The farming workforce

In 19^th century Hertfordshire many of the inhabitants worked on the land. A farmer like John White employed a large number of them, with many of the men employed on a yearly basis and others, especially women, casually as ‘day men’ and women.

When there was no work the casuals were often simply laid off, and had to fall back on the parish Poor Rates, which were also paid largely by the farmer as the main occupier of land – it was the cost of this that led to the New Poor Law of 1835, with the increased emphasis on the Workhouse, ours by this time in Vicarage Road, Watford.

[copyright Peter Hinninbottom. Can we take our own photo?]

Mr. White seems to have tried hard to find some sort of work for them whenever he could.

The peaks of work at harvest time and at hay making was often covered by contractors with large ‘gangs’ of workers of their own

[online picture, Bing. Find another]

We show many of the names of the employees that John White recorded. You’ll see that very few are women – most of these were just ‘casual labour’ doing relatively unskilled jobs for very little money, so we now know too little about them.

The Farm Pupils – student farmers

Farmers by this time were properly trained, in both farming and business skills. The Royal Agricultural College at Cirencester was opened in 1845, and its graduates will have gone on to be tutored as ‘pupils’ by well-respected farmers like Mr. John White.

The Gardeners Chronicle

https://books.google.co.uk/boo...

John White was often approached by the fathers of such men (always men), and usually took one farm pupil per year. One of them, the Yorkshireman William Hounsfield, married John’s daughter, Fanny and took the Oxhey Hall farm nearby.

[cropped image showing William and Fanny Hounsfield at the occasion of John and Sophia’s Golden Wedding anniversary. Original with Museum]

Some farm pupils were of his extended family: Jimmie Gearey and Willie Weall were nephews, Arthur Hounsfield was his grandson and Edward Nash married John’s niece Mary.

Other pupils included:

Blackwell,

Bramwell,

John Emerson,

Edward Jearrad,

Hardy,

Herbert Jones,

Alfred Ledger,

Mendham,

Morewood,

George Pope,

Barry Price,

Arthur Scratton,

Arthur Stone,

Frank Thompson,

Harry Thompson,

Gilbert Wilson

Jim Woods

.

Many, having become successful farmers themselves, remained firm friends for the rest of Mr White’s life.

On Nov 24^th 1865 John White recorded “Edward Nash, Arthur Stone & Geo. Pope here. A regular meeting of Old Pupils.”

And on August 17^th 1879, “J. Woods left me yesterday to go to his Farm on Monday. I hope he will succeed. He has been very good & kind during the time he has been with me.”

Arthur Stone particularly features as a visitor, or was visited, for many years.

Others did less well. On August 27^th 1883 “Hardy, who has been with me for abt 10 Months, left me on the 23^rd with the intention ofgoing to America. I am afraid he will never make a man of business.”

Training young farmers was an important role for men like John White.

The workforce – women

Women had an important part to play on the farm, although it’s rarely recognised. In the farmer’s own family, the young men will have been at work early – the young women didn’t feature at all.

Sophie White was not from a farming family, and we know very little about what she actually did – presumably, like most women of her day, she ‘ran the household’, but that’s rarely referred to. But she had a considerable interest in, and personal involvement with, other activities around the town (see Board 5),

And the household included a number of women. The Whites had a cook and at least two housemaids, and a ‘poultry woman’ was the wife of the cattle keeper at one time - all lived in the house.

[at Two Stones Farm, Mr John White had negotiated that the farm managers’ wife would do the washing for Parsonage House. Photo from Bing, find another.]

On the farm, women are often mentioned (but only in passing) as day labourers - weeding the fields, removing couch grass, cleaning mangolds and working at harvest time.

For example, on May 20th 1869, “Women & old Man & Boy finished couching in Cooks Grove & began getting the rest of the Cabbage Stalks off in Pond field”

But Mr White gives scant detail of them if at all.

He does, however, recognise them as having families and the usual worries of life, and he often mentions his concerns for (and sometimes intervenes in) their situation.

Example to be inserted , use quote if possible or image of handwriting

The skilled workers

All farm workers had skills, but there were a number of especially skilled people, especially on a mixed farm like the Parsonage.

One was the shepherd, assisted at shearing time by the labourers - John ('Jack') Halsey, often mentioned (and given a pony to ride around the flock), served John White for nearly fifty years. He ‘retired’ in April 1889: “Cake Senr & Brother to my man & Shepherd at Croxley came to Day for a month on Trial to take John Halsey’s place as Shepherd if he is likely to suit. Poor Old Jack has been with me abt 47 years & this last Winter has pretty nearly done him up. I shall find some work for him abt the Farm.”

[Image from Bing, find another?]

Another was the head ploughman. With up to six plough teams working most days (not always ploughing – harrowing, sowing, rolling…) there were a number of people in this ‘department’. One was fired for refusing to do a particular job, although he seems to have been forgiven quickly.

Some years, John White encouraged his Plough team to participate in a Ploughing match organized by the West Herts Agricultural Society, or those of neighbouring areas.

Uxbridge & W. Drayton Gazette, 25 September 1875

With about twenty working horses, the ‘horsekeeper’ was a vital role, as were the ‘poultry woman’ and cattle keeper.

The workforce – labourers

The Agricultural Labourer (‘Ag Lab’ in the census returns for many years) was the mainstay of farming success. The term conceals a huge range of roles and skills - ploughmen, day men, gardeners, rick thatchers, grooms, carters - but the pay was very low, and many of the labourers lived permanently in poverty.

[ find picture of the times, this example from Bing]

John White seems to have been as good an employer as any, with many of his workers being with him for a number of years, along with members of their families.

Names of his people in the diaries are rather sparse, but included are:

Daniel Ayres (who died 1887 after 30 years service);

Joseph Ayres;

Bailey (Ploughman);

F. & J. Baldwin;

Barker;

J. Bignell;

Butler (head plough boy);

Solomon Chapmen (horse keeper);

Tom Davis;

Elliment;

Edwin Ginger;

Edwin Gomme (ploughman);

Griffin;

John,

Joseph & Mark Gristwood;

Dick Harris;

Richard Harrison (Groom & Cowman);

Jennings;

Lovelock;

Old & Young Palmer;

Thomas Shiel (under plough boy);

Henry Smith (under carter);

George Stevens (carter);

George & William Tibbles (rick thatchers & general labourers);

Walbank (gardener);

Wallington (herdsman).

Elizabeth Worrell, Cook

Tragedies

Some of John White’s workforce suffered unexpected events.

On Aug 9^th1885 he noted, “Death of our poor Servant Ellen Dorrell.Poor girl. Her death so sudden was a great shock to us all. Her health had not been good of late but up to the time she was taken it had been quite as well as usual. She was seized about half past five (just after she had brought our Tea in as we were all going to Church) and was dead soon after Seven. She was not conscious after she was seized and I think did not suffer much and she died in the Kitchen. She has been a good and faithful Servant to us. She had our confidence which she knew and appreciated. May her Spirit be with her Saviour I sincerely pray. Her Mother came just in time to be present at the last.”

Ellen Dorrell was just forty, and had worked as a housemaid for the Whites for at least fifteen years.

[hertfordshire-genealogy.co.uk/]