More than for the general interest of the wage levels, my posting (below) was intended to highlight the drastic reduction of the wage. A reduction from 28 to 11 1/2 of anything is a massive chop. What was left over for food and clothing dropped from 20s1d to 4s1d. In any economy it is not the ordinary level of income that has the impact, but the difference between the old and the new. To lose four fifths of one's income (unless the rent dropped by the same amount, which it probably did not) would have had a devastating effect. No wonder they rioted! We don't see that sort of thing today, of course. Gordon > From my notes, the following snippet on Carlisle: 1812 riots over low pay > etc. (A weaver's wages had been reduced from 28/- for "working a piece of > gingham" to 11/6 less rent of machinery etc = net 7/5; house-rent, firing > etc cost 3/4 p.w., leaving 4/1 for food & clothing.) Amazing!

Good Evening Gordon - Maybe not in Canada does one see that sort of thing to-day! However, my Army pension is now taken up entirely by the new rate of the Community Charge; which leaves me with not a lot, but I do have (when do I get it?) an extra £100 pounds from our beloved chancellor to help pay this "Is It Fair" Tax! Must admit though, a 40% drop in wages is not a very desirable occurrence and I think you are right also that rent stayed as it was, as maybe, did other costs? I'm not a statistician or even much of a mathematician, but it would be interesting to view average weekly wages between 1800 to 2000 for an average family. An Army Sergeant I knew in 1947 received the massive amount of £4 per week, he was quite pleased with his rise from £3 10s. or thereabouts! Kind Regards June & Roy http://www.btinternet.com/~roy.cox/index.htm -----Original Message----- From: Gordon Barlow [mailto:barlow@candw.ky] Sent: Friday, April 02, 2004 5:18 PM To: OLD-ENGLISH-L@rootsweb.com Subject: [OEL] Fw: low pay, 1812 More than for the general interest of the wage levels, my posting (below) was intended to highlight the drastic reduction of the wage. A reduction from 28 to 11 1/2 of anything is a massive chop. What was left over for food and clothing dropped from 20s1d to 4s1d. In any economy it is not the ordinary level of income that has the impact, but the difference between the old and the new. To lose four fifths of one's income (unless the rent dropped by the same amount, which it probably did not) would have had a devastating effect. No wonder they rioted! We don't see that sort of thing today, of course. Gordon > From my notes, the following snippet on Carlisle: 1812 riots over low > pay etc. (A weaver's wages had been reduced from 28/- for "working a > piece of gingham" to 11/6 less rent of machinery etc = net 7/5; > house-rent, firing etc cost 3/4 p.w., leaving 4/1 for food & clothing.) Amazing! ==== OLD-ENGLISH Mailing List ==== OLD-ENGLISH Web Page http://homepages.rootsweb.com/~oel/