Yorkshire Almanac Henry Best of Elmswell (Driffield) boils tar and pitch to mark his sheep

4 November 1641: Henry Best of Elmswell (Driffield) boils tar and pitch to mark his sheep

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

Unedited excerpt

The excerpt in the book is shorter, edited and, where applicable, translated.

We marked our sheepe this 4th of November in the north ende of the West Hall East-close; we first marked the field sheepe, and putte them forth; and then brought the hogges out of the Carre and marked them by themselves, and then carryed them againe into the Carre. Our tarre cost us (this yeare) 9d. a gallon, and our pitch three half pence the pownde; wee putte nowe six pownde of pitch to a gallon of tarre to make the markinge tougher and better to bee discerned; some advised to putte eight pownde of pitch to a gallon of tarre, but that is thought to make the markinge over brittle, and to breake sooner, and marle away; for tarre maketh the markinge tough; yett oftentimes wee putte eight pownde of pitch to a gallon of tarre, for the more pitch the blacker markinge. When yow intende to marke, yow are first to provide as many barres as will serve to keepe in the sheepe; and for this purpose 16 barres are sufficient for 300 sheepe, although there bee neyther hedge nor wall to keepe them in on noe side; but wee usually marke them in the corner of some close, wheare they may be fenced in on two sides with some hedge or wall; yett if it bee so, wee usually sette barres all alonge by the hedge or wall side to keepe them from leapinge over the wall, or from creepinge through the hedge; and to keepe them from rivinge theire wolle on the thornes. Then, after that our barres are sette, wee make our furnace about some two or three yards distant from the barres, and neere to some corner of the penne, and wee make it in manner followinge: first, we grave up a rownde sodde with a spade, makinge the hole soe wide that the markinge-potte may stande over it and not slippe into the hole; then doe wee cutte out a little straite mouth whearby to gette in the firewoode; wee make the hole aboute a foote deepe, and then doe wee sette on the potte, and daube all aboute the sides with clay, to the ende that noe heate may gette forth; then doe wee first putte in our tarre, and then our pitch, uppermost, puttinge them both in afore wee beginne to kindle our fire; then doe wee keepe a goode quicke fire under the potte till such time as the pitch is all melted, and the markinge beginne to boyle; for yow are not to beginne to marke soe longe as the markinge stuffe is any thinge clamme, or cleaveth and ropeth aboute the burne and botte; but lette it bee as thinne and runne of like water afore yow beginne to marke, otherwise yow doe but wast your markinge; and when yow marke yow are but to dippe in the very bottome of the burne and botte, and then it maketh a cleaner and better impression. Yow are allwayes to make choise of a faire and dry day to marke in, for if the wolle bee any thinge wette, the markinge will take noe holde. The blackest and best of the markinge is allwayes the uppermost, whearefore yow shoulde allwayes marke the hogges first, because their woll is allwayes rough and tashled, and not soe snodde as the wolle of an olde sheepe, and therefore receiveth not the markinge soe well. If your markinge bee cleare and thinne, and have boyled a while afore you beginne to marke, then 12lb. of pitch and three pottles of tarre will very neare serve 300 sheepe; and usually soe soone as the markinge hath boyled a while and is thinne enough, wee stoppe up the mouth of the furnace to keepe in the smoak that it trouble us not. Wee have usually one or two to give the sheepe out of the penne, and three to bringe them to the side of the furnace and holde them till they bee marked, and then can wee marke 300 sheepe easily in lesse then two houres.

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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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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: Tips on bringing ewes and lambs to market in the East Riding today, Easter Monday

22 November 1641: Snow falls at Elmswell (Driffield), and sheep farmers jostle for low ground and feed

9 May 1641: Sheepwashing preparatory to shearing at Elmswell (Driffield)

11 May 1641: William Simpson of Little Driffield takes a break from threshing to shear Henry Best’s sheep at Elmswell

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

7 July 1641: Henry Best of Elmswell (Driffield) starts haymaking

21 May 1641: Six corn-wains from villages east of Driffield pass slowly through Elmswell on their way to Malton

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Where were Duggleby field and Hiddisley quarry?

If Elmswell-Malton was 20-25 miles, then the wagons would have travelled at well below walking pace. During the railway boom, the Malton and Driffield Railway set out to solve forever such problems: