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From: "jane kelly" <>
Subject: Re: [Ess] Five Pounds Worth
Date: Tue, 25 Oct 2005 16:25:49 +0100
References: <20051025112033.66756.qmail@web86603.mail.ukl.yahoo.com>


Thanks very much for this Ray and to Dawn for asking the question. I'm a bit
surprised that £5 was worth so much.
I have a copy of a will from 1829 where the clothes seemed to be
valuable: - what was a "worked frill"? was it like an Elizabethan ruff? If
so wasn't it a bit old fashioned?
>
I hereby bequeath to my daughter Ann
my Marsellas petticoat & mothers ring.
To Esther my best sheet & to Martha my
red shawl and ring To Ann P Jefferies
my silk stockings & French white ribbon
to Elizabeth Monk my best white shawl
to Martha and William's wife the rest of
my clothes & linen £10 for Esther my
daughter £10 for Richard Gabb the
remainder to be equally divided between
the rest of my family. To Elizabeth Jefferies
a white dimity petticoat & black silk neck-
kerchief & to Caroline Monk a worked
frill. E gabb

>>
Best Wishes,
Jane

----- Original Message -----
From: "RAYMOND BISHOP" <>
To: <>
Sent: Tuesday, October 25, 2005 12:20 PM
Subject: Re: [Ess] Five Pounds Worth


>
> Comparing the value of money through the ages is rather difficult. For
> example an average agricultural labourer in 1715 would have needed enough
> money to pay his rent and to buy food. But it is possible that he would
> have kept chickens and grown some vegetables. He would need a set of work
> clothes and a set of "best". His wife would have made some clothes but
> would have needed to buy the basic materials. He may have been able to
> collect some firewood for heating and cooking.
>
>
>
> For a typical lifestyle now an average working class person would need to
> earn enough for rent or mortgage, several sets of clothing, central
> heating costs, a car, television, stereo system, telephones, refrigerator,
> washing machine, dvd player, computer, holidays..

> So comparing the average income in 1715 with that in 2005 has to take into
> account the extra costs involved in modern life.

> However useful web sites are:
>
> http://eh.net/hmit/ppowerbp/>;
>
>
> This shows that £5 in 1715 would be worth £545.78 in 2002.
>


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