Feeing fairs and the early working life of Thomas Garven.
Track Information
Original Track ID
SA1963.27.A3
Original Tape ID
Summary
Feeing fairs and the early working life of Thomas Garven.
Thomas Garven was born near Edinburgh, but worked all his life between Turnberry and Girvan. He was first fee'd [hired as a farmservant] aged fourteen or fifteen at Ayr feeing fair to an old maid who had a farm at Turnberry. His first wage was £4 for six months. The farmer who acted as trustee for the old maid and conducted the business then raised his wage to £5 because he was doing well at the job. He was there for three years.
The erles penny [earnest money] upon hiring was half a crown or five shillings. About a week after the term day there was another opportunity to be hired, [Dunce?] Day, for those who had not been engaged at the feeing fair or who didn't want to stay in the place they had gone to at the term. Farmers wore tweed suits, horseshoe buttons, hats, and tight trousers. Some farmservants wore broad bonnets in the country style.
Item Notes
The term or term day was the date to which farmservants' six-month contracts ran, when they might leave their present employment.
Item Subject/Person
Garven, Thomas
Recording Location
County - Ayrshire
Parish - Maybole
Village/Place - Maybole
Item Location
County - Ayrshire
Language
English, Scots
Genre
Collection
Source Type
Reel to reel
Audio Quality
Good