18th Century Wages and the Cost of Living Wages could be as low as two or three pounds per year for a domestic servant, plus food, lodging and clothing. A beggar would normally hope to be given between a farthing and two pence in alms, while a parish pauper could hope for a weekly pension between a few pence and a few shillings. For a young boy chopping wood the going rate was 1 ½ pence per hour, while a porter could expect a penny for shifting a bushel of coal. A waterman would expect six pence to take you from Westminster to London Bridge, while a barber asked the same to dress your wig and give you a shave. Female domestic servants earned less than men. Wages for women could range from the £2 or so mentioned above, to between £6 and £8 for a housemaid, and up to £15 per annum for a skilled housekeeper. By contrast a footman could expect £8 per year, and a coachman anywhere between £12 and £26. Because they had to provide their food, lodging and clothing, independent artisans needed to earn substantially more than this. £15 to £20 per year was a low wage, and a figure closer to £40 per annum was needed to keep a family. The middling sort would require much more still and could not expect to live comfortably for under £100 per year, while the boundary between the "middling sort" and the simply rich was in the region of £500, a huge difference. The First Lord of the Treasury enjoyed an annual salary of £4,000. The cost of living was essentially in line with wages, although some items were much more expensive than their modern equivalents. Clothes in particular represented a much higher proportion of normal spending than they do now. A man's suit could easily cost £8, while even the uniform of a child looked after by the Foundling Hospital cost £1 12s 10½d. Rent was also a substantial outlay. Two pence a night would get you a shared bed in a cheap lodging house, while an inexpensive unfurnished room could cost 1s 4d per week. In order to gain a settlement, however, one needed to rent a house for £10 per year. Someone like James Boswell spent £40 per year renting a set of rooms. In normal times a loaf of bread could be purchased for a penny, while one and a half pence could buy you a meal at an Irish ordinary. If you wanted something rather more filling you could try a three penny ordinary, where a meal of meat and broth and beer was available for the advertised price. A quart of beer could be purchased for a penny, and a cup of coffee for the same price. Gin ordered by the quarter and half pint, would set you back a penny and two pence respectively Those were the day eh? Slan Henry --- Outgoing mail is certified Virus Free. Checked by AVG anti-virus system (http://www.grisoft.com). Version: 6.0.659 / Virus Database: 423 - Release Date: 15/04/2004