| Collection | Winstanley Oral History Collection |
| Description | Mr. W. Arter, born 1898, interviewed in Chilham in Canterbury, Mr. Arter's father was a farm bailiff, went to Simon Langton school, Mr. Arter was in the civil service and later a free lance journalist
Track 1 [0:52:20] [0:00:00] Introduction: interview of Mr Wallace Arter [Mr A] of Gorwell, Old Wives Lees by Michael Winstanley of the University of Kent at Canterbury on 29th November 1974. Mr A was born in Bishopsbourne [Kent] in 1898. [0:00:29] Mr A’s family background, farming in Bishopsbourne. [0:00:50] Comments on ‘feudalism’ in Elham Valley; local squire owns the houses and most villagers work for him. [0:01:18] Remarks on the arrival of ‘professional’ classes; army and teachers. [0:02:46] Anecdote about Lancer riding off to Edward VII’s funeral parade at Canterbury Cathedral in May 1910. [0:03:38] Comments on professional incomers being linked to squire, but a different social class. [0:05:00] Story about retired labourer being evicted and going to workhouse in Bridge. [0:06:30] Detailed description of church going; rented pews, seating arrangements, labourers’ behaviour, women at home rather than in church. [0:08:48] Comment that labourers only paid for public holidays if they attended church. Mr A’s father as farm bailiff took register at church. [0:09:23] Remarks on church choir; no girls, mainly servants from two big houses in Bishopsbourne. [0:10:00] Comment that farm labourers worked 6 day week so staff of big houses and schoolboys made up cricket team on Saturdays. [0:10:35] Mention that almost no new houses built in Bishopsbourne since 1900. [0:11:00] Detailed description of village buildings; Sir John Prestige’s ‘Bruge’ house; school and Hooker’s rectory, both gone by 1974; railway station on Canterbury/Folkestone line; Joseph Conrad’s home, Oswoods; village hall, smithy and carpenter/wheelwright. [0:13:50] Comments that only church social activities were Sunday School and a choir supper; no trips away from village and no women’s activities. Anecdote about men’s sing songs in pub. [0:17:00] Comments on lack of travel outside village although railway and a weekly horse bus to Canterbury. Anecdote about boys roaming to next villages on Saturday and fighting. [0:18:20] Anecdote about rivalry between villages; waggoner races in liveried carts between Bourne and Byford estates. [0:19:45] Anecdote about fighting between Brookes brothers, sons of Jimmy Brookes the pigman. [0:21:00] Comments on gypsies; kept away from villages except for selling pegs, telling fortunes; not liked; horse dealing. [0:22:00] Remarks on poaching; poaching farm workers lost jobs, but popular to add meat for family. [0:22:35] Description of system of keeping domestic pigs. [0:24:20] Detailed description of the village shop. [0:26:41] Mention of local bakers visiting from Bridge and Canterbury; Castle, Moss, Bailis of Broad Street, Canterbury. [0:27:08] Mention of Harry Bailis, prebendary Lichfield Cathedral. [0:27:50] Mention of visiting grocers from Canterbury; Theobalds of Mercery Lane, the German Schlanker. [0:28:45] Comments on anti-German feeling in Canterbury during World War I; renaming Hanover Place Roper Road. [0:29:46] Description of local traders from Canterbury and Bridge visiting Bishopsbourne; types of bread and bakehouses; Goodman of Wincheap selling paraffin, turpentine and hardware; old lady in Bishopsbourne making butter and selling milk and paraffin; [Mrs]Olive selling smoked fish; Clements selling fresh fish. [0:31:05] Comments on local lighting: gas in Bridge, paraffin in Bishopsbourne, electricity at Oswoods. [0:31:38] Mention of old lady in Bishopsbourne making butter and selling milk and paraffin. [0:35:55] Comments on smell of Canterbury c 1910; tannery, jam factories, sweet factory. [0:37:59] Mention of Nelson Kent, stables foreman for Canterbury Corporation. [0:39:41] Description of Bourne House home farm and Mr A’s father work as farm bailiff; Mr A’s father’s love of steam power and dislike of motors; early motors at Jotton Place and used by doctor in Bridge pre 1910. [0:48:12] Remarks on reliance on horses in farming, use of artificial fertilisers. [0:50:00] Comments on the steward’s behaviour and social status.
Track 2 [0:48:10] [0:00:00] Introduction: second interview of Mr Arter by Michael Winstanley at Old Wives Lees on 21st February 1975. [0:00:14] Description of role of women in farming; their work and pay; tied cottages and fear of eviction to workhouse; comparative wages; Sunday work taboo; harvest money. [0:07:50] Comments on hop picking; women’s work, no Londoners in Bishopsbourne. [0:08:40] Remarks on fruit picking; paid by piece work, breeding smaller fruit trees. [0:10:45] Remarks on farm workers’ children; expected to help, rarely paid, flint picking. [0:12:49] Anecdote about taboo work for women - riding horses to the forge. [0:13:50] Remarks on trade unions in agricultural work. [0:14:24] Story about defeat of first agricultural strike in Kent. [0:15:30] Mention of Freddie Burns attending strike meeting. [0:16:36] Comments on the mobility of farm labourers; annual contracts ending Michaelmas Day; hiring fairs; catchphrase ‘pork again or how’. [0:21:20] Remark on low unemployment on farms but long cycles to work. [0:22:59] Story on coping with low wages; self-sufficiency, wives’ thriftiness. [0:25:13] Anecdote about super dish ‘single sue’. [0:26:48] Comments on drinking; pubs open 24 hours, farmers providing beer, lack of tea/coffee in 1840s, use of Camp coffee. [0:28:36] Detailed description of harvest suppers on larger farms. [0:30:50] Remarks on gifts from farmers to workers. [0:31:36] Anecdotes about church; parsons’ raised social status, public rebukes in church. [0:34:45] Brief descriptions of professional incomers. [0:36:40] Mention of Jocelyn Brook, orchid expert. [0:37:00] Remarks on farm cottages; owned by estate, rented by professional incomers, dereliction. [0:39:40] Comments on social status groups in village. [0:43:29] Comments on railway use; bad behaviour of school children, details of freight. [0:46:04] Detailed description of carrier’s van service to Canterbury; carrier Willis getting individual’s shopping, passenger service.
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