Extracted from B.G. Hunter-Eastwood, “Report on the William Brown Heritage House,” Prepared for the Historical Museum of St. James-Assiniboia, Winnipeg, 1988, p. 245-247.

Economic transaction in the Red River Settlement and, later, in Headingley had to do with land, with goods for household and personal use, with farming implements and livestock, and with labour. Goods could be purchased with cash or, by exchange, with other goods or labour. In the early stages of development of this local economy, it is quite likely that cash was reasonably scarce and that barter took up a larger proportion of economic transactions in comparison with later years. For example, Taylor’s account ledgers for 1864-1867 show that William Brown Sr. and his family paid for goods with “a day’s reaping”, with meat and with eggs, and with cash. The family also bought most items on credit: most items were purchased with a small amount down and partial payments 1-5 months later.

The relative scale of land, goods, labour and capital should also be noted. William Brown Sr. contracted with the Hudson’s Bay Company for L17 per year. His Headingly land purchases (Lot #1367 and 1368 in 1856 and Lot #1366 in 1859) cost 7 shillings and 6 pence per acre and carried a total cost of more than L108 for the 290 (plus) acres. The cost of the land represented roughly 6 years wages at William Brown’s rate of pay while in the employ of the Company.

John Taylor priced ‘one days reaping’ at 1 shilling and 6 pence in 1864 and, in comparative terms, this meant that William Brown would have had to work for six days to pay for a girl’s hat or a half-pound of tea. By the same yardstick, a good quality coat was worth roughly 11 days labour in 1864. Brown’s total purchases from John Taylor in 1864 would represent approximately three month’s labour at the rate used here. John Taylor’s Headingley Journals also record the relative scale of economic values and these can be summarized as follows. In the late 1870’s, a man could be hired for a month at $8.00-12.00. An ox would be worth roughly 4 months wages at this rate, while a moderately good horse would be worth more than a year’s wages. Viewed in these terms, William Brown Sr.’s possessions in 1849 (including 6 cows, 10 calves, 1 stallion, 1 mare, 6 oxen, and 4 pigs) represented a substantial holding. In later years, William Sr. (or William Brown Jr.) is listed in the Tax Assessment Roll for Assiniboia as having 40 acres under cultivation and livestock amounting to 11 cows, 4 horses, 7 oxen and 8 hogs. While the wages paid to farm labour had risen by this time (1881) to $10.00-12.00 per month, the livestock alone represented roughly $1800.00 or 15 years worth of work at labourer’s wages. Two account ledgers from John Taylor’s Headingley store have been preserved for the historical record.¹ These provide some details of transaction specific to William Brown Sr. and his family for the years 1864-1867 and 1873-1876 respectively.

¹ Provincial Archives of Manitoba. MG14, B61, 1857-1869, 1872-1878.