A 16th century mason's yard showing skilled
and manual worker
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The
East India Company started in 1600 with
£68,373, which is a huge amount of
money, especially for those days.
A
stonemason or a carpenter of the time would
earn just 7d. (seven pence) for a day's
work. It would have taken a 100 stonemasons
64 years, working every day, to earn £68,373
between them.
How
much do you think it would cost today to
buy ships and cargo and sail to the other
side of the world?
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