and James was, for the work of each day, seven pounds of tobacco. The value of a pound at this time did not exceed two pence. The daily wages of these mechanics were one shilling and a few pence, perhaps equal to about one-fourth of the modern English pound sterling, no insignificant return for the industry of a few hours, even after allowance has been made for the expense incurred in transporting and selling the tobacco.[1] Instances are found about the middle of the century, and they were probably not uncommon in every part of it, of the payment of what was due mechanics for their labor, in the form of goods or live-stock; thus in 1647, the court of York County instructed Joan Trotter to deliver to Edward Grimes, in return for carpentry work, one pair of shoes, a green rug, and eight poultry.[2] How large were the sums in which many of the planters became indebted to mechanics for tasks completed under terms of contracts is illustrated in the instance of Edward Digges, against whom John Mead, a member of that class, brought in an account amounting to three hundred and one pounds sterling, six shillings and eleven pence, representing in value perhaps as much as seven thousand five hundred dollars in our present American currency.[3] The Act passed in 1662 for the purpose of encouraging the erection of towns, fixed the wages of the carpenters to be employed in this work at thirty pounds of tobacco a day, in addition to rations of food; brickmakers and bricklayers were to be paid for each one thousand bricks moulded and laid, while the remuneration of sawyers was to be measured by the number of feet included in the timber they supplied.[4]
Page:Economic History of Virginia Vol 2.djvu/428
This page needs to be proofread.
