Reminiscences of Husthwaite by William Taylor, Bank Cottage, Husthwaite.
(Note, the original text contained no paragraphs; some have been inserted here to make it more readable. Otherwise, the original punctuation and spellings have been maintained).
I am asked to give a few reminiscences of my early days at Husthwaite.
On Gibbet Hill a post stood where Mr Rudds cottage is, on which people who had done wrong, were hung up and gibbeted, and Lists where the Hall now stands was a bare field – at every road gates marked the boundaries and no gardens. In Husthwaite it was a bare common. Most people kept geese and a few ewes. Three public houses, the third where Mr Peacock butcher lives. I have seen Acaster Hill, Red House, Throstle Nest, and Woolpots was all old thatched houses, and taken tea at the bigg clipping parties that used to be given every year.
A quarry was in Mr Wm Slaters garden, where stone was got to mend roads. Blocks of stone were got out of a field near Highthorne, to help to make the railway and prop the blocks of wood. There were no closing times at Public Houses and when the line was made the navvies drank all night and slept about anywhere. I was one of the first to ride in the train when the line was open and the carriages were open at the top. The line ran from Raskelf to Pickering.
When there was a wedding the boys had to race to the bride’s house and the first there got a piece of silver and kissed the bride. Things were bad at that time. When a house could not be got for married couples, they went straight to the Union House and work was found for both. Men went to work for farmers for 9d a day and their meat, and begged milk for their families. The Harrisons, Hodgsons, Woodwards, Dixons and Morrels, practically kept them from starving before Easingwold Union was built. There were eight thatched cottages for poor people, three where Mr Millington lives, and five where John Slater and Mrs Hall lives.
Only violins, flute, clarionette and Bass fidle was used at Church and some of the best voices which Husthwaite was noted for. All the Mrs of farm houses were called Dames, Dame Harrison, Dame Dixon and so on. Dame and broth, Mrs and soup, which means the old folks called broth, broth, but when the new brides came and was called Mrs they called broth “soup”. On Shrove Monday they went about begging bacon piggs feet and ears, and at Xmas begged wheat. Wheat was all shorn in those days and when barley and oats began to be sown, they began to mow with scythes, and thrashed with frail “[flail]” and the family went out to glean. Some families getting as much as 3 bushells of wheat, flour being 5/ per stone.
I knew several Waterloo veterans that fought at Waterloo. My father was drilled at Thirsk, for 3 months. All the men hired others to go as long as they could, then the married had to go and he went with the 1st lot. They had to march every day to Sutton to shoot and my mother got food to him, every possible chance there was, they were so badly kept. I knew the Crimean War and all the wars I have known were followed by poverty and want. The manufactories closed down and the men came out to sing by 70 together and stormed the villages for food, but sang beautifully. I remember them singing “Vital spark” in front of the Black Bull and old Mr Wailes the Squire as he was always called gave them a big supper.
The coach ran through Thormanby between Edinburgh and London and changed horses at the Wag, Thormanby being a changing station. My grandfather went to London. The rule for the head of the house to make his will and he made it at Easingwold before going and he went on the coach called Highflyer, the other being called Wellington.
Most houses had an old wide chimney. If they were giving a party and anyone who wasn’t asked, a surprise party was arranged, and goose was dropped down the chimney, and a few wild young rabbits, which looked like rats, and the dairy windows being low, the roast fowls and good things provided were missing, and it was thought very clever to play tricks of this kind. I frequently was one of the search party, but never found out or caught the culprits.
I remember having a medal pinned on by Miss Woodward of Baxby Manor when Queen Victoria was crowned. Only two newspapers came into Husthwaite, a Mr Nelson and a Mrs Smith and it went round the village. My father joined Mr Winter of Coxwold and I walked every Saturday for it. Letters were brought twice a week from Easingwold by an old Mrs Smith and it was said anyone who wanted and was anxious about other peoples business, got her to have a good meal and a glass while they opened the letter and plastered it up again, this of course is a tale and I carnt say its true.
I have looked on five generations of the Wailes, Slaters and Driffields and am 87 years of age.
William Taylor, Bank Cottage.
[Additional notes are given in the booklet Reminiscences of Husthwatie 1900-1930s
The William Taylor, author of these reminiscences (1834-1923) was born into a farming family at Husthwaite at Parks Farm, son of William Taylor who was also born there (1793-1884). William Taylor jnr's son Thomas was tenant farmer at Lodge Farm, home of the Wailes family before they moved to Beacon Banks.