General Chat

What year - look at the trains!

Hi Ann of Green Gables,

my greatgreatgrandmother went to South Wales too, as a single woman without other members of her family, as far as I know.

She was from Somerset. It was possible to get a boat from Watchet to South Wales at that time (c1847).

Your ancestors were probably able to find work along the way, or could at least find some food in the hedgerows etc.

I have been surprised at how much some of the Ag Labs did travel.

Of course, by 1847 ish, there were a lot of trains too. Another good place of employment, either helping to build the lines or helping to keep the trains going.
How long ago was this?

You're welcome :-)

Sorry, Ann, not to have replied. When exactly was it, do you know? and did they have relatives there?

Hadn't seen this before. Very interesting.

Thank you Joy


AnnOGG ...... I see noone answered your question.


I would suggest that they probably walked, possibly with a hand cart holding belongings. Hitching rides with carters when possible.


Another interesting question could be .............. why there? Did they possibly have some relations there?



sylvia

For new readers :-)

Thanks indeed Sharron ,i missed this ,which is a shame ,my family history going back to bucks in the 1500s,most of them being farm workers/woodworkers,
Hi ,to Maz ,and secret red squirrel ,nice to see you around again .Fred

donlt know if anyone can answer this for me -

my maternal grandparents, Daniel and Louisa Breakspear left Woolstone in Berkshire rather hurriedly apparently because Daniel had been caught poaching rabbits - a hanging offence at the time. They went to Brigend in South Wales and then to a suburb of Cardiff where I am. I can;t work out how they got from Berkshire to South Wales in those days/ Any ideas?

Dear All

Hello

Lets here it for our Agricultural Labourer ancestors!

They were in tune with nature, the cycles, herbs, flowers, etc.

Mine worked in Wiltshire and travelled though Southern England.

Best wishes to all
xx

Thanks Joy, enjoyed this when I first saw it. Loved the Victorian Farm series too and with birthday money I have bought the book of the series.

Ann
Glos who also comes from a long line of Ag Labs

nudge

Agricultural labourers saw a lot more than we do.We tend to only see what we are shown and notice very few details otherwise.

I doubt he knew the gestation period of his beasts by observing the stars,more likely by observing the animal.My grandfather,born 1874,could tell his sheep apart.

As an ex ag lab - I still don't know the gestation period of a sheep or cow - but I worked on an arable farm!
Weighing 7 and a half stone, I used to lug half hundred weight bags of spuds around, plant cabbages and lettuce, cut them, pack them, and pee in the river!
I don't drive, and there was one bus a week - on a Wednesday , when I was at work! Kept ducks, which we killed to eat, grew our own veggies (had to - see public transport above).
There was a church and 2 pubs in the village - which was over a mile away.
Gosh I was fit in those days!!

maggie, from a long line of ag labs on one side (tin/copper miners on the other!)

I've seen this before .........great article. However, will keep this in my bookmarks for future reference.


Thanks Joy :)

nudged

I thought of this when in church recently, and when watching harvesting being done the other day.

Thought Malcolm might like to see it.

Thank you.

You're welcome.

I feel a close affinity with some of my ancestral family of ag labs in Suffolk, one of whom was described as a farm labourer on his death certificate at the age of 90!

Thanks for that, Joy - my tree is positively overflowing with ag labs - in fact I've got little else!!

my maternal line all ag labs from Berkshire - 4 X g.grandmother lived into her nineties dying of "decay of the body" which was pretty good in those days with no NHS

All my Dad's side were Ag. Labs. in SWaledale, The article was an interesting eye-opener and many things contained I had never though about.

Thanks for posting this item, Joy.

Hazel x

thanks for putting this up Joy - makes me feel proud of all my Ag Labs !!

also ties in nicely with the Victorian Farm programme currently showing.

Maz. xxxx