New Book

My new book on Allonby has just been published. It includes a walk around the village passing all the interesting buildings.

It's available at Allonby Post Office and Tea Room, Winters in Silloth, Harrisons in Abbeytown, Bookends in Carlisle or direct from the publishers

P3 PUBLICATIONS

Click for full details

Making a living

Until the mid-twentieth century, the great majority of local people worked on the land. There were also many specialist craftsmen whose livelihood depended on the farmers and their hired men.

The forge at Mawbray

Most important among these was the blacksmith. His day-to-day work included, not only keeping the farm horses well shod, but making and repairing farm implements.

The wooden wheels on the farm carts had iron tyres and these had to be renewed at regular intervals.

Some blacksmiths had a side-line too!

Tom Graham had the forge in Mawbray and doubled-up as landlord of the Lowther Arms. At Highlaws, on the back road to Abbeytown, the Rudds, father and son were blacksmiths for many years.

Another vital service for the farming community was provided by the local carpenters and joiners.

Joseph Heskett, Allonby's shoemaker

Every village had its own cobbler and many single women made their living as dress-makers.

Then there were a few less orthodox methods of earning a crust. The Beattie family from Kirkbride were bee-keepers and Robert Glaister Little from Bankmill was a rabbit-warrener.

He leased a stretch of the sea banks between Dubmill and Silloth from the Holm Cultram Manor. Rabbits love sandy soil so he made a good living from selling their meat and fur.

Making a living (2)

All along the cost, the sea also gave people a living in various ways.

At Beckfoot, Bill Storey carted sand and gravel from the shore. Most of it was used by local builders, some was used to repair the roads.

In Allonby, the Twentyman family operated a ship-breaking business. This reached its peak in the early 1900s, as steel replaced wood in the manufacture of new vessels.

Fifty years later, ship-breaking returned to the area; this time in Silloth. The Ardmore Steel Company started operations in the outer dock in 1965.

The sea and the docks have always been central to Silloth’s economy. There have always been large, ocean-going ships with cargoes to unload and there has always been a fleet of smaller fishing boats.

Generations of several local families have made a living from fishing the Solway’s waters.

Brothers Stanley and Cyril Akitt
with their boat the 'Anne'

One of these families, the Baxters, built the old landing stage and, in the summer months, supplemented their income from fishing by offering trips to visitors.

Even a disaster could lead to extra work for local men. Here a group of them are salvaging the wreck of the ‘Scotsman’ which ran aground in 1906.

The School Garden

The children at Holme St Cuthbert School, Mawbray  have a tradition of gardening which goes back over 100 years.

The instigator was Mr Andrew Wilson, Headmaster from 1911 to 1931. Within three months of taking up his new post, he had gained approval from the school managers and a grant from the Longcake Charity ‘To establish and maintain a school garden.’

Mr Wilson was obviously very keen.  The entry in the school logbook for 4^th December 1911 lists the gardening tools that arrived that day and noted that they started gardening that afternoon.

In spring 1912, Mr Wilson and the older boys set about creating a fruit plot in the glebe field below the church.  On 2^nd April, they planted 25 apple trees, 5 pear trees, 6 plum trees, gooseberry bushes, blackcurrants, redcurrants, and raspberry canes.

At first only the boys were allowed to garden and the girls had to do sewing with Miss Allen.  By June 1912, the girls were allowed in the garden. The girls tended the flower gardens, while the boys grew vegetables and fruit.  They both learnt the skill of grafting roses and the boys learnt how to graft fruit trees.

The boys were allowed to sell the vegetables they grew. In October 1925 the older boys received 37/6d. (£1.87) for their efforts.

Some of the original tools bought in 1911 are still at school today.

Adapted from ‘Plain People’
Holme St Cuthbert Histor Group, 2004.