COleby, Lincolnshire, says the 50. James
Gazette, left behind them some very vol
luminous books Of accounts, which enable
us to form toleTably comprehensive idea
of the cost of living and of the value of
labor and land about $50 years ago. The
MSS, which have not been published,
show that in 1T30 ''a dark-colOred cloth
suit, trimmed with silver buttons and
loops" and including two pairs of
breeches, cost II guineas; the price of the
cloth being Is shillings a yard. In 1872
the cloth for a scarlet roquelaure cost no
less than % shillings a yard, and the
charges for making up the cloak amount
to 95 les. All clothes, in fact, were very
expensive. A perfectly plain hght-colored
cloth suit for common use cost Mr..
Scrope 99in 1923; and bob-wig cost e.
and a tie-Wig 95 in 1882. The Squire, I'M
derthe circumstances, had to be ecOnomi-
cal. His own dress was matter of inn
portance, he being a leading man in the
county; but we find that in 1871 his son
Tommy ''had pair Of breeches made out
of an old scarlet riding coat of NINE"
and that Mr.. ScrOpe only bought two pairs
of boots year in London. For these he
paid from co to 93. His other boots he
purchased more cheaply from a country
cobbler. The prudent Squire had four
sOns-Gervase, Thomas, Frederick and
Carr. In 1871 Gervase, then aged Invent to
complete his education with one Mr.. Hoole,
at HaXey, where his board, with wash
ing, fire, candles, and tea for breakfast,
cost only $50 a year; the sole extras being
an entrance fee of gulneas and half
crown week as pocket money for the
boy. Probably the fees would have been
considerably lower had it not been for the
tea at breakfast; bat it was Of course alb
solutely necessary that young fellow of
condition should have "tay," and Squire
ScrOpe was not the man to stint his elder
son in the innocent enjoyment of so fash
tonable luxury. In the course of 1882
Carr, who was but 10, and who was des-
tined for the navy, was sent ''tO schoole to
Mr.. Haledine's, near Union Stairs, IN
Mapping, at &26 per annum for his board,
without washing, and guinea month
for learning arithmctick and navigation,
and guineas entrance" This was an
other instance of generous conduct on
the part of the Squire, for Carr had al
ready been with his brother Fred at
Mr.. Arnold's, by whom they were board
ed and literally taught for &l2 year
each. and guineas for each extra. The
doubt due in a great measure to the low
price of meat. Even in 1854 quarter of
lamb cost only Is. 3d., q leg and saddle Of
fine mutton As. p; veal 32s pence pound,
round of beef Az pence, ribs of beef
pence, mutton 20 pence, and pork 3
pence; and rabbits could be bought for
from Sd. to Is. pair. Lump sugar, on the
other hand, was 9epence a pound, soap
pence, and coffee shillings; but ''good
red port'' was cheap, the price per dozen
bottles being only II shillings; and other
wines could be purchased at proportion
ate prices. Nor were wages eXtrayagant.
In II4S s'twO days work done in the gar
dens at COleby Hall'' cost Is. 3d., though
in the same year laborers were occasion
ally paid l shilling per day. Mowers
earned Is. 10d. a day, and blowers shill-
ings an acre: and the head gardener,
man who exercised considerable author1-
ty, received but 916 year. Maid-ser-
wants were paid from 93 to f6 a year;
and A washerwoman could be hired for
pence and a charwoman for pence day.
The price of Goals at Lincoln, whence
they were hauled by the 'Squire's servants
to Coleby, was Il shillings caldron In
I74S: the window-tax for Coleby Hall was
60 rs: and a pane of glass for the Win
dow of the best guest chamber cost
shilling. The accounts also throw some
light upon the stable expenses at the
time. In 1854 oats were but II shlllings
a quarter, and the COleoy blacksmltn
charged only 4 shillings for eight shoes
for Mr.. Scrope's two chaise horses. In
the same year the village carpenter made
a grindstOne frame and mended two wheel
barrows for the very moderate sum of Is.
Sd, AS for the value of land, a rich graz
ing farm of 277 acres let for f165, and 1913
acres Of good arabic fields for $50.