Masons Of England And Their Works.

but slightly during the period under consideration . * In the thirteenth century , about 1272 , the mason at Westminster had 6 d . a day granted to him for life by Henry III . The master mason at Euddlan Castle , 1281 , had Gd . ; the master carpenter , Is . ; the overseer of twenty , 6 d . ; their constable , Sd ., and their captainSd . The workmanshiof the Eleanor Crosses

, p , 1291-4 , was apparently contracted for by each separate tradesman . In the fourteenth century the new works of the tower at Lincoln Cathedral , 1306 , were to be paid for , the plain ' work by measure , but the fine carved work aud images by the day . The mason assigned to superintend and direct 1307 each of the

, , works of building , and to be the master in the same office , at Westminster , the Mews , and the Tower of London , had Is ; and under him there was a workman appointed to oversee the several operations of workmanship in all the above-named places ; his pay , however , is not given , it being stated he was to

receive it elsewhere . Two masons at St . Stephen's Chapel , 1319-20 , had each 6 d . At Carnarvon Castle , 1321 , a man is paid Is . per week for nine weeks for blowing a horn to call the workpeople to their labour . The master mason ( or bricklayer , as the term is given , as before noticed ) , at the Lady Chapel , at Ely , 1321-49 , had a stipend of 40 s ., a fur robe , to cost

los . 3 d ., lis . 9 d . for rent , as well as his board and wages . The master mason , 1330 , at St . Stephen's Chapel had Is . ; two masons , each 5 | d . ; a mason ' s apprentice , 2 d . ; and the labourer for carrying the tools to the smith , cleaning out the lodge , and carrying stones , 3 d . The chief mason at the Tower of London 1336 and chief overseer of King Edward

, , Ill ' s works in all his castles south of the Trent , had a robe yearly and Is . per day . At the works at Westminster Abbey , 1350-3 , the wages of two masons , on account of flesh time , were raised each 4 d . a week more , that is 2 s . per week . To one of them , as master of the work , 26 s . Sd . over his wages were paid

as a fee , and for his dress 13 s . M . ; for two pairs of shoes 3 s ., aud to their boy 12 d . In one year , as Mr . Scott had already told us , the chief mason would not receive his robe on account of the delay in its delivery , f In 13 SS the chief mason ' s fee at the same place was £ 5 , his dress and furs 15 s . ; another mason's

13 s . 4 td . ; and a third tunic 10 s . The " master stonecutter , " working on the stalls of St . Stephen ' s Chapel , 1358-9 , had Is . Qd . In 1359 , the chief mason at Windsor Castle had 6 d . per day . At Durham , the master mason erecting the kitchen received £ 3 6 s . Sd . each quarter , and a robe worth 13 s . Aid . For the alterations made to Westminster Hall , 1395 , the king supplied many of the materials , besides " herbergage , "

Masons Of England And Their Works.

or lodgings for the masons and their companions , but neither the manual labour nor the tools . The "builder " of the tower and spire of Salisbury Cathedral , about 1334 , was to have Gd . each day he was present , and 10 marks additional the four quarterly terms , which salary was annexed to the office of guardian of the fabricin case he survived the then " builder . " At

, Exeter Cathedral , 1396-7 , the freemason had an annual salary of 26 s . Sd . At Durham , the principal mason engaged , 1398 , upon the dormitory as contractor , was to have a cloth gown each year , such as was worn by the prior ' s esquires , and daily a loaf of white bread , a gallon of ale , with a spitful of meat of the same

quality as that prepared for the esquire's table ; 40 pounds of silver was to be paid beforehand , and £ 40 for each six roods of work . In the fifteenth century , besides those at York already related , occur , first , at the cloisters at Durham , erected between 1408-19 the master masons were

, each paid £ 5 6 s . Sd . * per annum , with a garment at Christmas worth 13 s . 4 d . ; the ordinary masons had 3 s . Sd . per week in summer , and 3 s . id . in winter . Iu 1432 a lavatory was erected in the cloisters , and the accounts show that " three pairs of gloves at Ud . each were given to the workmen . " At the erection of

Catterick Church , Yorkshire , 1412 , the mason undertook to do his work for S score marks ( £ 106 13 s . 4 x 1 . ) in three years , and if finished by that time he was to have 10 marks ( £ 6 13 s . 4 < d . ) of money , and a gown which had been worn by the son of the client . The bridge at Catterick , 1412 , was contracted for by three masons , at a lump sum and a gown to each according

to then- degree ; £ 20 was to be paid m hand . The labour in building Walberswiek steeple , 1426 , was undertaken for 40 shillings , with a cade of herrings and a gown of " lenore ones "f each time of working . A parish in Suffolk , 1430 , was to provide every freemason with a pair of white leather gloves and a white apron during the works . The masoncontractor for

, rebuilding in seven years the bell tower at Bury St . Edmunds , 1435 , at £ 10 per annum , was to have board for himself in the convent hall as , as a gentleman , and for his servant as a yeoman ; also two robes , one for himself of gentleman's livery , that of the servant to be of yeoman ' s liveryor else to be paid 23 s . M . in

, lieu of them . In the contracts for the Beauchamp Chapel . Warwick , 1447-57 , the stone-work of the tomb only , by John Bourde , of Corfe Castle , marbler , was to be executed and fixed for £ 45 . The contract for a Jesse front to an altar at Wells , 1470 , was taken at £ 40 ; 40 s , were to be paid at the sealing of the

contract , and 40 s . weekly as the work went on , but leaving £ 5 in hand till it was finished ; the contractor bound his heirs and executors by obligation in £ 20 should any of the covenants be broken . The master mason at the building of St . George ' s Chapel , Windsor , 1474 , & c , had a gown ; a few years later , 1482 , the

chief mason received £ 3 6 s . Sd . a year as a reward , a gown , and £ 12 per annum wages . By the will of King Henry VI ., 1447 , the master mason was to be paid a yearly salary of £ 13 6 s . 8 cJ . at Eton , and at Cambridge £ 16 13 s . 4 d . ; although about the same period , the master mason in the king ' s household was in receipt of Is . per day , or £ 18 5 s . per