I was born in Cumnor Village in 1902 and I am the fourth
generation to have lived in this village. My great-grandfather was born in 1825
and died in 1896. Six grandsons carried his coffin to Cumnor Church. He was
buried in the churchyard but no stone was erected. Grandfather William Webb was
born in 1850. He became a skilful thatcher on Lord Abingdon's estate. Although a
craftsman, he never learned to read or to write until he was 70 years old and
was due to draw his pension. He asked his grandson, Henry, to teach him to write
so that he could sign his name for his pension instead of having to make his
mark.
As a thatcher he would have been paid by the square. A square of thatch was 10
ft by 10 ft. As a farm labourer in 1860-1870 he was paid 7/6d a week. When he
married and had a wife to keep, his employer gave him another shilling ! He was
a great maker of home-made wine, made from many ingredients, such as wheat,
beetroot, potato, elderberry, elderflower, cowslip, dandelion, plums, damsons,
pea-pods and parsnips. It was made in a barrel. William had a glass of wine with
his tea, when he came home from work.
Williain Webb's son James was born in 1880. When he married he came to live in
the cottage opposite Leys Farm, 40 Leys Road, where Mr Bert Hathaway now lives.
James was a gardener at New Cumnor Place 1895-1919. Alfred James, farmer at
Burnt House Farm, was my great-grandfather on my mother's side. He is buried in
Cumnor churchyard and there is a headstone.
My brother George was a blacksmith at Sand Stile in the High Street. He left
Cumnor and went to London during the Second World War. Aunt Eliza and David
James continued to farm at Burnt House Farm until 1922. George Webb, the cattle
drover, bought it then for £1,600.
Fred May was estate manager to Lord Abingdon. Once a year he collected the
Cumnor cottage rents, which were 1s 0d a week. They each paid 52s but 2s was
immediately handed back to them by Mr May. This meant that they really felt rich
that week; they called it 'Jerusalem Fair'. One of the grandchildren seeing the
rent for the year being paid, said "That's not much to pay for rent, Grandad."
Grandad replied "That's two golden sovereigns and a half." (This was in
1906-1907)
Mr Selby Cornish of Eaton would always give casual labour employment if he could
but they earned a little less than the regular employees. Local boys used to
like to collect oats for his horses every Saturday morning. This earned them 3d
- quite a lot - and they shared it between them.
Thomas Cole was headmaster when I attended school. He remained in this position
for 30 years. He had a wife and two daughters. Mrs Cole would also help with the
teaching. There were three other lady teachers:- Miss Hood: Infants; Alice
Lambourne: Class 1; Bess Rolls: Class 2 - she was the daughter of the blacksmith
in Appleton.
When my brother James worked at New Cumnor Place early in the 20th century, the
staff comprised a Cook, Housemaid, Parlourmaid and Kitchenmaid. There was an
in-between-maid who did the work of the one who had a day off or who might be
sick. The owners were Mr & Mrs Loat.
I remember Chawley Works. There were square heaps of wire cut bricks that stood
to dry ready for firing. Wages were Labourers: 2s a day (3d an hour), Craftsmen
or Tradesmen: 4.5d an hour. Timber was felled and carried on the estate. It took
four horses to pull the timber bogie. The men would go to the woods and load
about three large trees and bring them back to the timber yard. This would take
nearly all day.
I was a mummer at the age of 16. The troupe would meet to rehearse in one
another's houses and the play was performed in the large houses of the parish.
(Recorded by Iris Wastie, November 1980)