The wages books record the wages paid to each estate employee during a month, and provide analysis columns for allocating the wages to various accounts, according to the work performed. The full names of the staff are written down the left-hand edge of each opening, with the number of days worked, the daily rate of pay, and the total amount earned by each employee recorded in columns. Analysis columns are provided for the following accounts: [Dunham Massey] Hall, park, gardens, game and covers, roads and building land, repairs and improvements, horses and carters, [upkeep and repairs of] river banks, incidental and general. An additional column, headed "Salt works", was added in 1880. The total wages bill is calculated for each account. In EGR14/63/1 the headings are entered by hand, in EGR14/63/2-3 they are printed.
The pensions paid each month to estate pensioners are also recorded.
The books are convenient sources for the study of seasonal variations in estate activity, seasonal fluctuations in the numbers employed, and the longer-term stability of the work-force.
- /1: May 1859-May 1869
- /2: Jun 1869-Dec 1879
- /3: Jan 1880-Dec 1880