ve been
others like George Barwell, whom Marshall tells of in his _Rural
Economy of the Midlands_, who had brought up a family of five or six
sons and daughters on a wage of 5s. to 7s. a week, and after they were
out in the world saved enough to support him in his old age. The
majority, however, long before the crushing times of the French War,
seem to have been thoroughly demoralized by indiscriminate parish
relief, and habitually looked to the parish to maintain them in
sickness and old age. Cullum[463] a few years later, remarks on the
poor demanding assistance without the scruple and delicacy they used
to have, and says 'the present age seems to aim at abolishing all
subordination and dependence and reducing all ranks as near a level as
possible.'! Idleness, drunkenness, and what was then often looked on
with disgust and contempt, excessive tea-drinking, were rife. Tea then
was very expensive, 8s. or 10s. a lb. being an ordinary price, so that
the poor had to put up with a very much adulterated article, most
pernicious to health. The immoderate use of this was stated to have
worse effects than the immoderate use of spirits. The consumption of
it was largely caused by the deficiency of the milk supply, owing to
the decrease of small farms; the large farmers did not retail such
small commodities as milk and butter, but sent them to the towns so
that the poor often went without.[464]

In 1767 Young found wages differing according to the distance from
London[465]:--

s. d.

20 miles from London they were per week 10 9
From 20 to 60 " " " 7 8
" 60 to 110 " " " 6 4
" 110 to 170 " " " 6 3

Giving an average of 7s. 9d. which, however, was often exceeded as
there was much piece-work which enabled the men to earn more.

Young drew up a dietary for a labourer, his wife, and a family of
three children, which he declared to be sufficient:--

L s. d.

Food, 6s. per week[466]; per year 15 12 0
Rent 1 10 0
Clothes 2 10 0
Soap and candles 1 5 0
Loss of time through illness, and medicine 1 0 0
Fuel