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People

Name
Whitcombe, Henry (b.1900)
Introduction

Born in 1900, Henry Whitcombe was a peat merchant in Westhay, a village on the Somerset Levels near Glastonbury.  Before the Second World War turf was dug in blocks and used for domestic fuel, now peat is solely dug for agricultural and horticultural purposes.

 

Henry started delivering peat using a horse and cart; he caught eels from the River Brue, and trapped birds in a net to supplement his diet.

A man cutting peat. Note that the man is wearing puttees, not Wellington boots. Puttees were worn by agricultural workers together with hobnail boots, but were eventually made obsolete by cheap rubber boots. A man cutting peat. Note that the man is wearing puttees, not Wellington boots. Puttees were worn by agricultural workers together with hobnail boots, but were eventually made obsolete by cheap rubber boots.
Sound File
Listen to Harry Whitcombe - 1.40MB Duration 3:02 min.
Transcript

AH: Also, I want to ask you about bird batting.

HW: Awful thing.

 

AH: Well can you tell me about it?

 

HW: Yes, I can... You see we used to have a net... one carried the net and the other... and they used to carry a bright light strapped round here.

 

AH: Strapped round his tummy?

 

HW: Yes, round his tummy.

 

AH: Yes.

 

HW: And, he hold the light up, hold the lit up like that, you see, so it was sort of that shape, go like that and the net was in between those two poles and there were tucks in, on, on the bottom that if the bird slipped down he’d go into the tuck and he couldn’t get his head.  And, there were a young man this side of the hedge.  He had a long pole and beat the hedge.

 

The birds go out, fly towards the light and then when he had one or two in the nets he put the net down on the ground, kill the birds and take home what was used to pick them, pick, and so on.

 

And I used to go to, shall I say that?  I used to go to Highbridge once a week, Burnham once a week, Berrow once a week, and Brent Knoll once a week.  Then as it got more bigger, I had a motor lorry and I used to go to Taunton, with special orders and Winscombe, and Sandford and Weston Super Mare and all the way round.  That’s how I got my living.

Copyright Information
Copyright. This recording was made by Ann Heeley in January 1986. Photograph ©SRLM. For access to full interview please contact the Somerset Heritage Centre.