Mr. M. Mills interviewed by Michael Winstanley Mr. M. Mills, born 1889, interviewed in Ashford. His father was a gardener at a priory - Essex and jobs were cowboy on marshes and later in Army. Track 1 [1:05:54] [0:00:01] Introduction: interviewee is Mark Mills [MM]. [00:00:11] MM says his life was wonderful. Talks about a picture of Lady Mary in the garden of Gethsemane and his father’s last words. [00:01:57] Talks about the storms and his mother singing. [00:03:16] MM mentions his family and describes bath night. [00:03:57] Describes how his brother caught sparrows and how they were cooked. [00:04:42] Mentions grandparents, grandfather worked at the priory at St.Osyth in 1869. [00:05:11] MM describes in detail how his grandmother made a rock. Tells a story about her paying rent. Mentions common manners. [00:07:46] MM speaks about his school days, mentions grandparents paying a penny per week for parents’ education. [00:09:12] Describes the behaviour he was taught. [00:10:25] Father worked at priory. Mentions his first job collecting food to deliver to sick people in the parish. [00:11:15] MM mentions enjoying hearing Sir John read lessons and doing so himself for many years. He tells a story about Sir John. [00:12:25] MM made first master of Burnham lodge on 18 September 1935. MM describes other jobs he had and how much he got paid. [00:12:52] MM mentions fetching flour from mill. Describes brother’s poaching and what he caught. [00:13:30] Mentions giving his job to his brother when he was 10. Worked as a rider around Essex checking horses and cattle, states pay. [00:14:01] Tells a story about birds and how the story resulted in an act of Parliament. [00:15:15] Mentions collecting plover’s eggs. Talks about going to church. Mentions wanting to join army. [00:16:39] Tells a story about his brother. Mentions job as a carpenter after leaving school but returning to marshes and how much he was paid. [00:17:35] MM speaks in detail about his brother and his jobs. Focuses on brother’s love for poaching. [00:18:15] Describes an incident on a Sunday morning, finding rhubarb wine before church, another about his brother visiting a girl. [00:19:27] MM talks about Lady Foster’s funeral and being given gin. [00:20:20] Describes his experiences poaching in detail, how to do it and tools used. Mentions his brother’s Sunday schedule and his poaching techniques. [00:24:24] MM mentions younger brother’s death in 1916 and his employment as under-keeper. [00:25:28] MM describes Easter in great detail. Tells a story about being confirmed. Describes a family tradition. [00:31:51] MM describes Christmas, going skating and mentions a local band, mentions charity his family did. [00:33:50] Mentions joining band, tells a story about getting in trouble. [00:34:54] MM tells a story about the farmer, Mr. Gould and butcher Mr. Norman choosing animals for Christmas. Tells a story about rescuing a man from fire. [00:35:42] Talks about what people ate at Christmas. Talks about mother’s cooking, eating sparrow pudding, eels and having elderberry wine. [00:37:07] Talks about what people did when out of work – going to the beach to get fish and crabs. [00:38:11] MM mentions community spirit, tells a story about farmer giving turnip tops. Mentions mother taking in homeless people. [00:39:56] Talks about history of the Priory and who all owners from 1869 to present. Talks about what some of the owners were like. [00:42:40] MM talks about unemployment, mentions harvest time as only time of full employment. [00:43:09] MM describes how milk was processed and churning butter. [00:44:14] Describes corn and grain processing in detail. Mentions mother making bread with the wheat. [00:46:00] Talks about what food they would eat. Describes how rooks were caught for pies. [00:46:48] MM tells a story about how he got a punishment from his father. Mentions parents being strict about behaviour. [00:49:19] Mm mentions his uncle and his mother going to London to visit him. Says mother never went on holiday. [00:50:55] Mentions getting water from pump, costing a penny per week and who owned pump. Mentions what toilets were like. [00:52:02] Talks about Christmas parties. Talks more about Sir John and charity he did. [00:55:10] MM talks about his experience in the first World War and an event at the end of the war. [00:57:17] [rest of track is blank] Summary completed by Amelia Bocksei, volunteer. 12/02/1975