Food, Clothes and Housing

Reports are mixed on how well or badly fed farm labourers were some reports say that food was sometimes scarce mainly due to frequent bad harvests. However in 1864 a medical officer recorded his opinion that they were the best fed working class group in the country. Most mornings started with "kettle broth," which was a slice of bread in hot milk or water, and weak tea. Lunch was usually taken in the field and consisted of a thick slice of bread and cheese with cold tea, or during the harvest, the farmer's beer which was not ideal as the farmer took it out of their wages. Lunch may have also included some form of meat. Stews or pies made the main supper dish.. A hot cup of tea was a necessity for labourers, as it made a cold supper hot.

Verbal reports of people that worked as labourers tell us that "Monday - broth day, that used to be; you had soup, suet puddings, boiled beef, vegetables. Now then, next day was pie day: meat pie, vegetables, meat and that in ... Wednesday, pot on again, Thursday pie day, and then for some of them - that was six days - pot on and pie day and then roast beef on a Sunday. But some used to vary it a bit: fried beef or such as that for dinner, you know, slices off the roast beef and, you know, fried up. They used to call that 'resurrection', really. It was old beef warmed up but it made a change." Another report says that farm workers were better fed than most one lead miner said he preferred his old job on a farm because " you are then sure of something to eat."

Clothing of that time consisted of stockings, breeches, wide-cut shirt, waistcoat, jacket and hat. By about 1840, working men were wearing full length trousers. Collarless shirts and waistcoats remained, though the wearing of coloured handkerchiefs tied round the neck became more common. Nearly all men wore hats, the designs of which altered frequently.

The view that cottages were idyllic with roaring log fires and beautifully furnished interiors is unfortunately false, they were usually old, dilapidated, damp and ill ventilated. A farm worker was greatly affected by the attitude of his employer, if the farmer was rich or generous you were more likely to get a good cottage. Others, like absentee landlords, did little to improve the cottages, and some families were housed in one room accommodation with an earth floor. 40% of cottages had just one bedroom and only 5% had more than 2 bedrooms. Cottages could be provided with allotments or gardens to supplement the labourer's diet with home-grown vegetables and herbs.