Each chief of a group
recorded the hours expended in labor in his group, so that it was
possible to tell, at the end of a season, how many hours had been spent
in a given occupation, as hoeing, weeding, planting, etc. These groups,
each having a chief, formed the aforenamed series, and the heads, or
"chiefs" of all the groups together elected the head of the series, who
kept a record and had general charge of the work done under his
management.
The Mechanical Series, consisting of shoemaking, carpentering, sash and
blind-makers' groups, were usually the same persons the year around.
If, however, the shoemaker was tired of his group, and could be spared,
he took his hoe and rake, and went into some group in the Farming
Series for a change of occupation; the hours he spent there were put to
his credit on the book of the group in which he labored in that series.
The Domestic Series had care of the houses and all domestic work, and
was divided into Consistory, Dormitory and Kitchen Groups. There were
also Washing, Ironing and Mending Groups, and perhaps some others. The
beds, rooms, halls and lamps had to be attended to every day, water and
towels provided, and the "Dormitory" and "Consistory Groups," situated
as the Brook Farmers were, were obliged to go from house to house to
attend to these duties.
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