1800    L20         L16         L12        L8      L6
1850     40          25          20        10       8
1880     52          36          30        15      10

The average annual cost of living of an agricultural family of five was in 1823 L31, in 1883, L37.

COMPARATIVE STATEMENT BY A. YOUNG OF PRICES AND WAGES IN ENGLAND
FROM 1200 TO 1810 ON THE PRINCIPLE OF REPRESENTING FACTS
IN 1810 BY THE NUMBER 20, AND THE FACTS OF THE PRECEDING PERIODS
BY THE PROPORTION BORNE BY THEM TO THAT NUMBER.

         &nb
sp;                                 Labourer’s
 Periods.  Wheat.  Meat.  Wool.  Wages.  Horses.

1200-99 5-1/2 ... 3-1/2 ... 1300-99 6-1/4 ... 4-3/4 ... 1400-99 3 ... 5-1/2 ... 1500-99 6 ... 5-1/2 ... 1600-99 9-1/4 ... 8 ... 1700-66 7-3/4 7-1/2 12 10 15-3/4 1767-89 11 11-1/2 15-1/3 12-1/2 17-1/4 1790-1803 13 16-1/2 16-1/6 16-3/4 19-1/2 1804-10 20 20 20 20 20

Thus wheat in 1804-10 had risen 233 per cent. since the sixteenth century.

THE LABOURER’S WAGES.

The following table, published by Mr. Barton in 1817,[768] shows the depreciation of the labourer’s wages in purchasing power between 1742 and 1808:—­

Weekly      Price of    Wages in
Period.     pay.        wheat.     pints of
s.  d.      s.   d.     bread.

1742-52 6 0 30 0 102 1761-70 7 6 42 6 90 1780-90 8 0 51 2 80 1795-9 9 0 70 8 65 1800-8 11 0 86 8 60

In answer to inquiries sent by the Poor Law Commissioners in 1834 to 900 parishes in England the average weekly wages of labourers were—­

in summer,
s. d.

in 254 parishes, with beer or cider      10   4-3/4
522    "      without beer or cider   10   5-1/2

in winter,

in 200    "      with beer or cider       9   2-1/4
544    "      without beer or cider    9   11-3/4

The annual average inclusive earnings of the labourer

L s. d.

himself were stated at 27 17 10
and of his wife and children 13 19 10
------------
41 17 8
============

It will thus be seen that the wife and children provided a third of the income.  The majority of the parishes said the labourer could maintain his family on these wages.

Here is the weekly budget of a labourer with an average family in 1800:—­[769]

Cr. s. d.

Wages 15 0
Garden 1 6
Extras 1 0
-----
17 6
=====