96 WESTMORLAND AGRICULTURE. 1800—1900 



thinning. The gangs were kept fairly employed for about eight 

 months of the year. Private gangs also existed in the county wherever 

 large arable farms prevailed. The Act of 1867, which required a licence 

 for the gangmasters, had not been enforced at Penrith. Tremenheere 

 met the magistrates and informed them of the provisions of the Act 

 which they promised should be enforced in future. 



" There are very few women workers now," writes a Westmorland 

 correspondent to the Agricultural Gazette in 1880, " owing to high wages. 

 A few women, for thinning turnips, get 2d. per hundred yards. The 

 best hired women do not go out of the house, though many milk and 

 serve the calves and go into the hay-fields." 



The diet of farm servants, about 1870, was the same as the rest 

 of the household — all sitting down at the same table. Breakfast 

 consisted of porridge made of milk ; " drinking " about 10 a.m. of 

 bread and cheese with beer or milk, this was taken out to the men 

 wherever they might happen to be working ; dinner at noon of fruit 

 pudding or if plain with treacle sauce, followed by meat, baked, boiled 

 or made into pies with potatoes and other vegetables ; 4 p.m. tea, 

 taken out to the men, of bread and cheese or tea and bread and butter 

 with jam or pasties ; supper of bread and cheese or porridge, without 

 stint. The bread was composed of two-thirds best wheaten flour 

 and one-third rye. Beer was but rarely given, and tea was httle 

 used. 



The labour of a farm hand in Westmorland is hard, and the hours 

 are long, but the food is good and sufficient, and both men and women 

 are well fitted for their work — they are healthy and strong, the pity is 

 so many are forced to emigrate through lack of small holdings. 



After considerable agitation through their clubs and discussion by 

 the County Council, for the compulsory production of " character 

 books," which had no effect, the farmers started a system on a 

 voluntary basis at the Whitsuntide hirings at Kendal in 1909, the local 

 farmers' club having issued books for the purpose to all its members. 

 The experiment weis not a success. It is related that a lad having 

 agreed to hire with a farmer, the latter said he would meet him 

 again after he had got his character. On this taking place, the farmer 

 said, " I'se gitten thee character an its aw reet me lad." " I, an I'se 

 gitten thine, an I'se nut gaan," was the reply. 



