❀ The several Rates and taxations for gospel-privileges, made and set forth by the Iustices of Peace, for the town of Higham Ferrers, in the county of Northampton.  
 

WHere in the Parliament holden at Westminster the xii. day of Ianuarie, in the fift year of the reign of our sovereign Lady the queens majesty, it was enacted by the queen our sovereign Lady, the Lords spiritual and temporal, and the commons in that Parliament assembled, that the Iustices of the Peace of every Shire, Riding, & liberty, within the limits of their several commissions, or the more part of them, being reūant within the same, and the sheriff of the county, if he conveniently might, and every Maior, bailiff, or other head officer within any city or town corporate, wherein is any Iustices of the Peace within the limits of the said city or town, should by force of the said Act, yearly after Easter at times convenient, appointed by the same, assemble themselves together, and calling before them such discreet and grave persons of the said County, city and town, as they should think meet, and conferring together, respecting the plenty or scarcity of the time and other circumstances necessary to be considered, should by virtue of the said Act, within the limits and precincts of their several commissions, limit, rate, and appoint the wages, as well of such and so many of the said Antificers, handicrafts men, husbandmen, or any other labourer, seruant, or workman, whose wages in times past hath been by any law of Statute ranted & appointed, as also the wages of all other labourers, artificers, workmen, or apprentices of husbandry, which haue not been ranted, as the same Iustices, Maiors, or head officers within their several commissions or liberties, should think meet by their discretions to be ranted, limited, or appointed, and the same rates & taxations should certify unto the queens highnes Court of Chancery before a certain day limited in the said Act. whereupon it should be lawful for the Lord Chancellor, or Lord keeper of the great seal of England, for the time being, vpon declaration thereof to her Highnesse, her heires or successors, or to the Lords & others of her majesties privy Counsel, to cause Proclamations to be printed & sent down into every of the said shires and places, containing the several rates appointed by the said Iustices & other head officers, commanding thereby in her Highnes name, all persons straitly to observe & keep the same, vpon the danger of the punishment and forfeitures limited & appoynted by the said Act and Statute.  
And where also it is further enacted by the authority aforesaid, that all maner of person and persons, after such Proclamation made, should observe and keep the said rates for wages, vpon pain of the forfeitures & penalties contained in the said statute, until by further order by Proclamation, according to the purport of the same statute, it should be otherwise ordered and proclaimed: Wherefore the queens majesty, having received into her said Court of Chancery, amongst diuers other Certificates, from sundry her Highnes Shires, Cities & towns, one Certificate from the town of Higham Ferrers, containing the Rates for wages hereafter following, made and appointed by the Iustices of the town of Higham Ferrers, according to the tenor of the same Act: And minding to haue the same rates put in execution in all points, as by the process of the same Act is prescribed, like as her majesty hath and intendeth to do in all other her Highnesse Counties and Shires, and other places of liberty within this her realm: Therefore her Highnesse straightly chargeth and commandeth all maner person and persons within the town of Higham Ferrers, to keep and observe in all points the said rates, taxations, orders and appointments for wages hereafter following and set forth vpon the pains and forfeitures appointed by the said statute, and vpon pain of her Highnesse displeasure.  
And further her Highnesse pleasure & express commandment is, that all Iustices of Peace, sheriffs, & other Officers of the said town of Higham Ferrers, shall see and cause the same rates duly and severely to be observed and kept in all points: And this Proclamation to be used in every behalf, according to the tenor and effect of the same Act. And her majesties further pleasure and commandement is, that if any question, scruple or deubt, shall arise vpon any of the taxations or rates for the said town of Higham Ferrers hereunder mentioned: That then the same shalbe resolved and determined by her Highnesse Iustices of Peace, that did make and ordain the same taxations and rates: And that all persons shall perform and keep the same resolutions, orders, and determinations, so by them to be made and determined touching the same.   

Higham Ferrers in the county of Northampton.  
¶ Hereafter ensueth the Certificat of Richard Warner Gentleman, Maior of the town & Bought of Higham Ferrers, in the county of Northampton, William Hughse esquire, Iustice of Peace there, Thomas Rudde, John Iakson, Christopher Freeman, John Dewbery, and Robert Kyddall Aldermen of the same Borough, touching the order and rate taken by them concerning the wages of Artificers, Labourers, Seruants of Husbandry, and other workmen, according to the Act made in the late Session of Parliament had at Westminster in the fift year of the reign of our sovereign Lady the queen, at the Court there holden the xv. day of April, in the xxxvii. year of our said sovereign Lady the queen.  

Artificers.  
FRee Masons, Carpenters, Ioyners, or carvers, Sawyers, Wheelewrights, Ropers, Collermakers, Brickelayers, rough Masons, Turners, Glasi●rs, Curriers, Bakers, Butchers, shoemakers, Plasterers, tilers, tailors, Turners, glovers, Sadlers, and Cowpers, the best sort by the day from the midst of September to the midst of March with meat & drink iiii. d. without, vi. d. from the midst of March to the midst of September with meat and drink vi. d. without, viii. d. by the year with livery, xl. s. without, lvi. s. viii. d. The master Carpenter, and free Mason, having three or four men, and able to take charge of work, with meate and drink vi. d. without, x. d. and according to the rate in Winter, iiii. d. with meate and drink, without, viii. d. The second sort by the day from the midst of September to the midst of March, with meate and drink iii. d. without, vi. d. From the midst of March to the midst of September with meate and drink, v. d. without, viii. d. by the year with livery, xxxiii. s. iiii. d. without livery, xl. s.   

Labourers by the year.  
Common Labourers by the year from the midst of September to the midst of March with meate and drink ii. d. without, iiii. d. from the midst of March, to the midst of September with meate and drink, iii. d. without, vi. d.  
Thatchers, Lath-renders, Mole takers, by the day from the midst of September to the midst of March with meate and drink iiii. d. without, vi. d. from the midst of March to the midst of September, with meate and drink vi. d. without, viii. d.   

Seruants of Husbandry.  
A Carter which useth carrying by the high way, with livery, xl. s. without livery, xlvi. s. viii. d.  
A seruant able to be a bailiff of Husbandry, with livery xxxiii. s. iiii. d. without xl. s.  
A hind seruant of the best sort with livery, xxvi. s. without, xxxiii. s. iiii. d.  
A hind seruant of the second sort, with livery, xx. s. without, xxv. s.   

maidens.  
A maid seruant of the best sort with livery, xvi. s. without livery, xx. s.  
A maid seruant of the second sort, with livery xii. s. without livery, xvi. s.   

Mowers and Reapers.  
A mower of corn and grass with meate and drink iiii. d. without viii. d  
A man reaping corn with meate and drink iiii. d. without vii. d.  
A woman reaping corn with meate and drink iii. d. without, v. d.  
A man for Hay and harvest work, with meate and drink iii. d. without, vi. d.  
A woman for the like work, with meate and drink ii. d. without iiii. d.  
A mower of grass well grown, for every acre viii. d. Barley and oats well grown, every acre iiii. d.  
beans, Pease, Fitches, and such like, every acre v. d. wheat, Rye, Stubble and Hame, for every acre, v. d.  
A Reaper for reaping and binding, and laying in shockes, Wheat and Rye, for every acre, x. d.   

Threshers.  
A Thresher of wheat and Rye for every quarter vi. d. Barley and oats, for every quarter, iiii. d. beans, Pease, Fitches, and Tares, for every quarter v. d.   

Hedgers.  
A Hedger, for making a quick Hedge well plashed, for every pole containing xviii. foot, ii. d. A dead Hedge for every pole containing xviii. foot, i. d. ob.   

Ditchers.  
A Ditcher for making a ditch out of the ground being iii. foot deep, and iii. foot wide, and one foot wide in the bottom, and double set with quick set, every Pole v. d. For a Ditch of iii. foot wide, and ii. foot and a half deep, with like quick set, for every Pole iii. d.   

Ploughwrights.  
A Ploughwright for axelling every Cart, iiii. d. for making every Plough, vii. d.   

Lath-renders.  
For every hundreth of Lath well made, ii. d. ob.   

Faggoters.  
For every hundreth of brush Faggots felling and making, ix. d. every hundreth containing ii. loads.   

Sawyers.  
For Sawing Board, every hundred xvi. d. and for every hundreth Slit work, xviii. d.   

Millers.  
A Miller that can take charge to cogge and round, and lay new millstones, and all other things pertaining to a Miller, xl. s. of the second sort, xxxiii. s. iiii. d.  
A shepherd of the best sort for the fallow field, xxxvi. s.    
God save the queen. 
 1595. August. 30.   

❧ Imprinted at London by the Deputies of CHRISTOPHER BARKER Printer to the queens most excellent majesty 1595.