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Traditional Rural Work Within Somerset

Here are a few pictures of life in the rural areas of Somerset during the late 19th and early 20th centuries.

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Harvesting in Somerset
c. 1900

Everyone helped with haymaking and the women spents hours, sometimes days, gathering corn left by the reapers

Tom Larder at work

Peat Factory - Somerset
mid 20th Century


The man on the left is my Great Uncle Tom who lived for many years in Blakeway and worked as a Turfman all of his life. Can anyone name the other men in the photograph?

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Basket Making - Somerset
c.1890


There was plenty of work for basket makers in the 19th century. In this scene, workers come from all age groups in the community.