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Archiver > NORFOLK > 2003-02 > 1044215409


From: "pat.williams" <>
Subject: RE: Threshing Machine Owner (7/1)
Date: Sun, 2 Feb 2003 19:50:34 -0000
In-Reply-To: <003201c2caec$ab370ec0$577d4e51@johnhayw>


Hi Folks

Here in the Southern part of the Country there is a big following for
these machines with several shows and exhibitions on a regular basis,
the biggest being the Dorset steam fair when dozens of the monsters are
put on display

Regards

Pat W
Bruton Somerset

Researching
Somerset -BEALE-KEEN-BRISTER-WILLIAMS-STOCK-HAWKEY
Dorset -
KEECH-DUNHAM-ACKERMAN-IRONSIDE-LEA-WALLIS-HOUNSELL-SAINT-RUSSELL-WOODSFO
RD
Norfolk - CHAPMAN
Durham - WARDELL-CHAPMAN-METHLEY
Yorkshire -
JEFFREY-DOBSON-DOYLE-MAUGHAN-CLIFFORD-BARKER-WADE-SWALE-ENGLAND-BECK-WAR
DMAN
-CARMALT


-----Original Message-----
From: John V Hayward [mailto:]
Sent: 02 February 2003 18:56
To:
Subject: Re: Threshing Machine Owner (7/1)

Hi Colin

There is reconditioned Threshing Machine at The Long Shop Museum in
Leiston
which celebrates the achievements of Garretts. There are also steam
engines
which are steamed up a few times during the summer and trundle round
Leiston.

John V Hayward
(A Friend of The Long Shop Museum)

----- Original Message -----
From: "Colin Fenn" <>
To: <>
Sent: Sunday, February 02, 2003 4:23 PM
Subject: Re: Threshing Machine Owner (7/1)


> graeme patrick <> writes
> >My gggrandad was described as threshing engine driver on the 1871 &
> >1881 census.
> >Would anybody know what his job would consist of?
>
> Hi,
> threshing machines were road going steam engines, that would have a
big
> flywheel mounted on the side. A long leather belt would be attached to
a
> thresher, which was trailered around behind, from job to job.
> They weren't the decorative fairground showman's engines, these were
big
> powerful beasts, often open to all the elements and painted dark
> colours. They were made by local East Anglian companies like Garrets,
> Ransomes & Fowlers.
>
> If you enter "threshing engine" into www.google.co.uk you will see
lots
> of pictures of the engines, however there aren't many pictures of the
> actual threshers. There are some American pictures of threshers here
> (but I think the British ones were broadly similar):
> <http://wwwgen.bham.wednet.edu/muslyn05.htm>; &
> <http://www.hfmgv.org/exhibits/pic/97.oct.html>;
>
> Wheat etc. would be cut (scythed or machine cut, depending on the
> period), gathered into stooks, and then fed into the thresher where
the
> ears of corn would be shaken off, and the stalks gathered together for
> straw. The family photos you sometimes see of horse-drawn carts with
the
> little boy on top of a 10 foot high stack of wheat would be going to
the
> thresher.
>
> The engine would normally be owned by a contractor, he and his boy
would
> normally drive from farm to farm after the harvest. This would have to
> be done as fast as possible to service all the farms in the area, so
> August would be their busiest month working dawn to dusk. Obviously he
> got most of his money then, but out of season he could rent himself
out,
> as the big vertical flywheel could drive other equipment like power
saws
> (for making planks) or pumps.
> In fact "driver" was typically the name given to any operator of the
big
> stationary pump & factory engines, as well as the mobile ones.
> --
> Colin Fenn
> London
>
>



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