The Statute of Labourers
Preserved but no longer current.
An attempt made in 1349 to fix the rate of wages at which labourers should be compelled to work. It followed the "Black Death," and decreed that the men must work for their former employers, and at the old wages.
Era: ca. 1898 (Victorian)
Sources & notes
Reproduced from Brewer’s Dictionary of Phrase and Fable (1898 edition, public domain; archive.org, retrieved 2026-07-31; OCR text, minor errors possible). Reflects the scholarship and attitudes of its era.
Common questions
What does “The Statute of Labourers” mean?
An attempt made in 1349 to fix the rate of wages at which labourers should be compelled to work. It followed the "Black Death," and decreed that the men must work for their former employers, and at the old wages.
Is “The Statute of Labourers” formal or informal?
No register label has been reviewed yet — treat it as neutral and check the usage notes above.