Memoirs of James Smith, Stonemason
These
extracts from the memoirs of James Smith, mason, are of interest because they may
cast light on the kind of life that three generations of Stewart men, all
masons, might have had in Perthshire in the late 18th and early 19th
Centuries. As an ordinary working man, Smith
was unusual among diary authors of the period: he provides the sort of
authentic commentary on the domestic and working lives of ordinary people that better educated, more
privileged writers cannot manage.
It is not
known exactly when the memoir was compiled or over what period it covers some
50 years and was almost certainly written in a single volume of pages from a
ledger or cash book. Smith did receive a basic elementary education in
the parish school but was probably largely self-taught. His stream of consciousness
style reminds one not so much of James Joyce as of a contemporary e-mail, complete with quirky spelling
and missing punctuation.
The
handwriting is sometimes difficult to read and transcription takes time.
Accordingly, I intend to add sections of the Diary to this webpage as they
become available.
Biography
James Smith
was born in Whitehills, Banffshire in
1805 and after leaving school at 11, worked on local farms until serving an
apprenticeship with a local stonemason in 1825. He travelled to
A note on the
transcription
I have reproduced Smiths words as closely
as practicable. I have retained original spelling where the meaning should be
obvious. Otherwise, I have substituted modern spelling. I have also placed
punctuation and added occasional words where the meaning would otherwise be
obscure. A series of period marks indicates where text has been excised.
The
Memoirs of James Smith, Stonemason
James Smith Mason to trade
Born in the Year of our Lord 1805
In Banff Shire in the parish of Boyndie
About the 12th year of my age I
was engaged to a Farmer to herd his cattle, the farm being about 5 miles to the
west of Whitehills, the engagement being for the
summer 6 months. I do remember when I
arrived I thought I had landed in a foran land never
before had I been a night out of my Fathers house. For all the 6 months I did
not win to see them; however I liked the employ very well & I got strong
always being in the fresh country air. I do remember well my mother came one
Sunday to see me & to assertain how I was getting
on - when I beheld my mother coming acros the field
you may fancy what a joy sprang up in my hart, what a senshation,
what a blissed meeting it was to me & no doubt a
joy & comfort to her hart to find her little boy well & running amongst
the grass - but to my very great she immediately put the question to me: lady
says shee do you get food anough?
..My
mother saw by my appearance that I really were starved. From that time I took
courage & when at meal time when my cup were empty I sought more, so I got
on a little better
.You may fancy a little boy, being as he thought in a foran land held captive & comes his reprive
& the day of his deliverance his money in his hand - what a day of joy to
his young hart - well he bids them all good bye - it was a fine day I do
remember. When at a distance & losing sight of the domicile I turns round to get one glimpse more for the last time. then turning round I beheld before me a long muir I had to take without any house in it. it was here
when a thought run through my mind: I have my money in my pocket & it may
be I
meet a rober by the way & rob me of all my
6 months earnings & what should I do? I resolved I took the handkerchief
from my neck & put the money in rolling it up & put it around my neck
On
I went & landed once more at my Fathers fireside & as I related my
journey to my Mother & to all they all gave me great prase
for my cunning craft. This then is an outline of my first 6 months service
abroad.
I then was engaged to a Mr Rainey Farmer of Lintmill of Boyndie. I would
mention here in passing why this farm is called the lintmill.
First you understand at that time in that part of the country the Farmers &
those who held a few acres of land - every season they reared so much lint I
have seen large fields of it growing. Well after it grew & went through the
necessary preparation it was driven to this mill
..They wrought but very little
in the winter season [and] learned to work at this mill. And their work was to take of the husk which is on the outside.
This mill was made for the purpose so these men wrought all the winter through
at this work, it being all inside. I got my hobby a few cows to herd. The
herding was very little needed - mostly all fenced in - a few young trees to
keep them. From this is not all: I had 3 riding Ponys
to attend to. My master one; one for his Sig
as he called it, one for Miss Rainey, his sister. And to sum up all my
work, I had a lot of swine to attend to
.I might mention here the Farmer
was Factor for Col Grant Cullen House - he was not married. His Mother lived
with him on the farm as House Keeper, his only sister along with him. They were
a very exemplary family, a nice old lady, very good to all her servants &
especially to the boy. Well then, I continued for 4 years. He being Master I
had many messages to go so I got on well & strong. By this I was getting
two big for being hird boy so I left.
1822 Martinmas
The next step - I went to a market held in
the County for engaging farm servants. I then were
going in 17 years. I was engaged by a Farmer up the country over 10 miles. My
work was to be to care for all his cattle in the house
..Well I had to
stand every morning in frount of that man & take
my share at the flail as they called it - a tremendious
work. It may be needful to explain to you the manner in which this flail so
called was wrought & what shape it was. First, the shape was 2 long sticks
the one a deal thicker than the other. One eye uppon
the one end of each stick fastened together by a reop
made of straw and then held it by the small stick & swings it around your
head with all your might blow for blow uppon the corn
which you lay down in the floor perhaps 2 or 3 shaves at the time
.. I was
going in 17. As I stated before, not being very strong, I found this flailing
to be very sore for me
I likeways had to take a
share of all the heavy work done in the barn. Here again I found touble & trifal? work which were two heavy for me - I never could get a rest
because it was just a daily repetition of a work which was two heavy for me
..Frosty
mornings all drenshed in weet
from the exercise in the barn. When I look back & thinks about that
terrible work it makes me shrink of a wonder how I ever could continue on to
the end
.I was truly glad when this 6 months hard work came to an end. The
Family in the house were the Master not married & two sisters; one hired
man & myself. They were all natuily
quiet - for nights sat by the fire & read a story book if you pleased - no
newspapers as we have them now
.. When spring came I got my masters horse to drive - although being very fond of driving
horses, this only aded to my labour
Before this
time my Father had spoke to a man which kepit one
pair of horses a few cows having only a small peace of ground. And was in the habit of hiring out his horses to plow. He then met me in the market & engaged me
for 6 months to drive his horses. He kept 2 good horses, gave them plenty of
corn & wrought them hard. He hired them out - many of the people thereabout
held a few acres of ground, having one or 2 cows & such like. In the season
of labour his horses was very hard wrought - he was a good natured man. In the
winter time I had scarcely anything to do - I was scarcely able to thrash
[corn]for the two horses & 3 or 4 cows - Master often came to the barn
& gave me a hand
saying I would not even make straw for the cows. His
wife was just like a mother to me.