George Freeston's account of two villagers born before 1900.
The common point between them being Glebe Farm.

Mr Arthur Norman was born at Blisworth before 1899.  I went into Northampton to talk to him and found him and his wife living in the Betheny Homestead.  Sadly although he looked well his memory was failing, every minute he asked me who I was, and when I said George Freeston he said.. "Ah, George Freeston from Blisworth" However he told me that he was born in 1897 in one of the cottages behind the former Sun Moon and Stars. His father was the blacksmith for the Westley Mill and the Westley farm, ie. Glebe Farm on the Towcester Road.

They worked 26 Shire horses either on the land or with the corn waggons which ran 4 horses per team per waggon. Horses were stabled at the Grafton House stables, where lived Mr John Westley, and some came up to Crieff House in the Stoke Road, where lived Mr Alfred Westley.  Arthur's father, F W Norman was captain of the St Johns Ambulance (see below - F W Norman seated on the left, stretcher before them) which had a very active squad in the village. The Mr Norman whom I saw, first worked on the farm as a plough boy leading the horses up and down the field all day. He soon packed that in, he told me, and next he worked for Oliver Young the village grocer. He used to go on the grocery rounds with "Coddy" Harry Plowman with the horse and delivery waggon. This meant a long day of visiting neighbouring villages such as Stoke Bruerne, Shutlanger, Alderton, Ashton, Hartwell and Courteenhall. He was one of the party of boys who went to Victoria House on Sunday evenings where Miss Hatch taught the boys to sing etc. Since Mr Norman's father was the Westley Blacksmith, his smithy was in the Mill yard over the canal and this enabled the family to shout across the canal to Mr Norman senior when dinner was ready. In winter, the children were delighted to run over on the ice to see their father shoeing the horses. I had many questions to put to Mr Norman but I found that I had left it all too late . . .

I never seem to learn that folk do not live and have their memories for ever . . .

Left to Right:  Frank Botterill, F W Norman (Acting Sargent), ??, William Dunkley,
Dr. P W Richardson, Tommy Chapman (whose daughter Gladys Mary taught at the
Blisworth school from 19/01/1925 onwards and whose son Edward played the organ).
This picture was taken again with some ceremonial sashes and with the doc donning his cap.

Mr Fred Gulliver was born at Greatwoth 93 years ago (this written in Feb 1975). A long time ago. He has lived at Blisworth for the past 50 years, and has farmed Glebe Farm on the Towcester Road Hill which lately belongs to the steel company.  In his boyhood he assisted his father when living at Foxley Lodge with horse-and-cart work in the building of the Culworth section of the Great Central Railway. He lost his wife some years ago and since then he has "been looked after" by his eldest unmarried daughter Nancy who has been his "right hand man". Until a few years ago he also employed one labourer - a great countryman who was content with the simple life. He also thought much of his cattle and their feeding took priority over his own meal times and he was proud of his home produced beasts.

On his 80th birthday I took him to Bournmouth to see the sea for the first time of his life. A man of few words, he looked at everything in the fields as we went down. I stopped the car at the edge of the cliffs at Bournmouth and said "well, there's the sea then" He looked long in silence at the illusion of the sea rising up to the horizon and then exclaimed " My guy, its gooing up hill". When he got home his daughter Nancy said "well father, what did you think of it all" and his plain answer was "We saw some fine horses and some lovely green fields" but no mention was made of the sea.

Nancy his daughter intends to farm until September. Her married sister Mrs George Clarke lives with her husband at Elm Tree House which is a fine early 17th century house in the Courteenhall Road and opposite to the school. This house was, for long time, the home of members of the Young family including Frank Young late Parish Clerk. It was bequeathed to Miss Margaret Burbidge who sold it to Mr G Clarke for around £600 some 15 years ago. Some conversions were carried out by Bob Wood, a local builder, but many very fine features were destroyed including a great fireplace beam. Elsewhere, when the wall plaster was stripped off a fine panel of wall painting was revealed.  I managed to influence Mr Clarke to preserve this painting.