Part 5: Odd jobs - More building work, 1898 and 1899
Monday 1st August 1898
Started work this morning at 13 Causeway for C. Broadbank, Builder
etc., Kentish Town, NW London. Rather a muddle of a job, Dewdney
Bros. having a job here also. The place when finished is to be
occupied my Miss Hodgson.
Causeway, Horsham. Colour pencil
drawing on cream card by Arthur Elliot, 1898, reproduced with
permission from West Sussex Past Pictures, Ref: PP/WSL/WA000366,
Rep: West Sussex County Council Library Service;
Image credit.
Saturday 6th August 1898
Been at 13 Causeway all the week. We make 12 hours per day and are
paid 7d hour. Altogether it’s a very comfortable job. The foreman,
Walter Painter, is a very nice fellow, well educated and good at
his work. Spent this evening with him “strolling round the
town”.
Wednesday 24th August 1898
Called on Mr Attwater today to see how they stood for work as we
are drawing our job to a close now. Told to call again, did so this
evening and was offered a job in Crawley Road. Wants me to take
charge. Accepted it and very reluctantly threw my Causeway job up.
Walter was very nice about the matter. Had he made any demur, I
should probably have stayed on till the end. Didn’t like the idea
of turning him up like that after being treated so well.
Thursday 25th August 1898
Started my new job this morning. It’s at Laurel Dene, Crawley Road,
lately occupied by H.H. Barnes. Feel myself to be quite a “person
of importance” this being the first time I’ve been in charge of a
job. Got 4 other chaps of various degrees of ability. All the house
to be done inside.
Monday 29th August 1898
Laurel Dene. Jim Potter started here this morning so have one chum
now. The others are rather an “indifferent” lot.
Saturday 3rd September 1898
Laurel Dene. Quite enjoying myself up there in company with Jim
Potter. Very curiously, although we went to school together at a
very early age (Dame Chambers’ Academy) and afterwards were class
mates at Collyers School, we have had but little intercourse since
that time. Consequently, time goes very well on the job, talking
over school days etc.
Saturday 24th September 1898
Finished my job at Laurel Dene this afternoon. Have apparently
given satisfaction to Mr and Mrs Scott as, to my surprise and
pleasure, I received a substantial bonus (to the tune of 25/-) from
the former. Quite expected something but never in my wildest
moments thought of getting so much.
Saturday 1st October 1898
Been working at Kings Head Capel since Tuesday. Very rough old job
– all the outside to do and bar, taproom etc. inside. Ride to and
fro on the “jigger”. Roads rather rough for that fun just
now.
Week ending 29th October 1898
Kings Head Capel all week day and night for with the exception of
coming home for a few hours on Monday for the shorthand class, I
haven’t wandered far away from the job which, doesn’t quite satisfy
me, doesn’t seem to go on fast enough. Managed to employ myself
most evenings without lounging in the bar, at writing (longhand and
shorthand) and reading Merriman’s “Slave of the Lamp”. Rather a
good book or at least I think so.
Week ending 12th November 1898
Kings Head Capel again, very exciting times there’s been there too.
Find now that it’s by a rare chance that I escaped being taken into
custody as a thief. Last Wednesday, Fred Tomsett (with whom I’ve
been working and lodging). Left me to get our tea ready as usual.
After waiting a considerable time, went to find if tea was ready
and to my immense astonishment, found him handcuffed to a policeman
and then learned for the first time that he had been stealing money
from clothes hanging up in Frank Cheeseman’s bedroom (where by the
way he had no business) to the amount of £15. Think I was as much
upset as ever I have been for I had formed a very good opinion of
the chap and till then hadn’t the slightest suspicion that anything
was the matter, though it’s over a week ago that the first lot (£3)
went. Well, they took him off to Dorking Police Station in a cab
having first assured me that I was not suspected. Meantime, he
(Tomsett) had been searched, marked money found on him and he had
confessed to taking it and cleared everyone else. Later in the
evening, at his request, I rode out to Minnick Wood where his
Mother and sister were and informed them. They of course were very
much cut up. Promised to go with one of them to Police Court in the
morning.
Next day, Thursday, rode down to Horsham to inform the Boss. Back
to work for an hour or two then rode to Dorking with Frank
Cheeseman who went up not only to prosecute but, it turned out, to
plead also, for he was the only one to say a word in his defence
(the Mother and sister not turning up after all) to the surprise of
most people owing to Frank saying he did not wish to press the
charge. Tomsett was let off under the First Offenders Act on
condition he refunded the money. Was very glad to hear that though
I think perhaps he deserved some punishment. For my part I was very
glad it was over not very long, about 24 hours, from the time I
first knew anything of it. Hope I may never be mixed up in such an
affair again. Find it anything but pleasant to say the least.
Saturday 19th November 1898
Finished job at Kings Head Capel this afternoon and, Mr Attwater
having nothing else in just now, was put off, but only for a short
time I hope. He tells me he is expecting another job shortly and he
will give me another start.
Saturday 14th January 1899
Am glad to get to the end of a very busy week. Dad still rather
poorly and doesn’t look like starting work just yet I’m afraid.
Tuesday and Wednesday was at Pallinghurst Park, Baynards[1], mortaring chimneys at a new house being
built by Parnell and Sons, Rugby. Other days I’ve found plenty to
do and have had to forego a treat more or less every evening this
week: Monday was Shorthand class; Tuesday a party at Mrs Marten’s
to arrange prizes for the Sunday School Treat; Wednesday coming of
age festivities of Miss Gertrude Tarring; Thursday the Treat;
Friday Choir Practice; and this evening was going to Mrs Marten’s
to practice a song or two for Tuesday next but went to Laurel Dene
instead and to my surprise and satisfaction received from Mrs Scott
5/- for looking after the house[2].
18th June 1899
Have been so very busy lately that I’ve had to neglect this job
entirely, not for the want of material either. Have been full up
with work, too full really.
Dad has been going on only fairly well, sometimes very rough
indeed. Don’t think I have ever had less time for reading, writing
and the like than lately. Am trying to persuade Dad to drop horse
hire business. Think we shall be better off without it and I’m sure
’twill do away with a lot of work.
6th March 1899
At last have found opportunity for a note or two here
again[3]. Have lately been too busy
for this or anything else owing to Dad’s illness. But now that he
is able to work again (he started last Thursday) I hope to have a
little more time to myself. We are fairly busy and have had several
big houses “on” lately including “Holbrook”[4], “Woodgetters[5]”, “Selehurst”[6], “Gaveston Place”[7] and have orders for “Carrylls”[8] and “Beedcote”[9].
Have sold the old mare [along with] van, harness and all having at
length decided that there’s little to be had from that line except
long hours and hard work. So we have now only "Jimmy” and “Polly”.
One very satisfactory fact is we were able to bank the cash from
the sale of the mare etc., a proceeding that I think has never
happened before. I mean to try to keep Dad up to it if possible. If
he only keeps himself “all right” I think he will be “all
right”.
Saturday 24th June 1899
At last, after considerable agitation, I think I’ve persuaded Dad
to give up horse work or at least most of it. I have been quite
sure for a long time that it has been only a lot of work and worry
for little or no pay by the time all the expenses were paid. Things
were brought to a climax by the van wheels giving out and ole Jimmy
having a bit of funny biz as we were shutting him in on Monday. End
of it was Tidy[10] had him next day
to sell or do what he could. I’m very glad of it. Now I may perhaps
be able to take a job of painting later on when we get a bit slack,
that is if Dad keeps alright. He has been much better this
week.
- [1] Rudgwick, north east of Horsham.
- [2] After completing some painting at Laurel Dene, the owner
asked Billy to “house-sit” her place for a few weeks.
- [3] There was a gap of almost a month in the diary following
Billy’s report of his father’s illness (see the forthcoming theme
on “The Demon Drink”. This meant that Billy had to commit himself
full time to maintaining the family business of carting, letting
the horses and chimney sweeping.
- [4] Holbrook Park is in Old Holbrook, north of the A264 in
Horsham, towards Warnham.
- [5] An estate in Shipley.
- [6] Selehurst Lodge is on the Brighton Road, Lower Beeding,
southeast of Horsham.
- [7] Is this property now Gaveston Hall Youth Centre &
Hostel, Nuthurst Street, Nuthurst, Horsham?
- [8] Another Shipley property.
- [9] Also in Lower Beeding.
- [10] Jim Tidy, a “horse slaughterer and horse breaker” living
in Albert House on Denne Road, Horsham (1901 English Census).
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