the woman; and then doe they allsoe appointe and sette downe the day of marriage, which may perhapps bee aboute a fortnight or three weekes after, and in that time doe they gette made the weddinge cloathes, and make provision against the weddinge dinner, which is usually att the mayds fathers. Theyre use is to buy gloves to give to each of theire freinds a payre on that day; the man should bee att the cost for them; but sometimes the man gives gloves to the men, and the woman to the women, or else hee to her friends and shee to his; they give them that morninge when they are allmost ready to goe to church to be marryed. Then soe soone as the bride is tyred, and that they are ready to goe forth, the bridegroome comes, and takes her by the hand, and sayth, "Mistris, I hope you are willinge," or else kisseth her before them, and then followeth her father out of the doores; then one of the bridegroome his men ushereth the bride, and goes foremost; and the rest of the younge men usher each of them a mayd to church. The bridegroome and the brides brothers or freinds tende att dinner; hee perhapps fetcheth her hoame to his howse aboute a moneth after, and the portion is paide that morninge that she goes away. When the younge man comes to fetch away his bride, some of his best freinds, and younge men his neighbours, come alonge with him, and others perhapps meete them in the way, and then is there the same jollity att his howse, for they perhapps have love [?] wine ready to give to the company when they light, then a dinner, supper, and breakfast next day. OBSERVATIONS CONCERNINGE BEASTES. Wee allwayes use to putte our younge calves into the foreyarde on dayes, and then into the calfe-howse againe on nights, for two or three dayes before wee putte them forth to grasse; and this is to make them gentle, and learne to keepe within theire bowndes; for putte them into any close so soone as they come out of the calf howse, and noe hedge will turne them; for att theire first comminge out, they will see nothinge, but all ditches and dales are (with them) plaine way; and if they chance to breake forth, one shall not knowe wheare to finde them, for, soe longe as they have any winde left, they will neaver leave runninge; I have knowne them so dazed att theire puttinge forth, that they woulde come runninge streight to a body, and stande tremblinge and quakinge as though they woulde have fallen downe. If your calves bee any of them under three weekes in the howse before they bee putte forth, yow are to have a care that the kyne and they bee kept soe farre asunder that they may not hear the rowtinge and blaringe one of another, for feare that the kyne breake over to them. As it is a token of recovery when they licke themselves, soe likewise is it with a bull, when (in pissinge) hee draweth, as allsoe when they scrape att the sight of other beasts; the like signe is allsoe to bee observed for horses, that they are on mendinge hand when they kneppe one with another. Our townesfolkes (most commonly) just on St. Hellen-day, beinge the 3d of May, beginne to teather theire draught cattle, viz.; theire horses and theire oxen, abroad; in the field, on the heads, common balkes, bounders of fields, and theire owne lande endes, togeather with the towne, towne side, and the like; as for such heads and balkes as part two fields, and are bounders betwixt two severall lordshipps, they are common to both, and the one towne hath as much interest and right to teather on them, and on such places I have knowne poore folkes beginne to teather theire kyne the 20th of Aprill. Aboute St. Hellenmasse, when our townesfolkes beginne to teather theire cattle abroade, our cheife care is to save our corne, our owne lande-endes, and our fresh pitts; and if wee doubt eyther theire teatheringe, or theire turninge loose on nights, but to rise before day bee light, and sometimes att midnight, otherwise one shall neaver meete with them; the course which wee take to prevent them from puttinge theire cattle into the Spellowe on nights, is, to gette it well fenced a little before May day, and then cuttinge a longe thicke stake, wee knocke it downe soe close to the gate, and leave it soe high above grownd, that the gate cannot possibly bee lifted over; and this is not stirred till such time as wee sende our waines to fetch away the hey. See more of this subjeckt in the beginninge of the first booke before the desc[ription] of lands appertaininge to each farme. FOR TAKINGE OF GATES OR GEASTES FOR BEASTES. Aboute a weeke afore St. Hellen day, wee beginne to inquire and listen after gates for our younge beasts; if wee heare of none to our minde, then on May-day, the day after, or perhapps a day or two before, wee sende our foreman, or some other, to take as many as wee stande neede of att some such place wheare wee knowe theire beast pasture to bee good, and wheare they may have water to come to; when wee take gates for our younge beasts, wee hire usually for all our yeeringes, all our two yeare old beasts, and but seldome for our three yeare old beasts, unlesse wee bee very full stocked att hoame; such beasts See pages 12, 14, 72, 84, and 94, for notices of the jealous fear lest other men's sheep should stray into the corn in the open field. Inclosure Acts have prevented many heart-burniugs. as are thus taken into any pasture to bee kept, are (hereaboutes) called geasters, i. e. gesters, and theire gates soe many severall jeastes; they sende them usually on St. Hellen day or the day afore, and they are to continue, and to have theire pasturinge theire, till Michaellmasse; wee had the last yeare seaven beasts at Sledgmour, which wee had noe leisure to fetch hoame, and they sente them not till Powder treason day, the 5th of November. Yeeringes are accounted but halfe gates on the Greetes. and pay but halfe the rate that kyne and the other older beasts pay; but on the wolds they are all alike: Kellithorpe Greets was wonte to bee a pasture that younge beasts would like very well on (and all by reason of the water soe neare at hande,) till nowe of late it was overstocked with sheepe. Wee have hyred beast gates at Rastrope, and att Thistendale, for 2s. a geast; these two townes are not halfe a mile asunder, and aboute seaven miles from this place; they are beyond Burdall-dayles, and the way to them is by Frydaythorpe, or Fimmer: one may allsoe take gates att Frydaythorpe, but theire pasture will hunger our beasts that are used to better keepinge; one may allsoe take gates att Huggate, which is oftentimes very good pasture; wee have taken gates att Cottam for 28. 6d. a gate; one of Greate Driffield sente (this yeare) three beasts to Sledgmour the morrowe after St. Hellen day, whoe sayd that hee payed 88. for three gates, i. e. 28. 8d. a peece. Wee tooke gates att West-Lutton, in the year 1639, for 38. 4d. a gate, and our beasts weare allmost fatte att Michaellmasse when they came hoame; wee sente Lawrence Middleton thither againe to take gates for eleaven younge beasts this 2nd of May, and they would not take under 48. a gate, and wee must pay noutheard-wages, and sesses, and layes; the noutheard wages weare (for every beast) 2d. for theire wontinge pennies when they wente, 2d. att Lammas, and 2d. a peece at Michaelmasse when they weare fetched away: and the sesses and layes would have come to other 6d. a peece, which was (in all) 58.; and for 68. 8d. a peece, wee could have had them wheare they might have beene fedde. Wee sent our foreman againe to Thissendale on Fryday the 6th of May, and there they asked 48. 8d. a gate, and would not take under 48.; besides all theire gates weare I insert in this place the following will: 1670, Dec. 1, Christopher Rowe of Hemswell, of the parish of Driffield, husbandman; "to my two sonnes Matthew and Harbart two oxgands of corne sowne upon the grownde; they my executors; to John Rowe of Sledmire a mett of wheate, a bushell of rie, and a bushell of haver." At Burdall is the famous tunnel on a curve through the limestone rock. I have found the following receipts. 1614, Dec. 2. 1615-6, March 9. Received of Mr. James Best for the half yeares rent of the sheepe pasture of Birdall alias Burdall, due unto my uncle Raphe Hansbie Esq., 571. 108., Raphe Hansbie Junior. letten but two, whearefore wee putte them to the Greets. Mrs. Salvyn her gates on the Greets are allwayes att a rate, viz.; 58. 4d. a cowe-geast; her nowtheards wage is 20s. in money, the milke of a cowe, and a cowe-geast; besides hee hath allsoe the mucke on the cowe-hill, wheare the beasts lye on noones, which hee can lette for 4d. a weeke: shee letteth the mucke of the cowe holde to poore folkes for 8d. a weeke: the beasts are most of them sente in on St. Hellen day, and the day after, some perhapps not of a weeke after; the nowt heard hath for every beast one pennie, which is called a wontinge penny; hee taketh them all in himselfe, and perhaps keepeth them a weeke till they bee wonted and hanted togeather, and after that setteth a boy or girle to tente them. Mrs. Salvyn hath raysed her halfe gates from eight groates to three shillinges: soe soone as our foreman came from Thissendale and had dined, wee sente him to her to take geasts for eleaven, whearof seaven weare yeeringes, and fower, two yeare olde; the yearinges weare large, and the two yeares little, soe that there was little difference in theire bignesse, soe that they wente all for halfe gates, beinge that they coulde not bee discerned: besides, if they bee not full two yeare olde they are called but yeeringes: wee seldome sende money till wee fetch them away: besides, on the Greets, poore folkes putte on theire kyne, and seldome speake to her for them to knowe what they shall pay till theire time be expired, beinge that they knowe her usuall rate; wee sente our foreman and two boyes with them that night, beinge Fryday the 6th of May, they had each of them an horse. See more of this subjeckt in the latter ende of the second booke, before the remembrances for hyringe of servants. FOR PROVIDinge of HECKE-STOWERS AND HARROWE- Att Martynmasse, or aboute a weeke after Martynmasse, wee sette our foreman to cuttinge of white-wilfes, reade-wilfes, and saughs, for hecke-stowers and harrowe-spindles; hee is to have charge given to cutte them as neare to the grownd and bodyes of the trees as possibly hee can: and then, afore hee cutte of the twigges, to see what the branch is fittest for, and to make that of everie bough and branch that it is most fitte for some will be for flayle-handstaffes; some that have creches will bee for rake-shaftes; some for hecke-stowers; and the smallest sort of them for harrowe-spindles; some for cradleteeth; and some shorte ones for plough-staffes. Hee hayth for "1671. To Robert Dorman the cow-fold pro 9s. and two couple of woodcoks.” Sir Timothy Whittingham. this purpose a little broad snathinge axe, whereof hee is to have an especiall care, that hee cutte not against stones or yron; for an axe will last some seaven yeares as well as others a yeare; for if they heede not, but choppe against stone or yron, then is her edge turned againe, and then must shee to the grindstone; and that taketh away and wasteth her best mettle. The course that wee take with our white-wilfes and saughs is to cutte them up by the rootes, or as close to the grownde as possibly wee can, if wee can but preserve them from being eaten with cattle by this meanes have wee greate increase of them; for out of the rootes will growe many younge trees, which, in fower or five yeares space, will come to that perfecktion and bignesse, that they will serve for flayle-hande-staffes, cavingerake-shaftes, heckestowers, and such other like uses and in Essex, by cuttinge up of saughs by the rootes, they will growe up againe to that height and tallnesse that they serve them for hoppe-poles; and then, when they come to cutte them the second time, they cutte them within two or three ynches, or as close to the olde stumpe as possibly they can, and that causeth them to putte out thicker still. For plantinge of these trees, you neede doe noe more but take a branch of a willowe or saugh-tree, and sticke it into the grownde, and it will take presently; especially if it bee neare the water-side; for take wilfes, and lye parte of them in a runninge water and parte of them out, and, if it bee in the spring-time, they will budde as they lye. As for reade-wilfes, the course that wee take with them, to have profitte of them in a shorte space, is to take longe branches aboute fower yards in length, and to thrust them into the grownde aboute halfe a yard within the grownde; and this should bee aboute the beginninge of March; and afore yow sette it, yow are to snath of all the small twigges and boughes, leavinge onely the toppe-bough to drawe up the sappe; and yow are to take such course as nothinge may rubbe against it, and loosen it at the roote, till such time as it have gotten good roote hold; and then, if it live and budde forth, yow may lette it alone till that time of the yeare come againe, and then are yow to dresse of all the twigges againe, and to cutte of the toppe allsoe, aboute eight foote or three yards from the grownde; or, howesoever, leave it of that height that cattle may not reach to the toppe of it to eate of the buddes as it putteth forth, and yow shall see that it will putte forth many boughes and branches, rounde aboute the place wheare you cutte of the toppe: and when these branches come to that bignesse that yow intende to cutte them againe, yow are to cutte them as neare to the olde head, or place wheare yow cutte it afore, as R |