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I have this picture in my mind - for all of you that have seen the film "Gone With The Wind" - the scene where Rhett and Scarlet who are now married and have a baby daughter. Rhett has her sitting in front of him on his horse for an outing and all the Matron's upon the Street that he encounters he asks questions about raising a baby and he gets even one of them in his pocket and they proclaim how Wonderful a Father he is! (Rhett was actually carrying out his plan to better his own Reputation by involving these Ladies)

"Uncle George" might take the cue and seek out those Matrons that would be helpful and sing his praises! Just imagine how that would up his standing in the the marriage market :) for Everyone would already know what a fine upstanding figure of a Man he is in raising said Nephew! So as a potential Husband for one of their daughters, nieces, cousins he's already passed muster!

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There is precedent for your nephew to inherit lands and title, but both the King and House of Lords have to approve, I think, because he is the son of your sister. It was all too common for peers to die without heirs, so not unheard of. You will need to get on the good side of Lords, though :)

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24 minutes ago, Caroline Despanay said:

Awww, so cute!  Now Caroline wants one....wait....well one to hold on occasion..........when it is not crying...........or wet..........or soiled.

LOL! Not one of your own then... 😜

Edited by Henry Grey
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I came across this in an old research file and thought it might interest some of you. Its about 1620-30 Time wise so in our Game inflation would have occured but not that much of a change.

These, of course, are not the only possible prices for any given item, but they should give some idea of what was a typical or fair price. 

The "L" Symbol w/a line in the middle is for Pound 

"S" is for Shilling

"D" is for Penny

The English system was based upon the "Pound, Shilling, Pence" system. Twelve Pence made one Shilling and twenty Shillings made up one Pound. These values were constant and never varied in relation to each other. The exact value of other coins might vary however. Sovereigns, Nobles, Angels, Testoons and Royals all had values that fluctuated depending on their weight and purity at their most recent minting. 

I just used randon names of Peer's as examples. Obviously those Really Well Off can afford the Best of Everything! Rememnber too that almost everything we buy is on "Credit" which means at some point the bills have to get paid :) or perhaps the services of a Money-lender are being used?

Clothing and Fabrics

  • Canvas for Livery: 4d per yard
  • Clothing for the Earl of Leicester: £563 for 7 doublets & 2 cloaks
  • Broadcloth: £6 for 24 feet
  • Good Shirt: £1
  • Pair of knitted stockings: 15s
  • Courtier's breeches: £7
  • A good pair of boots: £4 - £·10 a pair
  • Shoes for a child: 7d a pair
  • Crimson satin: 3s a yard
  • Beaver hat, edged in silver: £2
  • Pair of Valencia gloves: 10d
  • Velvet: 34s a yard

Spanish leather pumps: 1s6d

  • A soldier's coat: 6s4d

Major Outlays

  • Annual household expenses for the Earl of Derby: £3,000
  • Cost of rebuilding an Estate: £60,000

Food and Drink

  • A loaf of bread: 2d
  • A quail: 1/2d
  • Oysters: 4d per bushel
  • 200 herrings: 3s
  • A chicken: 1d
  • Raisins: 3d per pound
  • A goose: 4d
  • Best beef: 3d per pound
  • Best mutton: 11/2d per pound
  • Sugar: 1s per pound
  • Bottle of French Wine: 2s
  • A tankard of Ale: 1/2d
  • Cloves: 11s per pound
  • Cinnamon: 10s6d per pound
  • Ginger: 3s8d per pound

Servant's Fines

  • Missing prayer: 2d
  • Cursing: 1d per oath
  • Not making one's bed: 1d
  • Cook finishing dinner late: 6d
  • Missing a button on the Livery: 1d per button

Housing

  • Lodging in an Inn: 2d per week (with Laundry)
  • A modest farm with an ancient lease: £4 - £5 per year
  • A modest farm with a new lease: £50 - £100 per year

Odds and Ends

  • Tobacco: 12s 64s per pound
  • A small, undecorated book: 8d
  • A large, ornamented book: 10s or more
  • A doctor's visit: 1 Mark
  • Sea coal: 1s per 100 pounds
  • A Nicholas Hilliard miniature: £40
  • Typical tip for a servant: 3/4d
  • A pair of scissors: 6d
  • A post horse from Dover to London: 3s
 

 

 

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Incomes

The following are some examples, which may be considered fairly typical, of what different sorts of people earned for their labors (or for the labors of others, in the case of the Gentry). These are not set in stone. Like today, two people doing the same job could have considerably different incomes, but these should prove illustrative of possible income levels

The Nobility and the Gentry 

  • A Nobleman: £15,000 - £25,000 per annum
  • John Manners, Baron Roos: £4,000 per annum (example)
  • Country Gentleman: £50 - £150 per annum
  • The Archbishop of Canterbury: £30,000 per annum

Town Dwellers 

  • Successful Merchant: £100 - £25,000 per annum
  • Skilled Laborer: 8d - 12d per day
  • Carpenter: 5s per week
  • Unskilled Laborer: 3d - 4d per day
  • Coney Catcher (Con-Man): 14s in a very good day

Servants

Note: Servants incomes as they are listed here do not include tips, which could bring in more than regular wages.

  • Manservant: 1 Mark per quarter (£2, 12s, 4d per annum)
  • Groom: 2 or less per annum
  • Maid: 5s - 10s per quarter
  • Stable Boy: 10s per quarter

Country Folk

  • Country Parson: 20s per annum
  • Field Worker: 2d - 3d per day
  • Ploughman: 1s per week with board
  • Shepherd: 6d per week with board
  • Thatcher: 2s for 5 days work

Note: A peasant's income is very difficult to estimate. Some poor cottars who paid their rents in kind might have an income around zero, while others might make as much as £20 or more per annum. Out of this, however would come rents, which might be anywhere from almost non-existent to almost the entirety of a peasant's cash income. Since he grew most of his own food however, he would seldom starve, even if he had almost no money.

Soldiers 

  • Captain: 6s per day
  • Lieutenant: 3s per day
  • Ensign/Ancient: 1s6d per day
  • Sergeant: 1s6d per day
  • Drummer: 1s6d per day
  • Common Soldier: 8d per day

 

 

 

 

 

 

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