Moving to a new farm - 1919 and 1931
Sue Benn (Nee Wise) 2018
My great aunt, Nellie Cartwright, kept diaries sporadically during her life, giving small insights into country life in this area during the first seventy years of the 20th Century.
I have recently relocated back to Husthwaite, a move made possible only though the generous support and assistance of family and friends, with goods and chattels arriving via various farm vehicles and car boots, and interior decorating likewise being managed without the help of professionals. I was, therefore, particularly interested to read this handful of entries from Nellie’s diaries.
There is no diary for 1919, but in the middle of the May 1918 diary – clearly making good use of some empty pages– she has written the following:
May 8th 1919
“We left Leys Farm and came to Cold Harbour. It was wet in the morning and we got our beds wet. Tom went with the horse and cart and took the beds. Father, Mother, Annie and Harry went in the trap. Jennie and I went afterwards on our bicycles. We just got off before Buckton’s men came for hot water for their tea. Millers did not come on account of the wet. On our arrival at Cold Harbour we got refreshment. Afterwards we finished papering and cleaning Tom’s bedroom and got the beds and bedsteads ready for sleeping on”.
This was a major house removal, for a family that had lived many years in a relatively isolated farm near Topcliffe Station, to Cold Harbour Farm at Sessay where Harry was to follow his father into farming right through to the 1960s. Later diary entries give a cheering insight into a much more sociable life as “the girls” and Harry involved themselves into the sporting, Church and social life of a larger village.
In the early weeks of 1931, plans were clearly afoot for Nellie’s sister Annie’s marriage to John Wise, whose family were neighbouring farmers in Sessay, and their subsequent move to Husthwaite. Here are a few short extracts:
“Saturday 28th March
J Wise came this afternoon to say he had got Flower of May farm and wanted to take our folks on, but Annie and Dad and Mum have had cold and didn’t feel fit to go. 312 eggs today. H and Joe have been rabbiting and have gone to Thirsk tonight. Cleaned my hen houses out today. Finished raffia bag.
Thursday 5th April
J Wise came for Mother, Dad and A to go to Taylors of Kilburn sale. A got 6 room chairs 30/-, a chest of drawers £8, a dressing table, wash stand and towel rail £3, a jam pan (brass) and a few more, small things. J Wise took A and I to Church tonight. I walked back.
Wednesday 8th April
Annie married today. Wedding at eleven. Went with the 1.15 train to Scarborough.
Tuesday 14th April
Dad, F Wise and I went to Flower o’ May this morning. Garbutts were busy getting their things out but they were very nice. Gordon came and met us, shook hands and took F and I into the house, shouted of the Mrs and introduced us. She took us round the house and told us all she could think of about the stove etc. Then F and I began to clean the dairy. W & C Wise came with some things. They came and watched F & I when we were whiting. They seemed amused. I think it was seeing me working. They went home, then John’s two men came and wanted to know if it was dinner- time so we had to leave off to get them something.
Dad went to meet Annie and John coming home from their honeymoon about 2 o’clock. Annie looked white and bewildered, but John looked as fit as could be. The train had knocked a man down before they had got into York station as they came home but for anything else they had had a lovely week, fine and warm weather all but one drizzly day and lots of good grub.
We got the dairy, one store-room, and two kitchen cupboards cleaned. P came about tea-time with some things from our house. Gordon came again about tea-time and had his tea with us. Dad and I came home but Florrie stayed overnight.
Wednesday 15th April
Dad and I went to Flower o’ May this morning … we were busy getting luncheon ready most of the morning but got Annie’s bedroom papered and cleaned and the spare bed and boys’ bedroom tops whitened. Dad and I came home after tea.
Wednesday 22nd April
Old J Wise came to A’s for the day. A and I papered the spare room upstairs.”
[For a photo of John and Annie Wise and Nellie 1860 see gallery.]
I hope you have enjoyed this small insight into some of the realities of being a farmer’s daughter in the early 20th Century, its poignant little details about country life, and intriguing glimpses of the wider world during those years.
Sue Benn