Brad McEwen wrote:
> > > I don't know the price differences between a fiddle, > flute or guittar in the 18th C but let's look at this: > yes, there is evidence of fiddles, flutes, etc being > used in Irish music in the 17 & 18th centuries. The > last of the old Irish bardic harpists had vanished by > the end of the 18th C. and harsp were later revived by > the set of people that included the likes of Yeats, > lady Gregory, etc. I would doubt that many (if any) > of the Irish peasantry would have been able to afford > a harp! Considering they were barely surviving at > all. > > There is evidence of fiddles, flutes, etc being used > by the "lower" classes in Ireland. IS there ANY > evidence that guittars were used by them? Not to my > knowledge. If there is, fine. Otherwise, I rest my > case. > The guittar in 1770 cost between �4 and �10 and a typical price would be about �6. At the same period, the annual wages for an artisan (as shown by fines determined in Scottish courts) were about �30 in same currency - this would be someone like a cobbler, joiner etc, not a peasant. A servant might expect board and lodging and between �1 and �8 a year, the top end of this probably only for senior staff in a large household. A farm labourer might make about 30 shillings in actual money in the year, but would be provided with a place to build a cottage (or take over an existing one) and the wood needed, and also given a pig and some fowl, if fortunate the care of a cow. A fiddle had a very similar price but cheaper ones were made and many countryfolk made their own fiddles - they made their own flutes and whistles, of course, and most 18th century farm lads could cut a reed and make a usable whistle or flute in a few minutes (it's one of the things described as being done by children, let alone adults). Unfortunately the concept of wages isn't quite to same in the 18th c. Probably 90 per cent of a person's subsistence might be provided in kind, with lodgings, food, drink and even clothing paid for. The wages were more like a sailor's pay and might be given half-yearly or even annually. This money would be for saving or spending and had a considerable value. It would be a bit like working today on the same basis and getting a couple of thousand or much more in a lump. Assuming Ireland was MUCH poorer than mainland Britain (my figures are from Scotland), make that a couple of dollars... It would be very unlikely that money would ever be spent on a cittern/guittar. To get on or off this list see list information at http://www.cs.dartmouth.edu/~wbc/lute-admin/index.html
