Reference
Z50/142/367
Title
Group photograph of farm workers with steam engine.
[Information now following supplied by Mrs. F. Hopkins] - Wm Clark being her father.
Man standing in front of the steam engine is William Clark, who was the son of George Clark who lived at Wagstaffe Terrace, Sandy Road, Potton. He was the eldest of twelve children and died in 1954 aged 85. At Potton he was employed by Kitchener's, who kept a fleet of steam engines which were used for agricultural purposes, i.e. ploughing, threshing etc. He "worked with engines all his life on the land steam ploughing and steam rolling, in fact all Watling Street was rolled by him".
The man on the left on the engine is Bert Albone; the other two have not been identified.
His daughter, Mrs. F. Hopkins (aged 85), says that when he was working at places like Willington he would leave Potton by 3 a.m. to walk there and walk home again at night. The family lived at Gamlingay until Mrs. Hopkins was fourteen and her father would leave by 3a.m. to walk to Potton to catch a cart from Kitchener's which would then take him to the farm he was working on in the district.
Mrs. Hopkins grandfather, George Clark, was a member of the Potton Salvation Army and for many years carried the banner. His favorite hymn was 'I'm a Soldier bound for glory, I'm a Soldier bound for home'. He lived to the age of 90. His youngest son, Harry lived in the house in Wagstaffe Terrace until his death in 1978 or 1979, aged 90.
Date free text
1920
Production date
From: 1920 To: 1920
Format
photograph
Level of description
item