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Feeing fairs and the early working life of Thomas Garven.

Date June 1963
Track ID 59911
Part 1

Track Information

Original Track ID

SA1963.27.A3

Original Tape ID

SA1963.027

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

Information

Collection

SoSS

Source Type

Reel to reel

Audio Quality

Good