Genealogy web sites can be great sources of historical data. I came across The Account Book of Thomas Morgan of Carmarthen from the 18th century. This is an article on the book, and I wish the book itself were available on line as it would be a wonderful resource for daily cost of living. But there is quite a bit there for the curious, and here are some tid-bits.
Thomas Morgan seems to have a large Welsh parish, though there's no indication of his annual stipend. Over time, he becomes short of money and has to economise and then move. At times he tries to farm. So the following expenditures may be extravagance.
(I've added a bit about currency at the end.)
In 1755, he pays for his servant James Howell to have:
To trimming his coat 1s.6d
To pay for waistcoat 3s.0d
For velvet 3s.0d
For linnen 6s.0d
For shoes 1s.6d
It's a bit surprising his manservant needs velvet, isn't it? Perhaps he wanted a fully turned-out footman. Evidence of aspiring beyond his means?
In 1761 he paid his maidservant Susan Hanmer £1.15s.0d per annum, had her shoes mended for a shilling and bought her a silk hat for 4s.4d. Other purchases included a cotton gown, handkerchiefs, whale bone and even a pair of garters. So the wage was truly on top of all expenses, but was Susan getting special perks? That silk hat is suspect.
There are some clear lists, such as this.
Seven cane chairs £0.17s.6d
One Brass Pan £1.6s.7d
Five Pewter Dishes £0.8s.4d
Twelve Pewter Plates £0.11s.0d
Two brass candlesticks £0.3s.9d
Two Iron Pots £0.6s.0d
Two small casks £0.2s.0d
I wonder why a brass pan was so much more expensive that seven chairs. Any ideas? Weighing and balancing costs in the past is both fascinating and puzzling.
In 1750 he bought the following articles and paid eight shillings to have them transported to his home. That was, note, around a quarter of the annual wages for his maid. Again, chairs seem cheap. Why is a baking stone so expensive in comparison?
One Bedstead and Curtains £1.15s.0d.
Six leather bottom Chairs £0.9s.0d
One Press and one elbow Chair £0.18s.0d
Fire shovel, tongs and grate £0.5s.0d
Baking Stone 2s.6d.
Saucepan 6d. £0.3s.0d
Bedcord 1s.4d.
flower box 4d. (Flour, I assume.)
pepper box 2d.
One Decanter 18d.
Waterglas 3d.
One bottle of mustard 7d. and Pot 3d.
Three Single Deal boards £0.6s.6d
Someone said I should have explained the currency so here's a stab at it. These days, of course, Britain has a metric currency, still with pounds, but with 100 pennies in a pound.
Before the 1970s it had pounds, shillings, and pence. (And shillings go back pre-Conquest.) There were 20 shillings in a pound, and 12 pennies in a shilling. The pennies have a "d" because that comes from the Roman denarius! Pennies were very large coins, sometimes called "cartwheels" so a pocket of them would be heavy. As a penny was still worth something, there were halfpennies, called "haypennies" and quarter pennies, which were farthings.
So the chairs at 17s 6d, were 17 shillings and 6 pence, a bit over 3/4 of a pound. That expensive brass bowl was nearly a pound and a half.
There was also the golden coin, the guinea, which varied in value but can be considered 21 shillings. Why such a confusing amount, I don't know. In 1817, the gold sovereign came into use, valued at 20s, or a pound.
Because the Napoleonic Wars led to a shortage of gold and silver, during that conflict coins were struck of base metal, and paper money began to be used, as on this website. (Leading to the slang term "a roll of flimsies" for a lot of money.)
I hope that helps.
A glimpse into an 18th century life. Do you have any observations on the relative costs, or comparisons to various costs today? I'm working in the Regency world now, but this was all right in the time for Seduction in Silk.
Cheers,
Jo