Prices of food, materials and labour in old England

These books were a help to me in understanding more about ancestors, right back to my 10x great grandfather and how he lived in the late 1500s. 

A History of Agriculture and Prices in England, Vol.III

George Taytt (Tait) was a bowyer (and a burgess of Perth) in Scotland in 1570.  Although these are prices in England, it gives me a rough idea, and also how it compared to other craftsmen. Turning to the pages for Prices of Labour and 1570-71, and the cities were all the same, a bowyer gets 1/- (or 1 shilling) for a day's work.

Prices of Labour 1570-1571

There are indexes in the back, one for names of places and a general index. Also information on currency and weights and measures. The beginning of each section tells you how to read the charts. 

This is an example of yearly wages, set down by the justices of peace in 1610 at Rutland, Oakham (between Nottingham and Peterborough)...

Wages at Rutland, 1610, mark 715

Relevant links

A history of agriculture and prices in England 1259-1793

Canada 150 - War Time Trade Board - Price Fixing

During our country's 150th anniversary celebration of confederation I will write posts titled Canada 150 with a link to a publication or website I find that may help you tell the story of your Canadian ancestors.
Click on the Canada 150 label on the right or at the bottom to see all the posts.

Today I have for you...

Report of The Wartime Prices and Trade Board 

The War Time Prices and Food Board was established at the beginning of the war, in 1939 to regulate not only the prices of food, but what food would be exported and what is kept at home for domestic use. The government publication explains how they chose which products to provide subsidies to keep the price low for the average consumer, and fixed maximum prices for others. I am using the following examples from the 1943 Report.

Meat Products 1943, pg 33

Rules were added, amended and revoked throughout the war, as were war taxes and duties on products. 

Besides food and other trade products, the Board had control over many services, such as plumbing, dressmaking, undertaking, harbour services, etc.. In 1941 all real property other than farm land was under the control of a board, including restaurants and room rentals. 

Rental Controls 1943, pg 63-65

There is a Directory of Officials for the governing board and for the associated companies and local offices.

Directory of Officials 1943, pg 73-76

Relevant Links

Report of The Wartime Prices and Trade Board 1939-1946 w/ directory of officials

War Time Food Production Posters




Note:  The US had the War Industries Board. In Australia price fixing came under the War Precautions Act.

Canada 150 - Le Prix Courant

During our country's 150th anniversary celebration of confederation I will write posts titled Canada 150 with a link to a publication or website I find that may help you tell the story of your Canadian ancestors.
Click on the Canada 150 label on the right or at the bottom to see all the posts.

Today I have for you...

Le Prix Courant

Le Prix Courant, 7 Jan 1910

Le Prix Courant was a French weekly publication put out by the Retail Merchants Publishing Co. of Montreal. There are market trends as well as price lists of foods and goods, including sundries, coal, furs, skins and leathers...

Current Prices for 4 May 1888, pg 4/mark 372

There is also a section to do with businesses - new, closed, deaths, having difficulties, went up in flames, etc..

Prix Courant, 25 May 1900, pg 629

What is unexpected and two bonuses for genealogists, are the section of Registered Sales of properties in Montreal, with names and amounts paid...

Prix Courant, 27 April 1888, pg 11/mark 363

... and what has this got to do with the price of tea in China? Some issues have city registers and outcomes of court cases...

Prix Courant, 7 July 1922 pg 42/ mark 48

There are several issues in one binder, so check them all. After some nosing around, I still have no clue why they are touted as "Le Quincaillier" (hardware dealer in English). This is the only mention I found of it in this book.

In August 2014 I wrote a post about The Canadian Grocer, a similar publication in English with prices and business news, but it didn't have these juicy extras.


Relevant Links

Le Quincaillier at Internet Archive

Le Prix Courant at Canadiana Online

Le Prix Courant at BAnQ Numeique 


Note: At BAnQ check Patrimoine québécois, then under Document Type check Revues et journaux, then scroll down to Titre and type in Le Prix Courant

Serendipity Sunday - History of Prices in England

While doing my research on my Tait ancestors I came across these publications..

These helped me tell the story of my ancestors, giving prices of produce, dairy, beer and wine, cattle, candles, fuel etc, and what wages they might have made per day.  

I then found that there are issues for various years from 1259 to 1793 of "A History of Agriculture and Prices in England".

So I went in search of other publications that would give the cost of goods and wages at various times and places in history.

Related Links

History of Prices in England from 1259 - 1793 - table of prices

A history of agriculture and prices in England:

Vol I    1259-1400

Vol II   1259-1400

Vol III  1401-1582

Vol IV  1401-1582

Vol V   1583-1702

Vol VI  1583-1702

Vol VII  1703-1793 Part I

Vol VII  1703-1793 Part II

The diary and general expenditure book of William Cunningham of Craigends Scotland ... kept chiefly from 1673-1680

Wholesale prices in Canada 1890-1909

Prix des marchands seches et des produits de la ferme, Canada 1891

Comparative prices, Canada and the United States, 1906-1911

Foodstuffs, retail prices in twenty-four cities: US 1916

US Wholesale prices, wages and transportation, 1893

Price list of groceries, James Lumbers, Toronto 1888

The Canadian Grocer (Toronto publication)

Wholesale price list of groceries - spring 1894 / F.W. Humphrey, Toronto

The Master Grocer, California 1906, 1912, 1915

History of Wages in the United States from Colonial Times to 1928

Prices: An inquiry into prices in New Zealand 1891-1919

Trade unionism, unemployment, wages, prices and COL in Australia 1891-1912

Prices, Food and Wages in Scotland, 1550-1780 (Limited View)

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