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The hiring of farm workers at fairs; conditions and work on...

Date October 1953
Track ID 45956
Part 1

Track Information

Original Track ID

SA1953.234.B13

Original Tape ID

SA1953.234

Summary

The hiring of farm workers at fairs; conditions and work on Lanarkshire farms.

Mrs Simpson was fee'd [hired] at fairs at Biggar and Carnwath. The Biggar fair was for hiring herds and ploughmen (in the Borders they are called 'hinds'). The fee was paid at the end of the six month period for which the workers were hired. When a farmer chose a worker at a fair he would give him or her two shillings erles [earnest money], and if the worker did not then come to his farm the farmer could claim the wages that the worker got wherever he went instead. The only food provided at some farms was oatcakes and porridge twice a day. At one farm Mrs Simpson had to work in the fields until six at night and then milk six or seven kye [cows], but she was happy.

At Dolphinton they often had a dance out on the road. The employer there was mean and locked up all food at night, but Mrs Simpson sometimes stole eggs and boiled them in a stocking. Mrs Simpson worked as a cook in two or three places. She left to get married while working at Melrose.

Item Notes

Mrs Simpson explains on a later track on the same tape (SA1953.234) how she managed to boil the eggs.

Item Subject/Person

Simpson, Mrs Mary

Item Location

County - Lanarkshire

Language

English, Scots

Genre

Information

Collection

SoSS

Source Type

Reel to reel

Audio Quality

Fair