. GARDNER GODSON

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At the turn of the century the population would be about 400. Cropredy was fortunate in having a railway station and two wharfs on the Oxford canal. There were three building firms (Cherrys, Smiths, and Sumner and Neal), a blacksmith's shop (J.Pargeter,1899), two boot and shoe shops (George Pargeter and Thomas Cooknell), a basket maker (Gilbert), a butcher (John Allitt), a saddlers (J.Bonham), a baker, a painter and glazier (Gardner's), and a policeman to take care of us all. This made Cropredy the centre of a small district and gave it rather higher standing than the average village.

The passenger service was very good to Banbury for London and Birmingham. 'There was a flour mill which brought a lot of work to the station, also a coal merchant who lived at Cropredy had a stand there. A lot of farm produce was sent by train, so the station was a busy place.

Two Merchants had their stacks of coal at the wharf, the other wharf was used for stone for road repairs. This was hauled by horse and cart to the roadside and I think the haulier would get 10d or 1s. a ton. The local roadman broke the stone to about the size of 2" or less. For breaking a ton the roadman got 1s-8d.

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The blacksmith's shop was a busy place, the section where the horses stood was called the travis. A set of shoes for a light horse cost 3s. but I expect a heavy shoe would be more. The first tirne a colt was shod it was 1s. extra. Beer money I think they called it The saddler's shop was also busy. One man worked at the shop until he retired at 65. He served in the first world war as a saddler (Bernard Pargeter).

One of the builder's had a wheelwrights business also (Sumner and Neal's). They had a thick iron platform where the wheel was placed and the tyre was heated to make it expand to go over the wooden wheel. There was a sawpit at the yard where they cut in lengths and rolled the pit. One man stood on top and the other below. They cut the planks very true to size. This firm would fell a tree of the right size and make a purnp. This was cut to length and bored down the centre by hand. All this work is a thing of the past.

I was born at Great Bourton on the l4th of May 1889 and went to the village Infant School when I was five years old. I think there would be about 20 pupils. Miss Terry was the name of the Mistress and a local girl of 14 to 16 acted as teacher (Minnie Dunn). They were both very kind to me. The teacher (Minnie) is still living at Bourton (1964).

It was a Church of England school. After reaching seven we came down to Cropredy and Bourton school on the 1st of February. All ages of Cropredy children attended this school and the total number on the register would be about 100.

My only holiday was during the summer holidays from school when my Father drove to Gaydon. We had some cousins living at a farm and after tea we went for a walk up the farm. One of the cousins would shoot a rabbit for us, they had a lot on the farm I was always interested in out-door life so I enjoyed it and then looked forward to the next drive to Gaydon. It is about ten miles to 7, not a very long journey. When I was about ten, I had a special holiday. Mother and I went by train to Fenny Compton and then walked about five miles to Gaydon. We spent the night with an Uncle and Aunt and then Father came the next day to fetch us back. That was the only night I spent away from home until I joined the army. Holidays were not so common then.

My father was a baker at Great Bourton, but had notice to quit unless he paid a higher rent. This he refused to do and was able to get a bakehouse and dwelling house at Cropredy, so was able to move his round. One condition was that he must bake dinners on Sundays. This he agreed to do and carried on for some years until people got more convenient methods of cooking at home. Price for a joint of meat was ld and for meat and yorkshire pudding a penny hapenny. When the coal was paid for there wasn't much left. It was an old fashioned oven, side flue, but the flavour of the yorkshire could not be beaten. We drew our water with the rope and bucket from a well like a lot more did those days.

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Dough cakes have always been very popular in this district, and before the 1914 war, our customers used to send the ingredients to have a cake rnade. We provided 21b of dough and mixed the cake by hand. Sometimes the fat was hard and took a lot of mixing. Then it was baked and delivered for a halfpenny above the price of the dough. If the customer had the dough and mixed the cake at home it was baked free. One person who made her own cake always placed it in a certain place near the oven to keep it warm, but when she had gone I moved her cake to another place. It did just as well and Mrs Cowley never found out what I had done.

There was a curfew Bell rung at 5am,12 mid-day and 8pm. During the winter months it was rung at 6am instead of 5am. Some years ago in the sixteenth century, a man lost his way in the meadows (on a path to Chacombe). This parson, the Revd Lupton, heard the bell at Cropredy which gave him his bearings and he reached Cropredy alright. He gave some land, the rent of which was to pay for a curfew bell. The field is known as Bell Land on the Chacombe Road and the rent is still paid to the Church fund, but the bell is only rung when the clock is wound up. It is impossible to get anyone to ring the bell so the custom is just kept going, but the people don't use the footpath much.

There were a few very interesting characters that were part of the village. One was Mr Allitt our landlord. He was a butcher in a small way of business when I knew him. He always wore a smock coat and mutton hat. He lived alone except for a niece going in to do the housework and cook for him, and he employed a young man from the village to take the meat out at the weekends. Mr Allitt always liked his bread baked very hard. A little cottage was his choice. He had been a baker and farmer so he knew about most things. I heard one story about a Sunday dinner. A farmer lost two ducks, and thought one of his men had taken them, so on the following Sunday he paid a visit to the bakehouse and asked Mr Allitt which dinner belonged to his workman. Mr Allitt showed the farmer and he found his ducks in a pie dish with some pastry to cover up. The farmer took the ducks out and put a horse's halter in their place. I never heard the end of the story.

Mr Allitt had a gold watch and chain on which he wore 20 spade guineas. I saw him wearing it once when he came along to the coronation celebrations.

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in 1902. He had a stained glass window put in the church in memory of his wife, and another for his daughter. Mr Allitt died in January 1909, and his furniture and out door effects were sold in March of that year. The watch chain with the guineas was sold at that sale, the price was not high, about 22s each for the 21s guineas. I expect it would make a much better price now. A nephew bought the gold. I wonder if it is in the village now as some of the family are still living here. It may show up some day.

Mr Chesterman who lived at Cropredy Lawn farm, about a mile and a half from the village, wanted a daily paper, but it was too far for the newsagent to deliver. The daily papers eame from Banbury by train and were delivered by a village boy. So the agents at Banbury sent a paper by an early collection at Banbury office. The paper went to Leamington, the post town for Cropredy, then came to Cropredy for the afternoon delivery, and the assistant postman delivered the paper, about a three mile walk from the station, all for the price of a halfpenny stamp.

Major Slack, a retired army officer, would often let off a few rockets on any special day; always gave the prize money at the village fete; organised a coal club, the members had a truck load come to the station then weighed out themselves, which cut out the retail merchant.

I still have a coronation mug given me at the 1902 celebrations. When Queen Victoria died, Major Slack paid for the church bell to be tolled every minute for the whole day. I forget how much he paid the sexton. He used to wear a very smart smoking cap and pace to and fro in his front garden smoking a cigar. I was really a little afraid of him.

Mr Allitt had a building erected, which he gave to the church known as the Church Rooms used for any church meeting. It was a reading room when I first knew it. It is still standing but not often used.

There was a family by the name of King, very good with their handbells, or church bells. One son went to the Boar war and when he came home we met him at the station and took him round the village in a horseless trap. The other young man that went was killed. Mr King, the father, was a very clever blacksmith. He was very good at shoeing a horse, but not so good as some.

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The builder and wheelwright's shop is closed down. A workshop that specialises in welding and blacksmith work has taken its place. A custom that died out a long time ago was for the carter to have a large bale of wheat straw to sell for beer money when he took a load of corn to the station or mill. The first I heard of this custom I was with my Father and we met two teams with their loads. My Father asked how much the straw, the carter stated the price and said, "Old Frank has some under his corn." We picked it up at the station on our way home. Old Frank the undercarter is still living at Bourton.

Mr Chesterman usually had a field of wheat reaped. It was cut about 15" from the ground. There might be 10 or 12 reapers working the field, some women were good reapers. I think it was piece work. After the corn was cleared the bottom part of the straw called haulm was cut and sold for thatching. There are quite a number of thatched houses in Cropredy, but it is very difficult to get a thatcher now.

I have mentioned the Boot and Shoe makers. I used to pay 18s a piece for a strong nailed boot when I was 16 or 18 years old. It was very convenient when we wanted any repairs done, but both these shops are closed now and used as out houses. We always fetched our milk from the farm. Skimmed milk was a penny per quart if skimmed twice. Once skimmed, such as evening milk was tuppence per quart. I forgot the price of new milk. Butter was about a shilling per pound I think. New laid eggs eight for a shilling in the winter, then in the summer perhaps sixteen per shilling. The price of meat was much lower. I remember leg of mutton at nine and a halfpence per pound, breast of lamb at sixpence hapenny per pound, white of beef at fourpence hapenny in Banbury market.

I had my first pocket money when I was about six. I used to tidy the bakehouse each morning for sixpence per week. When I had a rise instead of cash my Father fed a calf for me, the next rise I had a colt and that was kept by my Father. I think it was four years old when sold for £22. Quite a lot of cash in those days. I had 5s pocket money and all found. My horse brought in a nice bit.

For many years there were two carriers with their covered carts who went into Banbury. One went three times a week, the other four times. They brought quite a large parcel for twopence and I think it was threepence to ride in the cart to Banbury. If there were three or four passengers there would be some local news exchanged.

There is a meadow known as Amos Meadow which used to be farmed and owned by Mr Amos. He was fond of skating, so let a flood stay if it was likely to freeze. It was quite safe, being only about 2" deep.

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The nearest Doctor (Bartlett) used to live two miles away at Wardington. Several lived at Banbury and drove out when sent for. The church and chapel were very well attended in those days. There are five or six charities at Cropredy given out at Christmas time. They used to be in the form of a ticket for coal or grocery. One is for cash I think, one is for so many widows or widowers, one for the most needy cases.

The last wagon to be made at Cropredy was an Oxfordshire shape. I believe it was made for an American lady who had it sent over as a show piece. I am not quite sure but I think it was made by Mr Shirley, a Cropredy born man who worked at the wheelwrights yard all his life. The Ox- fordshire wagon wheels were more of a saucer shape which gave the wagon a rather better lock, as the wheels were too high to turn under the wagon body. The side was not straight and the curve in the side allowed the wheel to turn more easily. They were always painted yellow with the red wheels and black iron work.

Horse drawn vehicles were not required to carry a light until about 1900 in Oxfordshire. We used a candle lamp at first but it blew out so much we changed to Colza oil which was better. In Warwickshire a light was required as long as I can remember.

The average age for leaving school was 13, and some boys started work at 3s-6d per week. A lot of farm workers would get 14s or 15s per week, some with tied cottages, others with the rent to pay. A good number of young men left home for a better wage in town. I think a lot of young people married someone from the village and a lot of the village folk were related.

There was no street lighting. Drainage was far from good. There was a midwife in the village who was called to some houses quite often, others not so often.

G.Godson,1964 

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