Farmworkers' conditions in East Lothian in the late 19th cen...
Track Information
Original Track ID
SA1969.194.A1E; SA1969.194.A1F
Original Tape ID
Summary
Farm workers' conditions in East Lothian in the late 19th century.
The farm workers' houses in East Lothian had no inside sanitation. Some had only a room and kitchen, some had an upstairs. Most families kept a pig and killed it after six months. The hams were hung from cleeks [hooks] in the ceiling to dry. Some people also kept cows, and would pay for their grazing. The floors of the houses were cement or bricks. Families brought their own furniture, and also had to supply their own grate and get it put in, on the term day, when they landed [arrived].
Item Notes
The term day was one of two days in the year when farmservants'
contracts traditionally began and ended.
Recording Location
County - Berwickshire
Item Location
County - East Lothian
Language
English, Scots
Genre
Collection
Source Type
Reel to reel
Audio Quality
Poor