“Journal of a Suffolk Woodman”.
Pip Wright last gave us a talk in March 2 years ago and we were delighted to see him return to tell us more tales of ordinary working folk in Suffolk.
This time he brought to life the daily grind of a poor woodman, William Scarfe, who lived in a cottage in Thorpe Morieux in the 1830s. He and his wife lived at one end of the cottage and his son, daughter-in-law and their 5 children lived at the other end. In 1827, William Scarfe was given a Book of Common Prayer by the local rector, Reverend Thomas Harrison. William was one of the few people in the village who could read and write. In the margins and on any spare spaces in the prayer book, William jotted down notes about his work, his neighbours, local news and community. He wrote as he spoke – in a Suffolk dialect so the spelling was erratic and no doubt, difficult to decipher. He revealed his yearly routine: felling trees in September, working indoors in winter stripping bark to sell to tanneries – wasting nothing. He sells oak trees to his nearest neighbour, who is a wheelwright and coffin-maker. He helps with haymaking and threshing at local farms.
We learn of local scandals and news: road accidents usually involving drink. In 1827, young William Norman aged 17 was killed when he fell from the local church tower while he was helping to fix the brickwork having been lowered with a single strand of rope. We hear about the fairs at Lavenham, Cockfield, Felsham and Bury which were raucous affairs with pickpockets. The celebration for the coronation of Queen Victoria in 1828 involved large amounts of beef, mutton and beer. William belonged to the Felsham Club, an early Friendship Society which helped people who fell on hard times. In 1837, William even cast his vote in Lavenham after seeking advice from the farmer, Mr Stern, to vote Tory.
This was an amazing insight into the life of a poor man in an1800s tiny Suffolk village. We hope Pip will return to tell us more fascinating tales.
Clare Mortimer
Really sorry I missed this talk. Has William Scarf’s Diary been published? Also, I am preparing an article for Suffolk Roots, the Journal of the SFHS, on my Suffolk ancestors, several of whom were blacksmiths. My ancestor Edgar Clark Lingley (1822-88), for example, made the wrought iron gates and the handle and latch on the oak doors of Lavenham Church. I wonder therefore if Mr Wright could advise me on any locally based literature on the Suffolk blacksmith in general. I should be grateful if you would kindly pass this query on to him.
Further to the email just sent, I have Lingley ancestors who were ploughing champions in Sudbury, so would also like to know of any literature on the Suffolk ploughman, or the agricultural labourer in general.