Now! Then! 2024! - Yorkshire On This Day

Excerpt

We washed our fat sheep this 9th of May in the house close, a little beneath the high bank. They were in number 32, and our washers were our foreman and another of our own fellows. We had but just six barres which did very well hold the aforesaid 32 sheep and 13 lambs besides. One of our boys that went with the ox-plough threw them in. The water was of a very good depth, and we found it a far better way then damming of water, for now the scud [dirt] and scum passed away, and the dyke was as clear and fresh at the last as at the first. Wherefore in my opinion this is a far better way, viz., to wash sheep in such a place where the water is deep enough of itself, without any damming. For besides the labour of setting down and taking up, the water is in danger of carrying away the banks so soon as they let it go.

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To facilitate reading, the spelling and punctuation of elderly excerpts have generally been modernised, and distracting excision scars concealed. My selections, translations, and editions are copyright.

Abbreviations:

• ER: East Riding
• GM: Greater Manchester
• NR: North Riding
• NY: North Yorkshire
• SY: South Yorkshire
• WR: West Riding
• WY: West Yorkshire

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Original

Wee washed our fatte sheepe this 9th of May in the howse close, a little beneath the high banke; they weare in number 32, and our washers weare our foreman and another of our own fellowes; wee had but just sixe barres which did very well hold the aforesayd 32 sheepe and 13 lambes besides; one of our boyes that wente with the oxeplough threwe them in; the water was of a very good depth and wee founde it a farre better way then damminge of water, for nowe the scudde and scumme passed away, and the dyke was as cleare and fresh att the last as att the first; whearefore in my opinion this is a farre better way, viz; to wash sheepe in such a place wheare the water is deepe enough of it selfe, without any demminge; for besides the labour of settinge downe and takinge up, the water is in dainger of carryinge away the bankes soe soone as they lette it goe;

166 words.

Tags

Tags are assigned inclusively on the basis of an entry’s original text and any comment. You may find this confusing if you only read an entry excerpt.

• Best, Henry (approx. 1592-1645) (16) ·
• East Riding of Yorkshire (66) ·
• 📌Elmswell, East Riding of Yorkshire (19) ·
• Sheep (27) ·
• Yorkshire Wolds (23) ·

All tags.

Similar

• 11 May 1641: William Simpson of Little Driffield takes a break from threshing to shear Henry Best’s sheep at Elmswell
• 4 November 1641: Henry Best of Elmswell (Driffield) boils tar and pitch to mark his sheep
• 22 November 1641: Snow falls at Elmswell (Driffield), and sheep farmers jostle for low ground and feed
• 6 June 1641: Under a waning gibbous moon, armed with a penknife and sticky-willy unguent, a shepherd castrates Henry Best’s lambs at Elmswell (Driffield)
• 18 November 1641: How Henry Best of Elmswell (Wolds) got his straw into optimal condition for the arrival today of the thatcher
• 1 April 1641: Tips on bringing ewes and lambs to market in the East Riding today, Easter Monday
• 20 February 1582: Part of the household inventory made on the death of farmer Richard Best of Elmswell, including his homebrew kit
• 1 April 1641: Henry Best of Elmswell (Driffield) weighs his wool for a purchaser from Beverley
• 21 May 1641: Six corn-wains from villages east of Driffield pass slowly through Elmswell on their way to Malton
• 16 September 1641: Henry Best of Elmswell (Driffield) begins to harvest peas, and describes the technique required