Highway surveyors' accounts, 1850

St Laurence Room archive

Before the creation of county and district councils, local roads were the responsibility of the parish. Surveyors were appointed who could levy a rate from which labourers were paid to maintain the roads. This booklet which has survived by chance (first two pages transcribed) shows that in 1850 two workers were employed full-time and others when required. The rates of pay, between 1s and 1s 6d per day, had increased little since the building of Winslow Hall in 1700. The two main labourers, Richard Seaton and William Budd, were the descendants of old Winslow farming families.

Surveyors Accounts 1850
Day Labor
Date 1850 Name Work
Days
Price
£
s
d
March 30 R Seaton digging Gravel poors piece
6
16
"
8
"
Wm Budd Levelling Gravel Sheep St
6
12
"
6
"
April 6 R Seaton digging Gravel poors piece
6
16
"
8
"
Wm Budd Do
6
12
"
6
"
Geo Evans Levelling, Claydon Rd
2½
16
"
3
4
13 R Seaton digging Gravel Poors P(iec)e
6
16
"
8
"
Wm Budd Levelling, Claydon Rd
6
12
"
6
"
20 R Seaton Do. Pits. Poors Piece
6
16
"
8
"
G Evans Do
2
16
"
2
8
Wm Budd Sifting Gravel, Cole's pit
6
12
"
6
"
27 R Seaton Do Do
6
16
"
8
"
Wm Budd Levelling Gt Horwood Rd
6
12
"
6
"
May 4 R Seaton digging Gravel Poors P(iec)e
6
16
"
8
"
Wm Budd Do
6
12
"
6
"
11 R Seaton Do
6
16
"
8
"
Wm Budd Levelling, Little Horwood Rd
6
12
"
6
"
18 R Seaton digging Gravel Poors P(iec)e
6
16
"
8
"
Wm Budd Do
6
12
"
6
"
May 25 Wm Budd digging Gravel poors piece
6
12
"
6
"
R Seaton Do
6
16
"
8
"
June 1 Wm Budd digging Gravel poors piece
6
12
"
6
"
R Seaton Do
6
16
"
8
"
8 Wm Budd Levelling Gravel, Back Lane
6
12
"
6
"
R Seaton digging Gravel poors piece
6
16
"
8
"
15 Wm Budd Levelling Gravel, Back Lane
6
12
"
6
"
R Budd Seaton digging Gravel poors piece
6
16
"
8
"
17 Wm Budd Levelling Back Lane
1
12
"
1
"
G Holt & J Eden Sifting Gravel
"
2
"
29 P Budd Clearing drain, Back Road
"
2
2
July 22 R Dumbleton Do
"
2
2
27 R Dumbleton & R Seaton Do
"
3
"
Augt 3 A Seaton digging Gravel poors piece
6
16
"
8
"
J Massey Do
4
14
"
4
8
Hammond Do
2
14
"
2
4
R Dumbleton Sifting Gravel & levelling
2
18
"
3
"
   
10
2
4

See also:

Copyright 26 February, 2020