STATISTICAL RECORDS OF THE PARISH, 1796.
The Rev. Peter Primrose was appointed to the parish in 1796.
The Statistical Record was published that year; thus it looks
as if the work had been compiled by his predecessor, the Rev.
John Trotter. From it we quote the following curious and interesting
items: —
RENTS—PRODUCE—PRICE OK GOODS AND PRICE OF
LABOUR,
"Rents of lands £1 11s. to £3 10s.
per acre. Annual medium produce: —Wheat, 9 to 13 bolls per
acre; barley, 7 to 12 bolls per acre; oats, 8 to 15 bolls
per acre; beans, 9 to 15 bolls per acre; peas, 6 to 10 bolls
per acre: potatoes, 30 to 50 tons per acre; hay, 230 to 300
stones per acre.
Wages and price of labour: —Man-servant £5 and maidservant
£3 sterling per annum; man-servant out of house 6 1/2
bolls of oatmeal, money and other perquisites from £5
16s. to £6 11s. 6d. and free house of 10s. or
12s. value, and diet in harvest. Day labourers employed the
whole season, rod. per day; occasionally employed, is. per
day; women employed in weeding, 5d. per day. A man in harvest
10d. per day and diet, value 6d; a woman in harvest, 7d. per
day and diet value 6d.; a mason, is. 8d., a carpenter, is.
6d. to 1s. 10d. per day; a tailor, 6d. per day and diet.
Plowing an acre of land cost 10s.; harrowing, 2s.; cutting
grass, 2s. to 2s. 6d.; cutting grain, 6s. per acre.
Price of beef, 3d. to 4 1/2d. per lb.; mutton and veal, 3d.
to 5d.; pork, 3d. to 4d.; good lamb, is. to 3s. per quarter;
fowls, is. each; pigeons, 2s. to 3s. per dozen; eggs, 4d.
to 8d. per dozen; butter, early season, 1s.,; late, 9d. per
lb. of twenty ounce Dutch.
STATISTICAL ACCOUNT—SALT PANS, ETC.
There are ten salt pans, but only six working. When weather
is dry and coal good a pan may draw five times a week. Each
draught requires three fillings of water, and yields, in summer
eighteen bushels, in winter about sixteen, the difference
is owing to the sea water being stronger in summer than winter.
When the sea water is good a Scotch gallon of it will yield
of salt nearly 1 lb. avoirdupois. A bushel of salt contains
8 gallons, weight 56 lbs.; sells 3s. per bushel. Average made
during last five years, 10,750 bushels
4 gallons per year. Cost of a salt pan about £300.
STONE WARE.
A manufactory of stoneware, white and cream chiefly, is carried
on a little to the west of the church. It commenced about
1756, and belongs to Messrs Cadell. It employed forty men
and thirty boys. Wages, men, 6s. to 15s. —earn more by the
piece—boys wage, 1s. to 2s. per week. Boys are taken on at
eight years of age, continue till fourteen or fifteen, then
bound as apprentices. The clay is brought from Devonshire
and flint from Gravesend. Twenty-four tons of coal consumed
weekly, price 5s. 6d. per ton laid down at the work. White
and red lead from London, Hull, and Newcastle. Clay, 10s.
per ton, freight 14s. Flint, 18s. to 20s. per ton, freight,
8s. Sales of earthenware computed at £5, 000 per annum.
BRICK AND TILE WORK.
A brick and tile work is going near the old church; six men
employed; wages, is. per day.
OTHER BRICK AND TILE WORKS.
A little to the west of the above, but on the sea-side, is
another brick and tile work; nine kilns are fired; three men;
wages, 7s. per week. Tiles, including a duty of 8s., sold
at £2 13s. per 1000; bricks, including a duty of 2s.
6d., sold at 17s. 6d. per 1000.
BROWN WARE.
About one hundred years previously (1696) a manufactory of
brown ware was commenced here.
GLASS WORK.
A glass-house for bottle making was erected at Morrison's
Haven some time after the foregoing, and continued for some
years.
OIL OF VITRIOL, ETC.
A manufactory of oil of vitriol, aquafortis, and spirit of
salt is carried on here. It began Anno Domino 1750, under
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