|
NEFA
1994.038.01 Transcription
P: Alec Forsythe
T: Biographical information
S: Alexander Russell Forsyth, one of twelve children. Had some
relatives overseas.
NEFA
1994.038.02 Transcription
P: Alec Forsythe
T: Father's work
S: Father was cottared at Old Rayne, and various other farms.
AF fee'd at various places too.
NEFA
1994.038.03 Transcription
P: Alec Forsythe
T: First fee
S: First fee'd at fourteen, around WWI. Got 14-16 pounds per
half year. Fee'd on quite a few farms. Went to Ellon market when
he first came to Buchan.
NEFA
1994.038.04 Transcription
P: Alec Forsythe
T: Ellon feein market
S: Everyone gathered around the bridge. The farmers and the
men negotiated and agreed a fee, arles (half a crown) were passed
to seal the bargain.
NEFA
1994.038.05 Transcription
P: Alec Forsythe
T: Living and eating in the chaamer
S: They lived in a chaamer and got up at 5am, summer and winter.
You would feed your horse, muck out and then have breakfast at 6:30.
They would have brose and a slice of bread for breakfast, along
with a cup of tea.
NEFA
1994.038.06 Transcription
P: Alec Forsythe
T: Ca'in the winnister and loading the loft
S: Corn was put through the winnister to remove the caaf, a
common job on dark mornings. It was hard work for two hours at a
time. Paraffin lamps in the barn. It took three men to man the machine.
When they got ten bags it was a load for the mill in the village.
Bruised oats were fed to the cattle and the horses.
NEFA
1994.038.07 Transcription
P: Alec Forsythe
T: Working a horse
S: Yoking young horses was hard work. A team ran off on him
once, tipping over a harrow. They would plough for about five hours,
then in for dinner.
NEFA
1994.038.08 Transcription
P: Alec Forsythe
T: Food and mealtimes
S: When you were cottared you went back to your own house for
a meal and then back to work from 1:30 to 5:30. They would have
porridge, loaf, sometimes fish.
NEFA
1994.038.09 Transcription
P:
Alec Forsythe
T: Poor wages and cottaring
S: You were paid around £60 a year, along with tatties
and coal. There was a hawker from Peterhead who suggested that AF
should start a milk round and that is what he did for many years.
NEFA
1994.038.10 Transcription
P:
Alec Forsythe
T: Selling and delivering milk
S: Carried on dairying till he was 72, getting larger and larger
places.
NEFA
1994.038.11 Transcription
P: Alec Forsythe
T: More on family
S: Twenty when he got married. Wife from Kinknockie, Kinmundy,
a small croft. She did all the hand milking at first, till they
got a machine.
NEFA
1994.038.12 Transcription
P: Alec Forsythe
T: Hogmanay
S: They would have a big dinner and play the gramophone. Never
heard of people playing tricks, and of course they had work to do
on New Year's Day and Christmas Day too.
NEFA
1994.038.13 Transcription
P:
Alec Forsythe
T: Crops grown
S: They grew barley, oats, turnips and silage, along with a
little hay.
NEFA
1994.038.14 Transcription
P: Alec Forsythe
T: Ploughing with a stirk or cow and a horse
S: Used to plough with a horse and cow pair. She was not giving
much milk, so he thought he could get some work out of her. She
tried to back out of the collar, but the horns prevented it. Discusses
horse commands: laan and huff.
NEFA
1994.038.15 Transcription
P: Alec Forsythe
T: First pair o horse
S: Prince and Bloom were his first pair. Used to control them
with clicks. Now it is all tractors.
NEFA
1994.038.16 Transcription
P: Alec Forsythe
T: Entertainment in those days
S: They played cards mostly, but AF also played the melodion
a little. There were Friday night dances at the halls most every
weekend. Scottisches, quadrilles, Lancers, two-steps, Circassian
circle, the Grand March. Likes music.
back to top
|
