Now! Then! Henry Best of Elmswell (Driffield) begins to harvest peas, and describes the technique required

16 September 1641: Henry Best of Elmswell (Driffield) begins to harvest peas, and describes the technique required

Henry Best. 1857. Rural Economy in Yorkshire, in 1641. Ed. Charles Best Robinson. Durham: Surtees Society. Get it:

Excerpt

The best time for pulling of pease is in wet weather and dewy mornings, for that may be done best at such times when the ground is the wettest and softest; then do they come up by the roots with most ease; again they pull the best when they are the most feltered [tangled] together. Pease-pullers always lie their uppermost hand just on the end of the shaft, holding it something under the shaft; and their nethermost hand they always lie above the shaft; and so strike they with their hook near unto the roots of the pease; and so striking they either break the stalks, cut the stalks, or else pull them up by the roots; and then, ever as they strike, they roll them on forwards, tumbling them over and over till there be as many as they think sufficient for a reap [bundle], and then do they part them, and throw by the reap. Pease-pullers are to be admonished that in making of their reaps, they always observe to tumble them well over, and wrap them up round, that they lie not flat towards the ground; for then do they drink up rain, and keep long wet and moist. They are likewise to be forewarned that they make not their reaps too big, for then are they unwieldy and troublesome, both to fork to the wain, and likewise from the wain to the stack; and besides, if they get any wet, then are they long ere they dry. They are also to be forewarned that they wrap as few thistles and greens amongst their reaps as possibly they can, and then the pease of themselves will be soon welked and dry.

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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.

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Original

FOR PULLINGE OF PEASE.

Wee beganne to pull pease this 16th of September beinge Thursday, beinge the same day that wee gotte all mowne barley. Sty-gate flatte served 15 pease-pullers three whole dayes and rather more. Our usuall manner is to sette 5 peasepullers to one broade lande, and sometimes but 4, if they bee all men; and sometimes againe 6 on a lande. Wee imploy aboute this labour our mowers, binders, and onely some of the ablest outliggers, wheare we thinke good. The men have 8d. a day, and the women 6d. a day; they usually make the right hande furre the farre furre, and therin goe usually women and the weakest sorte of them. When wee perceive mowinge to growe to an ende, then doe wee seeke out our pease-hookers, grinde them and lye them in readinesse, providinge for every one of our owne folkes one, and likewise reservinge 4 or 5 in store for such day-taile folkes as have not of theire owne. The best time for pullinge of pease is in wette weather and dewy morninges, for that may bee done best att such times when the grownd is the wettest and softest; then doe they come up by the rootes with most ease; againe they pull the best when they are the most feltered togeather. Pease-pullers allwayes lye one of theire handes viz.; theire uppermost hand, juste on the ende of the shafte, holdinge it somethinge under the shafte; and theire nethermost hande they allwayes lye above the shafte ; and soe strike they with theire hooke neare unto the rootes of the pease; and soe strikinge they eyther breake the stalkes, cutte the stalkes, or else pulle them up by the rootes; and then, ever as they strike, they rowle them on forwards, tumblinge them over and over till there bee as many as they thinke sufficient for a reape, and then doe they parte them, and throwe by the reape. Pease-pullers are to bee admonished that in makinge of theire reapes, they allwayes observe to tumble them well over, and wrappe them up rownde, that they lye not flatte towardes the grownd; for then doe they drinke up raine, and keepe longe wette and moist. They are likewise to bee forewarned that they make not theire reapes too bigge, for then are they unweeldy and troublesome, both to forke to the waine, and likewise from the waine to the stacke; and besides, if they gette any wette, then are they longe erre they dry. They are alsoe to bee forewarned that they wrappe as fewe thistles and greenes amongst theire reapes as possibly they can, and then the pease of themselves will bee soone welked and dry. Twelve pease reapes goe to a cocke, and 14 and sometimes 16 cockes to a loade; but it is an unusuall thinge to cocke pease, unlesse it bee wheare they pay tithe, and then they must of necessity bee cocked; but our use and custome is to soe our pease allwayes on our Demaine flattes, and then are wee neaver troubled with cockinge of them, unlesse it bee to preserve them from dewes and small showers; for if theire come any great raines, then they are better uncocked then cocked, because then they shall neede noe throwinge out, but soe soone as wee finde the upper side dry to gette them turned; but if the upper side of the reapes bee wette, then is it a folly to turne them, because that is but to turne the dry-side upwards; unlesse it bee after a longe wette season, soe that you are affrayed that they will sproute and growe to the grownde as they lye, by reason of theire longe lyinge moist. Our usuall manner is to lette them lye 7 or 8 dayes on the landes, after they are pulled, to welke and dry, viz.; three dayes afore they be turned, and the fourth day to turne them, and then to lette them lye a day or two longer, and the sixth or seaventh day to leade them, if it bee faire. The manner is to turne pease with shorte forkes, such as they use for tiftinge of hey, and on the mowes, settinge two folkes to each lande, and throwinge the reapes up allmost as high as the ridge of the lande on that side wheare the waines are to come downe, but on the other side of the land but a little distance from the furre, because the reapes shoulde not lye over close, but that the winde shoulde come to dry them, if they chance to bee wette. Eight folkes turned allmost all Stygate flatte in one day. There was in Stygate flatte (this yeare) just five score and tenne loades, wheareof the Greate Helme in the Staggarth helde 43, the Helme in the Foregarth helde 23, and there was 45 loades which were stacked in the West hall East close which stacke was just 12 yards in length and sixe in breadth, and woulde have helde, easily, 50 loades. Wee ledde pease constantly with 5 waines, and each waine fetched hoame 5 loades a day from Stygate flatte, (beinge a fortnight after Michaellmasse); wheareof one or two of the last weare allwayes sette to the stacke side and left unteamed; wee had yoaked allwayes by that time wee coulde well see in the morninge. Wee lye on usually fower course of pease, if the reapes bee small and dry; but if they be wette and loggery, then wee lye on but three; if the pease be very dry they sometimes tye theire waines, but if they bee anythinge wette, then they neaver use to tye them. There allwayes goes two folkes with a peasewaine, viz.; one to forke and one to loade; and in loadinge of pease they allwayes lappe the reapes up rownde which they lye in the corners; and for every course they lye on the waine, they lappe up two reapes for each corner, whearof the loader makes one, and the forker makes the other belowe; and giveth it up ready made.

1009 words.