CD1

(65 mins)
 

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BORN WITHYPOOL 1907 / FAMILY BACKGROUND / MEALTIMES / SCHOOL / SCHOLARSHIP

born Withypool 18.5.1907. Parents John and Elizabeth Land. Lived Mill Cleave. Father worked on roads. She remembers him cracking stones, wearing goggles.

There were 7 in the family - George, Ann, Mary, Fred, Bill, Abraham, Joseph. It was a 3 bedroomed house, her parents had one room and the children shared the other 2. Mother hardworking, made their clothes. Paternal grandmother was nearly 80 when she died  Mother came from Exford, maiden name Cowlin / Erne Hodge stepbrother, became postmaster in Withypool. She had two stepbrothers on her mother's side [?check] / cottage kitchen. Maternal grandmother died in her 50s.

Not allowed to speak during mealtimes / school at 5, got scholarship at 12 and went on. Helped with teaching little ones. [Back to top]
 

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SCHOOL / HEAD TEACHER / LEARNING POETRY / TAKING EXAMS / REGISTERED TEACHER AT 18 / SIBLINGS / MRS REED / FRIENDS

There were about 50 in school when she went there, 2 classes, infants and big room. Teacher was Miss Skeffington, who married Alfred Reed. She was there 30-odd years. Was excellent. Came from London. She didn't use the cane, she was tough enough.

They were happy days. She liked arithmetic and reciting poetry. Still remembers things she learnt at 6 or 7 years old. Remembers Lucy Grey, about a girl who lived on the moors.

Took exams when she was about 10, used to go to Taunton to take exams. Became registered teacher at 18.

She was the third in the family. George was the eldest. He had to work very hard outside on the farm. He [her father] was very keen to get on and took Hillway farm, rented it in the 1920s, then bought it. Ann, her sister, was the next one down. She went to work in a house with relatives at Oare. They were at school together and Ann always liked to boss her, but she could do better than Ann at arithmetic. They wrote on paper, sometimes on slate. Mrs Reed saw the job advertised. She was a marvellous teacher, but no nonsense, she was able to discipline the big boys.

She had friends at school, one called Ivy Blackmore, they've been friends for years and she's still living down Plymouth way. But a lot have gone. [Back to top]
 

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LIKED LEARNING / RECITES IN SCHOOL DAYS / BEING BRIGHT / INFANT TEACHER / ABRAHAM TUDBALL

She liked learning. Recites poem In School Days  by John Greenleave Whittier [?sp]. Her sister was jealous that MS could do more than she could. There was no unpleasantness at school because she was bright. She can't remember bullying. Infant teacher was Amy Court, her parents were at the pub. Abraham Tudball ran village PO, used to call her 'Birdie'. [Back to top]
 

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CERTIFICATE FOR PERFECT ATTENDANCE / WITHYPOOL / BROTHERS / EVENINGS / MUSIC

It was 1½ miles to school from Hillway. They gave you a certificate if you'd made perfect attendance.

[question about the village] Bailey was at village shop, Court at the pub. There were two little shops, one at the end of the village, another not far from the school.

They had their own milk because they had a cow.

There's just one brother living now, Jo, the youngest. Abra died 12 months ago. He was her favourite brother, born on her 6^th birthday. The brothers became shepherds out on Exmoor, for Lord Fortescue.

In the evenings they would play cards in the winter, whist, at the kitchen table. She doesn't know why they weren't allowed to talk at mealtimes, her parents would talk. Father was strict but sensible, he more or less educated himself. They took the Free Press  and another paper on Thursdays.

Her hands weren't suitable to be a pianist but she loved it. She was glad she learnt because it helped with the little ones. Mother played the accordion, she had a lovely voice, she used to love singing in the chapel at Timberscombe. MS didn't sing. Her father had a strong voice, he would join in at Christmas time with the hymns. She thinks he played the accordion. [Back to top]
 

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TAKING EXAMS / FREDDIE MILTON / BECOMING INFANT TEACHER / WITHYPOOL SCHOOL / NUMBERS WENT DOWN / THISTLES / HILLWAY / BROTHERS SHEPHERDS

She went to Dulverton school to take her exams and later to Taunton. She went to Dulverton with Freddie Milton, who sat at the same desk with her and lived at Weatherslade. He only died 2 years ago. She got top mark for arithmetic. She was listed as an infant teacher at 18. She continued her education at Withypool at 18. Helped with the infants. Became infant teacher at 21 or 22. Mrs Reed had a great say in her education, she would take her after school. She wanted to be a teacher. She stayed there about 12 years and then went to Timberscombe. The numbers went down and they needed 50 for 2 teachers. She was at Timberscombe for another 12 years. She took over from Miss Court at Withypool, who married Bill Baker. She doesn't know what she would have done if Miss Court hadn't left. She might have gone home and worked on the farm.

They used to help at home. There were a lot of thistles when her dad took over the farm and they used to dig thistles. In time they ridded them.

They had Hillway for several years and Miss de Gurville [?sp] bought it. She married Mr Falcon. Then rather sadly some years ago the place was on fire and she was caught up in it. Father bought the farm after three years' renting and stayed there until he retired. That's when the boys went shepherding on Exmoor. Shepherding is like teaching. If you don't like children it's no good going in for the job. [Back to top]
 

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HILLWAY / EXMOOR PONIES / BAMPTON FAIR

Renting Hillway. 84 acres. Father bought it and then part of the next farm, 30 acres of Newlands. They ran Exmoor ponies, gathering day was end October. Bampton Fair. They had 20 mares. The foals, suckers, would be sold in the spring for £5 or £6. They ran wild on the moor. They would go to Brushford and buy some more the night before the fair. Her brothers and dad would gather them in. The ponies all ran together with other farmers'. There were arguments about ownership. Her father insisted on them being branded so there was no argument. She never went to Bampton Fair. When she was teaching she would have the last Friday and Monday as mid-term holiday, not Thursday. [pause for bowl of soup] [Back to top]
 

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NEIGHBOURS / SUNDAY SCHOOL / CHURCH / STARTING TEACHING / MRS REED

She knew Dick Rawle's brothers very well. His parents lived quite near them, at Lower Blackland Farm, and she knew Hope Bourne.

John Radley took Sunday School. She remembers the anniversary at the end of May. Her mum would make a new dress. She kept up church though hasn't been for a year or two.

Starting teaching. 'I used to think, "well, what am I doing here?". Then I thought, "well, they came in at 5 and they couldn't read or write or do anything much, and now they can do all those things, so I must have done something".'

Mrs Reed taught her how to teach. She had about 30 in a class, and the same at Timberscombe. At Timberscombe she taught arithmetic, writing essays, poetry, history and geography. Not so much history at Withypool, Mrs Reed had them. MS had them from 5-7.

She can't remember having any difficulty keeping control. Mrs Reed joined in the village life. She was a lovely pianist, had learnt the piano at the same time as she learnt to read. [Back to top]
 

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TIMBERSCOMBE SCHOOL / EVACUEES / ADULT HOME LIFE / SOCIAL LIFE

MS was at Withypool school 12½ years, and a similar time in Timberscombe, then she married and gave it up.

Timberscombe was all right, very nice. She was at Timberscombe during the war. The evacuees went to her more than to Mrs Willis, the head mistress.

She lived at home as an adult at Withypool. She still helped, outside and in. Digging up weeds. She took over making the butter from her mother.

They didn't have a lot of social life. She would go out with the boys to a whist drive. She seemed to have plenty of friends. They would get together at harvest festivals, and dancing. She loved dancing. There was a village hall, which they called the hut, then they built a bigger place. She wouldn't wear anything special to dances. There came a time when they wanted a bought thing, more stylish than her mother could make. [Back to top]