The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1892-01-13
COST OF LIVING UNDER CHARLES l.
Some of the Prices An ordinary Family
Had to Paw for Necasxarfes.

Some of the Prices an Ordinary Family
Had to Pay for HecaSSariee.
The prices of things in the time of CharAes
II may be found interesting. Ln consider
ing them remember that the general pur>
chasing power of money was then four
times that of she present time. A leg OF
mutton generally cost two and sax pence; q
shoulder, two shillings; hand 81 pork,
eighteen pence; "a cheese7-they had one
every week, but it rs not stated how much
it weighed-vared from one and two pence
to one and eight pence. Butter was eight or
nine pence pound; they used about pound
week Sugar was six pence pound They
bought their -four By six pennywOrths, and
their Goals in small quantities for eighteen
pence each week during the winter, SO that
their fires must have been principally kept
a-going with wood Once a month the
washer woman was called in. and the big
things, such ~ the sheets, were washed
Therefore the ordinary washing was all
done at home.
Raisins and currants were sold at two
pence a pound, while the weekly expendi-
ture on eggs, nutmegs, ginger, mace, rice,
suet, etc, prociaims the pudding This
was made IN fifty different ways but the
ingredients were always the same, and
they evidently had pudding every day.
Cakes also they had, and pies, both fruit
pies and meat pies and open tartA These
were all sent To the bakehouse TO be baked
at a penny each, 30 that the kitchen CON
tanned no oven Candles were five pence q
pound, but the entries of candles are %
Irregular that one suspauas the accounts %
be imperfect.
HerriDgs were bought nearly every week
and sometimes Hng-"a pole Of ling"
Bacon was seven pence pound. Rice was
also seven pence a pound Oranges came
IL about Decenn Der. cherries IN their season
were two pence pound. Rooseberries. four
pence. Very little min is bought. Some
times for months tnere is no mention of
milk. This may have been because their
own dairy Supplied them. Perhaps how
ever, milk was only occasionally used IN
the house. The food Of very young chill
drsn-iDfsBts after they were weaned-was
not then milk, but pap. which I suppose 20
have been some CONNECTION Of -four and
sugar.
There is no mention at all Of tea, coffee
or chocolate Tea WAS already fashion
able drink, but at this time n Ess SIXTY
shllliDgs a pound. a price which placed L
beyond the reach Of the ordinary house
bold Coffee was rnEsch chsaper-z1 the
co1ee houses &c Wa sold a1 4 peuny . cup
but il had Esot JET got into priv ate houses
Turning 20 other things besides foo1.
Schooling Tor &. J. " was two pence a ~eek.
The boy's hornbock cot tSo pence. ard
his primer four Denee- His shoes were ace
shilling and zine pence tbs par. Tbs cob
bier who maze them was Goodman Archsx.
Cody Archer was his wife. A letter cost
two pence or four pence, everything
boCg ht or ordered was brought b. he car
rier, which gTes1iY increased the eIpensz
4 Lady gloves eo~s two sailliags ; pssr.
nix stockings ten khIflfrzs. Snd b~r orr5-
zz<y Stockings six shilIa1gs = par her
Shoes tsrss zhsiin2z- hsr rassk one shii-
Ing. her p4stsrs for muddy weather were
TWO sn:tlinzs par. her knitting needs
cos & pezzsy apiece, b-r ssesl hodktn Two
pesoe: ser see1iles eight penoe The hAlf
hundred, her pins nsne p~nes . tAo0zsnd. |
her rbfson thr~~ p~1os Tzs6
As fc< the Er4le Things reQusred fcx The /
hose they wer~ far asArer sh.n r0w. en<s- !
esaerisg especially 80 yaise q noney. /
Scr inzeaor- \ mop ocx sAfih7x- 1
plscneF. ays F~zass g2ass>s. Cur sailing i
sud eiZh. PsEsce- IN ssrs sezzz-r pm. four 4
psne=. 0gusssss eiT ser~os. 1E~S&<d pcs. 4
asss shilling arE1 six Price. psflo~f. Ter 4
peEae- 3 sssesssz fr4y. az reaes. Ee~sn
shlslIlxs Fers z~~~u fsT . pziz q esEsaie
ss.gifs. IS l. ras2 EsLz1d * WAT neetAl Ess-
ard 49, tHo stfssngs y@<d; ssES
saok eazs gsn2J- /