Introduction
George William Holt spent his working life in agricultural employment, moving between several parishes in South Somerset in search of work. Unlike his father, who remained at Misterton throughout his life, George’s career took him to at least five different parishes. Although he never acquired property and often lived in modest accommodation, he and his second wife raised a family of seven children.
Early life
George was born at Misterton on 27 July 1880, the second of ten children born to Francis and Edith Rebecca Holt. His father was a farm labourer who lived in the parish for his entire life. His mother came from Haselbury, where her father also worked as a farm labourer. Before her marriage, she was employed as a domestic servant at the Bell Inn, Merriott.
George followed his father into agricultural work and, by 1905, was employed as a carter, one of the more responsible positions on a farm, involving the care of horses and the transport of produce and supplies.
First marriage
On 26 December 1905, George married Louisa Trask at Merriott. Louisa was born out of wedlock in 1882 to Emma Trask, who married farm labourer William Osborne two years later. Before her marriage, Louisa worked as a linen spooler. The couple settled at Misterton, but their marriage was brief as Louisa died at Crewkerne Hospital on 12 April 1907, at the age of 24.[1]
Second marriage
On 4 September 1908, George married Alice Wills at Merriott. Like his first wife, Alice was also born out of wedlock. She was born in 1881 to Mary Elizabeth Hooper, who married farm labourer James Wills the following year.
George and Alice initially lived at Seavington, where their first two children were born. Around 1910, they moved to Hinton St George, where another five children were born. In 1911, the family occupied a three-room dwelling in West Street.
In 1921, George became a carter for Eddie Turner at Manor Farm, Hardington, where the family lived in a tied cottage near the New Inn. Turner had purchased the farm at the estate sale of October 1920 for £6,000. It comprised a farmhouse, outbuildings, two thatched cottages and 135 acres.[2] All seven of George’s children spent time at the village school.
In April 1928, George advertised for a new position as a carter after having been “disengaged.”[3] The reason for his departure is unknown, but it may have been related to the difficult conditions facing agriculture during the inter-war years.
The family’s movements during the following decade are unclear. By 1939, George, Alice and their three youngest children were living at 4 Church Cottages, Preston Plucknett, along with two male house painters. George was employed as a carter on a dairy farm, while their son Henry worked as a stonemason’s labourer and their daughter Hilda was a café waitress.
Death
George died at 255, Preston Plucknett, on 15 June 1950 at the age of 69. Alice inserted a notice in the local newspaper that included the words, “Life’s work well done.”[4] She survived him by eight years, dying in the Yeovil area in 1958 at the age of 76.
Conclusion
George Holt’s life was typical of many agricultural workers of his generation. Although he never acquired wealth or property, he maintained steady employment across several South Somerset parishes and supported a large family despite the uncertainties that often accompanied rural labouring life. His career illustrates the mobility and resilience that characterised many farm workers in the decades before and after the First World War.
References
[1] Western Gazette, 19 April 1907, p.12.
[2] Eddie Turner’s copy of the sale catalogue.
[3] Western Gazette, 27 April 1928, p.8.
[4] Western Gazette, 30 June 1950, p.10.
