working class wages, any ideas, books??

[celestine53]

hello,

i would like to have some idea how much people earned, it would be interesting to know how much our ancestors earned?, does anyone know of any sources or books on the subject.
I know there is a book on old job titles but any books on wage rates??

thanks crh

[Jan1954]

Published in 1922, "English Farming Past and Present" includes tables of weekly wages of Agricultural Labourers for various years between 1768 and 1920. Is that the sort of thing that you are after?

[Peter Goodey]

There are many links and a bibliography here

If you really mean working class you're talking about 19th century and later and that should be reasonably well documented.

Income on its own is not necessarily a good indicator of standard of living.

[celestine53]

Cheers jan , I will look that one up, it seems many of us had ancestors who were ag.labs.

my best wishes to you and many thaks for your help in all things , God keep you safe,
best wishes celestine

Published in 1922, "English Farming Past and Present" includes tables of weekly wages of Agricultural Labourers for various years between 1768 and 1920. Is that the sort of thing that you are after?

[celestine53]

Thanks Peter. looks like a good site, thank you for your help.

best wishes celestine

There are many links and a bibliography here

If you really mean working class you're talking about 19th century and later and that should be reasonably well documented.

Income on its own is not necessarily a good indicator of standard of living.

[lesleys]

For a fictional account of the life of the late 19th century worker try "the Ragged Trousered Philanthropist"

[BeeE586]

When my grandmother went into service c1900 she lived in and was paid 5 shillings a month.

Eileen

[hepzibah]

not in the distant past, but when i worked as a groom i earned £16 per week, for 6 1/2 days per week, and working from 7:00 to 7:30 on hunting days, as well as having to go back down to check on horses at about 10:00 in the evening. that was in 1974. it seems unreal now.

[celestine53]

£16 a week, yes that was bad. in 1979 I earned £30 as an office clerk. my grandfather earned £2.50 a week as a gardener in Ireland in the 1940's. A female relative of mine aged 14 worked from 9 until 11 at night for 75p a week!! and the going rate for a geriactric auxilliary nurse in the 1970's was about £4 a week part time. the british-lions lead by donkeys!!

[BeeE586]

In 1942 I was paid 3 guineas a week, working from 8.30 am to 6 pm weekdays with a 40 minute lunch break and 9 am to 1 pm on Saturdays. If I worked Saturday afternoon or Sunday that was overtime.

In the mid 1930's I remember my grandfather putting 30 shillings down on the table on a Friday and I think he kept 5 shillings for himself.

Eileen