Reference
Z1850/1/10
Title
Farm diary relating to Manor Farm Studham. Believed to have been written mainly by Anne McClelland, but some entries in other handwriting when writer on holiday.
[Note: writer refers to husband as 'father']
Date free text
1958
Production date
From: 1958 To: 1958
Scope and Content
Daily entries include observations on the weather and jobs undertaken at Manor Farm and at Munden (muck spreading, taking out dung, ploughing, thrashing, grinding oats, barley & wheat, planting mangel wurzels and potatoes, hedging, fencing, harrowing, drilling, rolling, fencing, cutting hay, harvesting, agricultural machinery repairs, vet visits, cattle etc.). Mentions social events, visits and visitors, illnesses of family, employees and friends. Trips to London, Luton, Bedford, Hemel Hempstead and other places for shopping, banking, and other events.
Also includes:
1 Jan: Usual party at night.
11 Jan: Eve Tarsey's wedding at church [to Keith Thurlow].
17 Jan: Last of kale cut.
18 Jan; Father at football
Memo after 19 Jan: Poor old Tweed has been very ill for some weeks now.
21 Jan: First snow of year.
24 Jan: Trouble with pump of milking machine.
31 Jan: Vet came for T.T. testing.
9 Feb: We have escaped the severe snow in other parts of the country.
14 Feb: Mr Senior [vet] de-horned cows.
22 Feb: Boy came for interview from Yorkshire.
21 Feb: Vet here to de-horn cows: Bobby de-horned calves.
25 Feb: Snowed all day. Had to take milk to road as blocked to byres.
26 Feb: No buses running. No milkman; took milk to Peddlehill and got some empty churns.
27 Feb: Slow thaw. Milkman and baker got through, buses running by late afternoon.
3 Mar: Started to spring clean bathroom.
Memo after 16 Feb: Poor old Tweed had pneumonia 2nd time and Mr Senior put him to sleep.
19 Mar: Father at Jordan's sale at Markyate.
23 Mar: This severe frost has now lasted 18 days.
29 Mar: Jim had accident with motor bike and taken to hospital.
30 Mar: Went t see Jim in hospital - he has a sore arm.
11 Apr: Drilling all finished and grass seed on.
12 Apr: Jim back but not discharged yet.
17 Apr: Cow and 2 heifers at Hertford market - good price.
19 Apr: Jim at hospital in morning.
Memo after 20 Apr: Heard cuckoo.
28 Apr and 1 May: Jim at hospital.
Note above 5 May: Bus strike.
8 May: Jim at hospital - discharged.
21 May: Hertfordshire Show.
Note above 23 May Iain broke his leg [Ian McClelland, son of Robert (Bobby) and Julie]
[25 May: Change in handwriting - writer on holiday: returned 8 June]
15 Jun: Brian gave notice.
26 Jun: Went to London with Alice.
9 Jul: Open day at Wrest Park.
22 Jul: Finished cutting for 1958.
24 Jul: Mr Underwood's funeral.
2 Aug: Bobby flew to Ireland.
11 Aug: Got all bales home and stacks finished off.
14 Aug: Alice's wedding [to Kenneth Sargison]. 'Went off well and everyone enjoyed themselves.'
17 Aug: Christening of Andrew McClelland [son of Robert and Julie]
23 Aug: Alice and Kent returned from honeymoon.
25 Aug: Alice and Ken left for Germany.
Memo after 21 Sep: Weather disappointing and harvest slow. Busy with cows calving - heifers giving a lot of trouble; 2 have bad backs and have to be hand milked.
23 Sep: Vet injected year olds for husk.
26 Sep: Trevor came to start work.
29 Sep: Cow with milk fever; vet visited three times.
5 Oct: Harvest festival in church.
Memo after 5 Oct: Men re-wired house for electricity - everywhere in a mess.
11 Oct: Wheat at Clows to dry.
12 Oct: Finished harvest for 1958.
Note above 20 Oct: New tractor.
Note above 27 Oct: Andy passed test for tractor driving.
6 Nov: Finished carting in mangolds and brought in first of kale.
10 Nov: Father and Bobby left for Scotland [returned Monday 17].
23 Nov: Alasdair was christened [Alasdair Gladman, son of Mary and Claude].
4 Dec: Little Beth killed on road outside Shawhead School [Lanarkshire]
5 Dec: Went to Dunstable, posted Christmas parcel to Alice and ordered flowers for little Beth's funeral. Got new spin drier.
Level of description
item