3 - The Life of the Labourer

Summary

The Working Day

Farmers’ diaries describe the work done each day throughout the year by the farm labourer. Few such diaries were made, and fewer still have survived, and the three extracted relate to Hartington, Upper Stondon and Chaigrave, and are for 1847, 1866-7 and 1880.

3.1.1 Throughout the nineteenth century members of the Foil family farmed at Toddington, Chaigrave and Harlington. John Warren Foil farmed 240 acres at Harlington, and the diary (entitled “Journal of Agriculture March 1st 1847”) lasts for a little over a year. It was probably kept by a farm pupil. The extracts cover a whole week in March, four consecutive entries for June, and two for September 1847. John Foil employed about 25 labourers.

1847

March 12 T. Baker, T. Bushby thatching a hovel in Wickhearn. D. Ashby, Linger, J. Purser, Bushby draining as before. Hudson and boy, Worker and do., Lorman and do., with ten horses part of the day ploughing in 12 Acres, the rest of the day in Wickhearn. T. Ashby, Bonner and Linger twitching. Harriss and J. do. shepherding. Cartwright gardening. M. Denton and J. Chance dressing clover seed. R. Martin began threshing peas and beans. P. Ellis, Jno. Purser cutting and faggoting as before. Harriss and J. Ashby thrashing as before. S. Ashby and J. Wilson seeing to stock. T. Chance drawing tiles in the morning, twitching in Wickhearn the rest of the day. A fine day with a little frost. Mr. Parker spent the evening here.

March 13. Bushel and ½ of barley, ½ do. beans, 2 bushel Linseed for cows, ½ bushel beans, 3 bushel of barley for pigs. Hudson and boy with three horses ploughing in 12 Acres. M. Denton faggoting do. Cartwright, Worker, Linger and boy drilling barley in Wickhern with three horses. Lorman and boy, T. Ashby and do. with four horses harrowing in do. P. Ellis and Jno. Purser faggoting in Berryfields. T. Chance with two horses drawing do. away. D. Ashby, Bushby and J. Purser draining as before. R. Martin thrashing beans as yesterday. J. Chance thrashing barley. Harriss and J. Ashby do. Wheat. Harriss and J. do. shepherding. Boy keeping crows in the New Field. A fine day with a little frost. Woodward picking stones in Wadlows.