Now! Then! 2024! - Yorkshire On This Day

Excerpt

So soon as harvest is in, our stubble led and stacks thatched, the first lette [rainy] weather or vacant time that comes, we fetch up a pair of oxen, and set our servants to run the wains under the helms [sheds]. First of all they knock off the shelvings, and put the shelvings, load-pins, and pikestowers [iron bars fixed in carts to strengthen the sides] of every wain into her body. Then do they shoole and carry away the dirt clean from under the helms. Then do they put on the oxen, and bring the wains close to the end of the helm, and there do they dress and make clean the wheels with a spade, before they run them in. Then do they run the first three wains in backwards with their arses first, so that the hopping tree of the first stands under the body of the second, and the hopping tree of the second under the body of the third, then the fourth and last wain we run her in with her nose first, bearing her up and running her hopping tree into the body of the wain that stands next her. Then do we lift up the wheels, and underprop each wheel before and behind with good big stones, to keep them from the moisture and dampness of the earth. Then do we take of the wheels of our two carts, and set them close up by the bodies of the wains, and the carts themselves we set them with their bodies sideways, and let them stand upon the axle tree, and lean against the side of the wains. Then do we fetch all our long ladders, and put them within the braces on the inside of the helm. We run our wheelbarrows also under the bodies of the wains. The long helm in the stack-garth will just serve for four wains, and under this helm do we lie the bodies or wheels of our two carts; our long styes lie also under this helm all winter, and likewise our wheelbarrows. The helm in the foregarth will do something more then shelter three wains, and under this do we usually thrust in our three coups [wagon with closed sides and ends, suited to dung, lime]. Our folks were employed about this business on Powder Treason Day.

Order the book

Subscribe to the free daily email

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

Comment

Comment

Something to say? Get in touch

Original

FOR KEEPINGE OF WAINES AND COUPES FROM WETTE.

Soe soone as harvest is in, our stubble led and stackes thatched, the first lette weather or vacant time that commeth, wee fetch up a payre of oxen, and sette our servants to runne the waines under the helmes: and first of all they knocke off the shelvinges, and putte the shelvinges, and loade-pinnes, and pikestowers, of everie waine into her body; then doe they shoole and carry away the dirte cleane from under the helmes; then doe they putte on the oxen, and bringe the waines close to the ende of the helme, and there doe they dresse and make cleane the wheeles with a spade, before they runne them in, then doe they runne the first three waines in backewards with their arses first, soe that the hoppinge tree of the first standeth under the body of the seconde, and the hoppinge-tree of the seconde under the body of the third, then the fowerth and last waine wee runne her in with her nose first, bearinge her up and runninge her hoppinge tree into the body of the waine that standeth next her; then doe wee lift up the wheeles, and underpropp each wheele before and behinde with good bigge stones, to keepe them from the moysture and dampnesse of the earth ; then doe wee take of the wheeles of our two carts, and sette them close up by the bodyes of the waines, and the carts themselfes wee sette them with theire bodyes sidewayes, and lette them stande upon the axletree, and leane against the side of the waines; then doe wee fetch all our longe ladders, and putte them within the braces on the inside of the helme: wee runne our wheele barrowes allsoe under the bodyes of the waines. The longe helme in the stack-garth will just serve for fower waines, and under this helme doe wee lye the bodyes or wheeles of our two carts; our longe styes lye allsoe under this helme all winter, and likewise our wheele barrowes. The helme in the foregarth will doe somethinge more then shelter three waines, and under this doe wee usually thrust in our three coupes. Our folkes weare (this yeare) imployed aboute this businesse on Powder treason day.

385 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.

• Agriculture (10) ·
• Best, Henry (approx. 1592-1645) (16) ·
• Driffield (12) ·
• East Riding of Yorkshire (66) ·
• 📌Elmswell, East Riding of Yorkshire (19) ·
• Guy Fawkes Night (4) ·
• Ox (5) ·
• Rain (14) ·
• Wagon (3) ·
• Winter (11) ·
• Yorkshire Wolds (23) ·

All tags.

Similar

• 16 September 1641: Henry Best of Elmswell (Driffield) begins to harvest peas, and describes the technique required
• 21 May 1641: Six corn-wains from villages east of Driffield pass slowly through Elmswell on their way to Malton
• 4 November 1641: Henry Best of Elmswell (Driffield) boils tar and pitch to mark his sheep
• 20 February 1582: Part of the household inventory made on the death of farmer Richard Best of Elmswell, including his homebrew kit
• 11 May 1641: William Simpson of Little Driffield takes a break from threshing to shear Henry Best’s sheep at Elmswell
• 22 November 1641: Snow falls at Elmswell (Driffield), and sheep farmers jostle for low ground and feed
• 11 November 1641: At Martinmas, Henry Best starts cutting willow at Elmswell (Driffield) to make farm implements
• 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)
• 3 May 1641: On the day of the discovery of the True Cross, Driffield folk start moving their livestock out of town to high summer pasture, endangering crops
• 1 April 1641: Henry Best of Elmswell (Driffield) weighs his wool for a purchaser from Beverley