Yarm Parish Council officials seen riding the fair at Yarm on Wednesday afternoon. We believe this photograph was taken sometime between 1930-1955.
Picture Stockton Archive
A Pictorial History of Stockton-on-Tees
Yarm Parish Council officials seen riding the fair at Yarm on Wednesday afternoon. We believe this photograph was taken sometime between 1930-1955.
My Mother Hilda Brown told me the story of one of her younger brothers being contracted to a local farmer at the Yarm Fair to work for that Farmer for one year for the princely sum of one shilling for the whole year, and the farmer would provide all his keep and clothes for the year. Her Brother was allowed to borrrow the farm horse drawn carriage some Sundays, and bring provisions from the farm produce home to his Mother Lizzie Lakey in Tilery. This is only about early 1900 so this was a form of slave labour, That is why the Yarm Fair is called the Hirings. It would be interesting to hear from other contributors their experience from their family members. We have come a long way in the past 100 years plus.
Benny, the story of the shilling given to farmworkers at a Hiring rings a bell. Once a farm worker had negotiated his terms and conditions at a local Hiring, the farmer would seal the agreement by paying him the customary “godspenny”. This was usually a shilling, given to the worker as a gesture of good faith. It was usually be spent by the worker at the fair which took place at the time of the Hiring. So I wonder if the godspenny that was given to your uncle, has been mistaken for his annual salary?
The “Danby for Ices” sign means they have just passed Danby Wynd, with the first window of “The Keys” pub shown on the right hand edge of the photo. I think I would stand rather than sit on the precarious seats on that flat bed.