Introduction

After working as a dairymaid at Hardington, Sarah Eastment found work on a farm at Hermitage, where she met her future husband. Following their marriage, they ran a dairy together at Hermitage for at least ten years. After that, their fortunes declined, and her husband became a farm labourer, working on farms at Clifton Maybank and later in the Shaftesbury area, where Sarah died at the age of 80.

Early life at Hardington

Sarah was born in Hardington in 1845, the ninth of ten children born to Isaac and Patience Eastment. Her father, Issac, was a farm labourer who lived near Cold Harbour.

In April 1861, Sarah worked as a dairymaid for Albert Young at Manor Farm.

Move to Hermitage

In April 1871, Sarah was employed as a dairymaid at Almshouse Farm, Hermitage, a farm run by Abel Whittle and his daughter Sarah. Additionally, Henry Lintern, the son of a farm labourer from Weston Bampfylde, worked at the farm as a general servant.

Sarah Whittle died in February 1873, which precipitated significant changes at the farm.[1]

Marriage

On 1 April 1873, Sarah married Henry Lintern at Hermitage. At the time of their marriage, Henry was 31 years old, while Sarah was 27. Both signed the marriage register with a cross.

Married life at Hermitage

Henry and Sarah ran their own dairy at Hermitage until at least April 1883. In April 1881, Sarah’s eighteen-year-old niece, Frances Eastment, worked for them as a general servant.

The couple had five children while living in Hermitage, although two of them died young. After leaving Hermitage, Henry’s fortunes began to decline.

Clifton Maybank

In April 1891, Henry and his family lived at Cowpool, Clifton Maybank, where Henry worked as a farm servant, possibly employed by William Whittle, Abel Whittle’s son, who was a farmer in the same parish.

Motcombe

By March 1901, the family resided at Motcombe, where Henry was employed as a farm labourer. While they were at Motcombe, they received the heartbreaking news that their married daughter, Patience Langford, had passed away at Curry Rivel in March 1907 at the age of 31.

Shaftesbury

By April 1911, Henry and Sarah were living apart. Henry was a cowman at Hatts Farm, Semley, while Sarah was a boarder in a house in Haimes Lane, Shaftesbury.

Husband’s death

Henry died in 1918 at the age of 78.

Widowhood

In June 1921, Sarah lived at 3 Victoria Street, Shaftesbury, with her fourteen-year-old granddaughter, Patience Langford.

Death

Sarah died in 1924 at the age of 80.

Children

Henry and Sarah had two sons, Henry George and Isaac Gerard, and three daughters, Patience Mary, Agnes and Fanny. Agnes died at the age of four years 10 months, and Isaac passed away when he was just 11 weeks old.

References

[1] Abel Whittle died at Clifton Maybank in 1878 at the age of 90.