Introduction
Fred Burt rose from agricultural labourer to tenant farmer. Born locally, he was the last tenant of Romsey Farm, Hardington, where he lived from 1936 to 1950. After his death, the land was merged into adjoining farms, and most of the buildings, including the farmhouse, were demolished.
Childhood
Fred Burt was born at South Perrott on 23 September 1896.[1] He was registered simply as “Fred,” not “Frederick.” His father, William, was a hurdle maker, and his mother, Elizabeth, was the daughter of a farm labourer. By the age of fourteen, Fred was working as a farm labourer.[2] By the age of 24, he still lived with his parents while working as a casual farm labourer on his own account.[3]
Early married life
In 1925, Fred married Margaret Rossiter of Halstock, whose family occupied a slightly higher position in the local social hierarchy.[4] Her father, Charles Rossiter, initially ran a business in Church Street as a carpenter and wheelwright before becoming a farmer at Halstock Leigh by April 1911.[5] Fred and Margaret probably settled in or near South Perrott after their marriage.
A neighbour’s funeral
Margaret had connections that highlighted her social standing; she was the first cousin of Mabel Mary Rossiter, the wife of Walter James Oxenbury, who owned the 146-acre White Vine Farm at Hardington. Fred and Margaret attended Walter’s funeral at Hardington on 19 December 1935, accompanied by Cicely Nightingale, who also sent her own wreath.[6] Although Cicely’s exact circumstances are unclear, she appears to have been Fred and Margaret’s boarder, living with them until at least September 1939.[7] Her presence suggests that they supplemented their income by taking in a boarder.
Romsey Farm
In about 1936, Fred became the tenant of Romsey Farm, taking over from Mr and Mrs Old, who held their sale on 18 March 1936.[8] At this time, Fred was 39 years old and could draw on savings accumulated over many years as a self-employed labourer. He ran the farm primarily as a dairy farm while also keeping poultry and operating a local milk round.[9]
In June 1945, Fred wrote a letter to the Western Gazette describing an incident where he saw an adder by his door during the mild weather of the previous March. His sixteen-year-old assistant, Ronald Elston, killed the snake just as it was about to strike.[10] The incident suggests that Fred was confident and literate enough to write to a newspaper.
In the late 1940s, Fred developed cancer of the liver and the lungs. By March 1950, he was admitted to Crewkerne Hospital, and a farm sale was arranged for 3 April.[11] He died on 25 March 1950 at the age of 53 and was buried at South Perrott.[12]
The farm sale included 23 Ayrshire and cross-bred cattle, two carthorses, 60 head of poultry along with poultry houses and equipment. The farming implements were horse-powered and included recently purchased items, indicating that Fred had not anticipated giving up the farm so soon. They included a boat wagon (as new), a farm wagon, a putt, a milk float, a one-horse mower, a combined side rake and a swathe turner (new in 1949), a horse rake, a hay sweep and a plough.[13]
A few months later, Margaret married Albert Swan, a widower whose wife had died the year before. Albert was a postman who lived at 29 Mitchelmore Road, Yeovil. Their time together was very short, as he died on 22 August 1951 at the age of 66, leaving a modest estate valued at £387 6s 9d.[14] Margaret herself died in 1978 at the age of 80.[15]
References
[1] Civil Registration Birth Index; RG13, piece 2010, folio 13, p.17; 1939 Register.
[2] RG14, registration district 266, piece 12456.
[3] RG15, registration district 266, enumeration district 1, schedule 18.
[4] Civil Registration Marriage Index.
[5] RG14, registration district 266, piece 12451.
[6] Western Gazette, 27 December 1935, p.8.
[7] Taunton Courier and Western Advertiser, 5 December 1935, p.8.
[8] Western Gazette, 13 March 1936, p.2.
[9] Western Gazette, 31 March 1950, p.1.
[10] Western Gazette, 15 June 1945, p.8.
[11] Western Gazette, 17 March 1950, p.1.
[12] Death certificate of Fred Burt.
[13] Western Gazette, 31 March 1950, p.1.
[14] National Probate Calendar.
[15] Civil Registration Death Index.
