The Diary Of William Sellers

This book is intended to contain a record of incidents & happenings in the near neighbourhood of the village of Speeton, East Yorks, and was commenced by William Sellers in the early part of the year 1912.

This book is kept for safe keeping at Church Church Farm, Speeton, Filey.

Crop reports for the year 1,910 The year 1,910 will be long remembered by farmers as one of the worst in history as owing to the lack of sun the crops which were of such promise while in a green state, proved on being cut and thrashed thrashed to be about the worst on record. The yield of wheat for this village was about three qr and a sack, that of barley little better while the yield of oats was also very poor.

Potatoes were only of very medium size and contained a large percentage of diseased diseased tubers. Turnips were a good crop and in the spring of 1911 were cheap. Clover and grass were a large crop but of very secondary character as hay. The prices at which the cereals were extremely low being as follows.

Autumn thrashings.

Wheat 26/26/- to to 30/30/Barley 20/20/- - 27/27/Oats 16/16/- - 18/18/Spring -//Wheat 28///28/- - 31/31/Barley 26/26/- - 32/32/Oats 20/20/- - 23/23/*** £5 The price of potatoes was about 6. per stone - - Hay or Cloven Hay was £3.10 £3.10 per ton Horned Stock The prices realised this year were on the whole satisfactory and appear to be settling down on a higher level than has obtained for some years.

Dairy stock scarce and dear Sheep with the exception of fat lambs a poor trade Pigs extremely extremely dear

1,911

Crop Report

The crops of this year were on the whole very good. Cutting was commenced early in August and with the exception of one wet week end the harvest was gathered in very fine weather.

The summer was hot and fine thus favouring favouring wheat and barley which were in many cases very good while oats were fair. Prices for corn were much better than for some years.

Root crops were also good. Hay crops were light but of first class quality and in the spring of 1912 the price was very high. Pastures were good, stock doing remarkably well.

The prices of corn were as follows Wheat Autumn 34/Xmas/ditto 34/- to 36/36/Spring/ditto Barley 30/35/30/- - 32/32/35/- - 39/39/30/30/- - 33/33/Oats 21/23/21/- - 23/23/23/summer 27/27/Hay £4. 10 £5 £6 Potatoes £4 per ton £3 . 10 – 0 Turnips Let to eat or 6d per week per load £1 . 0 – 0 Prices for cattle of all kinds were good all round For sheep fair and for pigs rather low.

1,912 The S. Trawler Manx Admiral came ashore on the morning of Feb 12th at ½ past 6. close to the wreck of the Laura.

The L.S.A. started at 7 o’clock. Filey lifeboat and cobles arriving soon after the L.S.A. The S.T. got out her own anchor but found it would not hold. Later two anchors were placed by the cobles and and she was hauled off at half past ten. The M.A. was a new vessel being on her second trip only. The Flambro L.S.A. were on Bempton Cliff searching for the stranded vessel but owing to the fog could see nothing. Three men were lowered over the cliff but found found nothing.

March 1st, The Board of Trade granted awards of 10/10/- each to the above three men, viz Geo Boyes, Geo Cross, Coastguard Oddy. March 1st, As the result of complaints by the insurance companies and the crews of stranded vessels as to the length of time which elapsed before any response was received to their distress signals, the Board of Trade has decided to erect huts on the coast so that the Coastguard may be nearer to the shore in foggy or stormy weather. The huts will be connected by telephone with the C.G. stations.

April 12th. Stack fire at Speeton.

A stack fire was found to be burning on above date in Mr Burdass’ yard. It spread quickly to a straw stack in Plewes’s yard which along with Mr Burdass’s which was also straw only were quickly burnt burnt completely up. A number of ewes and lambs were in danger in B’s shed but by the aid of women & children these were all removed to a place of safety.

Women also helped to pump & carry water, each receiving 2/2/for their services. The fire brigade from Bridlington Bridlington was sent for & was soon at work. About 1 ½ days thrashing of straw of Burdass’s ½ day of Plewes’s was entirely burnt.

Wreck in Cayton Bay

July 1,912

The Scarborough pleasure steamer ‘Cambria’ returnming from Robin Hood’s Bay missed the harbour harbour in a fog and went ashore in Cayton Bay. The passengers and crew were taken off in lifeboats and cobles.

The steamer was refloated a few days later.

July 15th National Insurance Scheme commenced August. Farm fire at Mr Cranswicks at Grindale Damage estimated estimated at £150£150August 13th Harry Piercy found drowned in Crawfords pond at Reighton August. Found large mushroom 14 inches in diameter -//James Witty of Speeton run over by manure cart at //North Dale farm. Although seriously injured he made made a quick recovery and was able to return to work in the course of about a month.

Sept. A number of fine primroses were found on the cliffs at the end of this month and the beginning of October.

Nov. The body of an unknown man was found on the sands between between Speeton and Reighton and was buried at Reighton a few days later without being identified.

Dec. The weather continues mild and dull. A good number of primroses were gathered up to Christmas.

A bullock weighing 220 stones was sold at the Xmas market for £185. £185. The buyer afterwards refused £250 at Hull.

Crop Report 1,912 The season of 1,912 can only be described as a complete failure. After a fine dry spring we had no settled weather till Sept. June July & August were wet and often as cold as in winter. The The result was that all the crops were more or less a failure. Wheat the worst on record. Barley fair where gathered dry. Oats a bulky crop but corn very light. Cutting was commenced at the end of August but was not finished till October. The hay harvest was was not finished till late September.

A large quantity was fit for nothing but bedding, while very little was good. A lot of the hay was on the ground from four to six weeks before it could be got into stack. Our own crop was gathered on the 30th of August in in fair condition. Potatoes were very poor. Many crops were no larger than sets, while many were so much diseased that they were scarcely worth taking up. Turnips were good in only a few cases, the majority being little over half a crop, in some cases two or or three sowings had to be made. When thrashing commenced in many cases the required weight could not be got in the sacks. Oats weighing between 9 & 12 stone, barley 1515-16 wheat 1616-18 per sack.

Prices of corn were as follows Wheat Autumn 30/30/- to 34/34/- Xmas 27/27/- to 30/30/- Spring 25/25/- to 30/30/Barley 28/- 26/28/- - 39/39/26/- - 32/32/- - 25/25/- 32/32/Oats 20/- --- - - 20/- - 22/22/Hay Best £6 Medium £5 May medium hay £4 Potatoes Autumn £8 Winter £5 Turnips let to eat on 6d – per week. Per load £1 April 17/17/load Beef was dear practically all the year varying from 8/6 to 10/10/-

Milk cows were also extremely dear owing partly to the ports being closed to Irish cattle all the summer & autumn owing to an outbreak of foot & mouth disease. Pigs and sheep were also dear. Gilts in pig ÂŁ6 to 7. young pigs 10 weeks 25/25/- to 30/30/pork 8/8/- per stone.

1,913 Jan 11th. After a period of very mild weather the weather changed quickly. A heavy fall of snow accompanied by a South Easterly gale lasted over the the week end. Much damage was done both on land & sea. On the Wolds scores of telegraph & telephone poles were blown down and on Sunday the 12th Scarborough was left with only one wire in working order. At Binnington 60 sheep were found dead in a snowdrift. At sea matters were still worse, wrecks were all round the coast from Bridlington up to Scotland. The sailing ship ‘Kara’ from Monte Video, South America went ashore at Sewerby on Friday the 10th, the crew of seven being rescued by the Brid.

Lifeboat. On Sunday the 12th the L.S.A. were called out at Speeton at ½ past 10 to search for a steamer drifting round from Flambro. On the first men arriving at the cliff the S. was seen just off Breckon Hole but within two or three minutes was seen to turn completely over. A good lookout was kept on the beach but nothing was seen of the crew and after waiting till 3 o’clock the L.S.A. returned to the station. The Flambro lifeboat was out for several hours but found no sign of the crew who had apparently left in t heir own lifeboat but have not up to the present (21st) been heard of again. The steamer turned out to be t he Hawkwood of London, was coal laden from Leith, 235 feet long, 33 feet beam, 724 tons nett register and carried 17 hands. Hundreds of tons of the coal were washed up at Filey.

Jan 27th. With the exception of one man whose body was found near Scarborough the crew of the Hawkwood are still unaccounted for. A large steamer went ashore at Blurwick near Robin Hood’s Bay. The crew of 34 reaching the shore safely safely unaided Flamborough. Jan 18th. The Rev. Albert Knight, vicar of Christchurch, Hunslet, Leeds, fell over the cliff near the North

Landing while trying to take a flashlight photograph of the cliff. His wife was with him at the time. A reward of £10 was offered for the recovery of the body but up to the present (Jan 27th.) it has not been recovered.

Jan 31st. Charles Chapman of Reighton reported a steamer ashore under the cliffs early this morning. The L.S.A. started at 7 o’clock and searched the shore till till they met the Flambro L.S.A. coming in the opposite direction. Neither of the companies had found the steamerwhich had evidently floated soon after Chapman had seen her, the tide was flowing at the time. The Flamboro lifeboat and two cobles also came along. along.

Feb 14th. Nothing has yet been of the steamer reported ashore at the end of January.

The Rev. Albert Knight who was supposed to have fallen over the cliff at Flamborough is said to have sailed for Australia in company with one of his church workers, a young young lady of the name of Grimes. He had compelled his wife by threats to aid him in spreading the report of his death.

Feb. 22nd. Two Filey women while gathering coal from the wreck of the Hawkwood found among the coal on the beach a large conger eel. The fish was alive when found but after it had been killed it was weighed and measured. The weight was found to be just 35 pounds and the length seven feet.

The weather is at present exceptionally fine and springlike.

The roads are as dry as in summer while work work on the land is going just as if it was Spring in reality.

Feb 12th.

A red Admiral butterfly was seen on the above date.

March A haystack said to contain seven tons was burnt during the latter part of this month at Mr Crowe’s, Reighton.

April 11th.

A heavy heavy fall of snow took place today, two or three inches.

18thA stackyard fire at Mr Taylor’s **** £115 damage.

Finished sowing corn 25th of April.

May 1,913 A Board of Trade inquiry into the loss of the S.S. Hawkwood was held at Newcastle but nothing of any any consequence was brought to light. The fate of the crew still remains a mystery.

May 12th.

Half of a ship supposed to be a Norwegian herring boat but afterwards found to be a French sailing vessel was washed ashore at Bridlington. How and when she was wrecked wrecked is not known. The vessel was split lengthways from stem to stern.

The other (half) of the above ship was washed ashore later at Hartlepool.

June A salvage party working at the wreck of the Hawkwood had the ill luck before starting work to lose a new diving boat & part of their gear, the boat broke loose from the steamer during the night and drifted away. Inquiries were made all along the coast, their own steamer also searching out at sea but nothing has been heard of it up to the present (ten days later) later) so a fresh boat had to be obtained. Large charges of gelignite are being used to blow up the wreck and as each shot is fired the water is blown up into the air to a great height, considerably higher than the cliff and as it falls again to the sea presents presents a very fine sight.

Filey A party of egg gathers have found two Cormorants eggs on the cliffs behind the Brigg. This is a rare happening as these birds are now scarce on the coast.

At Seamer Auction Market on June 9th. Beef was sold at a price reported reported to reach 11/11/- per stone. Five young pigs seven weeks old made 30/30/- each.

June 12th.

A Bazaar & Jumble sale was held here today. The sale was opened by Mrs. Pride, wife of the Rector of the Priory Church, Bridlington.Forty pounds were raised by the sale for for church improvements and new harmonium.

July 9th.

A concert & gramophone entertainment were given in Mr. Burdass’s granary by a party of visitors & a few villagers. A charge was made for admission & 31/31/- was raised for chapel repairs.

July 10th.

The families families ofJoseph Edmond & Wm Atkinson left the village to take up work at Marr near Doncaster.

August Mr Wm Coleman of North Burton has sold a cart horse six years old weighing 19 cwts 2 stone for 120£ Weather cold but sunny & dry. First corn cut at Speeton on the 18th at Mr. Watson’s.

Sept.

Mr. Brodham of this village was found dead on the railway near Grantham, Lincs, having apparently fallen out of a train.

Oct. New signal cabin built at Speeton station.

Several potatoes said to weigh from three to four pounds pounds each have been taken up in adjoining villages.

Mr. Webster of Reighton seriously injured about the head through falling while jumping from his rully. The horse was frightened by the shafts coming loose and ran away.

Dec. A straw stack of about twelve twelve tons was burnt early this month at Charleston, Grindale.

19th.

Ploughing competition at North Dale. 24 entries Mr. Artley was presented with a valuable prayerbook by the vicar & churchwardens to commemerate his golden wedding.

He had been the church clerk clerk for over forty years. Mr Wilkinson, the vicar is leaving for Ganton in the New Year.

Dec. 23rd 1,913 The weather is unnaturally fine for this season. Very little rain has fallen for a month. Second ploughing is in progress, the arable land being as dry as as it usually is in March.

A bullock, the property of the King, was sold at Hull Xmas market for sixty six pounds.

1,913 Crop Report The harvest of this year was on the whole good. The summer had been very dry but not hot. The weather during the harvest was fine but during the later part of the time dull. Wheat is in nearly all cases good, barley very good. Oats are mostly good. Some large yields were obtained in several cases. A report was current that 100 qrs of barley was thrashed in a day at Muston. All All kinds of corn are in good dry condition except when leading was commenced too early when considerable heating occurred. Cases of stacks having to be turned were quite common. Hay crops were good. Potatoes & Turnips very good.

Prices Wheat Barley Oats

Autumn 32/32/- to 33/33/30/30/- - 32/32/20/20/-

Potatoes Hay

£3 – 5 per ton 3 – 10 -////-

Xmas 30/30/- to 31/31/25/25/- - 28/28/20/20/-

Spring 1,914 32/32/27/27/- - 30/30/19/19/- - 20/20/-

£3. 0. 0.

Live Stock The prices for all kinds of live stock were very good

1,914 Feb. 1st. Found first primroses today. Weather dry & mild, very windy. Second ploughings forward in some cases nearly finished.

Feb. 2nd. Mrs. Majors of Reighton died very suddenly today.

Harmonium procured for chapel at the end of January.

March 5th. Mr. Smith, Coastguard, left today for Leeds.

Turnips very plentiful. Many people are unable to sell or let them at any price. 10/10/- per load at Bridlington.

Mar. 15th. Harry Witty died of yellow fever in India. ewes 82/82/- to 18th. Prodham’s sheep sale. Oxford Down ewes 90/90/-. Leicester ewes 74/6 to 84/84/-. Hoggs to 61/6 each.

21st. Weather showery & cold with frosts. Wind North.

March 25th. Prodham’s stock sale. Good prices were made for all stock with the exception of horses which did not sell well.

Mrs. Prodham Prodham has left for Hull having let her farm to Mr. Wheldon of Hunmanby. Geo. Percy left the Dotterel to go to Thornton Dale. Mr. Elliot & Noble left the village.

April. Weather exceptionally fine & dry.

May 6th. Rain much needed. Sharp frosts on the 2nd & 3rd. potatoes much damaged. Finished sowing corn on the 7th.

During the afternoon, owing to a heavy shower passing for a short time were unable to see to drill. Several pieces of corn still to sow.

June. Weather still fine. Water for drinking scarce. Turnip sowing finished early. Plants much damaged by caterpillar of diamond back moth. Young cuckoo reared in Lark’s nest in North cow pasture.

July. Heavy rainstorms. Corn much laid. 29th field of oats cut near White House, Bridlington.

August. More storms corn laid still more. 3rd. piece of Oats cut at Mr. Wheldon’s of this village. Village much disturbed by news of war. 4,000 Territorials camped at Hunmanby left in the middle of their training. All Bank Holiday excursions

cancelled as the trains were required for for the removal of the Terries. All the Coastguards have left to join their ships. Naval pensioners & Yeomanary called up for service.

August 4th. Flour 3/6 per stone.

5th. The control of the railways has been taken over by the government.

England & Germany have declared war on each other.

6th. Waggoners special reserve of transport drivers called up. Some lads from Speeton & district left today for Bradford Farms are left with one or two yearly servants in odd cases all the lads have gone. Wagons & horses have also been commandeered. Three horses have been taken from Charleston.

7th. The last of the men in the waggoners reserve have left today. The government horse buyers have been today. A pair our of Bay mares were taken from Butterworth’s. A pair of ffour year old’s were also taken from North dale. An order arrived at Burdass’s after midnight for a farm wagon to be sent off at once. Six or eight horses have been taken from some of the big wold farms. 35 men have gone from Rudston.

10th. Government Biplanes Biplanes pass over or near the village daily.

35 horses have been taken from Robinson’s Livery Stables, Scarboro. Flour is down to 1/9 per stone. The government has arranged with the large dealers that the price of food is to be kept as low as possible. Gov. officials officials & trade representatives meet every three days to fix these prices.

13th. The railways are kept open night & day.

14th. All the farms in the village have started harvest. A farmer at Flambro is going to thrash new corn tomorrow, 15th 17th. Reports coming to hand state that entrenchments have been made along the coast from Brid to Hornsea, also that they are to be made near Hunmanby Gap. This week a notice has been posted today stating that no one is to walk along the

cliffs between the hours of 9 pm pm & 6 am. Very little news of the war is coming through at present.

24th. Heavy thunderstorm.

26th. Rainy day, harvesting all stopped.

1,914 August 26th. News of the great battle comes to hand slowly.

Heavy fighting is taking place in Belgium but without any decisive result. The British are said to have lost 2000 killed & wounded on the 23rd & 24th. Sentries are on duty on the local roads at night, anyone passing is stopped and has to give an account as to his name etc. During the storm on the 24th windows windows were broken in Hunmanby Moor by hailstones.

29th. Mr Burdass finished cutting corn.

Sept. 9th. Rainy day. Oats in bad condition for leading.

Owing to the war no one is allowed to fire a gun within half a mile of the cliff. Four steamers ashore at Flamboro.

Flamboro.

10th. Vessel reported ashore at Buckton Hall. Rocket cart out.

No vessel to be seen. Reports reached the village in t he evening that the ship, which was evidently in distress, had sunk.

12th. More rain. 14th. Big South West gale. 15th. & 16th. Corn dry. dry. Finished leading sheaves. 17th. Heavy rain all the morning. German boy at Reighton Hall College taken as a prisoner of war, he having arrived at an age at which he is liable for military service.

The Flamboro head light and foghorn are not being used at present. The reason given is that their disuse will prevent German vessels fixing the places where they propose laying mines.

22nd. Finished harvest. Tom Witty, Len Maplesden & the Cook Bros. have joined the N.E.R. Battalion.

24th. Started taking up potatoes. potatoes. 16 big cobles fishing close in shore, very pretty sight.

25th. It is eight weeks today since Mr Wheldon started cutting Winter oats & he has not yet finished leading.

26th. Jack Rookes, Mr Wheldon’s shepherd left Speeton today to join the army. Weather Weather very fine. Mr. Warwick the station master left to go to Castle Eden a fortnight ago. Mr. Tindall from Barlow has arrived in his place this week.

27th. Vicar ill. A lay reader, Mr. McDonald of Brid conducted service.

Oct. 4th.Vicar still ill. Mr. McClurg read the prayers.

Weather very fine and dry, drinking water very scarce. Four strawberries ripe in garden.

11th. Saw red admiral butterfly on the cliffs.

14th. Cargo steamer ashore at Flamboro Head.

16th. Weather still fine.Horses still sleeping out.

21st. Weather breaking, cold showers.

24th. 2 large steamers ashore at Flamboro 27th.

- // refloated.

25th. Found red admiral butterfly on the cliffs.

Territorials are guarding the C.G. Station at night.

30th. Hospital ship ashore at Whitby. The sea is so rough that great difficulty is being experienced in rescuing the crew and Red Cross attendants. The ship is too far out for the L.S.A. to get to work. One lifeboat is damaged after rescuing 60 persons. Steamer is broken in two. 31st. A few more persons have have been taken off the wreck, but a good number are still on board. Later; 147 saved, 78 lost.

31st. A primrose in flower on the cliff.

A large quantity of new wood is washing ashore between Flamboro and Reighton, possibly deck cargo.

Nov 14th. Snowing all morning.

23rd. Mr. Ward left Wheldon’s to go to Langton nr. Malton Big guns have been sent to Filey & Brid. Trenches are being cut and the towns are being put in a state of defence in case of German invasion.

John Foster Artley of Hunmanby has taken Mr. Ward’s Ward’s place at Mr. Wheldon’s.

Dec 1st. Thunderstorm. Found a primrose on the cliff.

15th. Weather very wet.

A steam tug & lighter ashore at Flamboro. L.S.A. out for five hours. Both vessels got away undamaged.

1,914 Crop Report During the summer the promise promise of harvest was excellent but during the latter part of July there were heavy rainstorms which completely ruined much of the barley crop. Wheat & Oats are very good. Harvesting was a tedious job owing to the crops being laid also to heavy rains in the middle of harvest.

The crops of hay were in the most cases light owing to drought. Potatoes very good. Turnips fair.

Owing to the war prices for grain were much better for wheat and oats than usual. The demand for malting barley was poor. The reason given being that owing to the troops being in France, and the early closing of public houses, much less beer was required.

Prices Autumn New Year Spring 1,915 Wheat 36/52/Feb £3 March 36/- to 37/37/52/- to 54/54/57/57/Barley 28/32/33/28/- to 32/32/32/- to 35/35/33/- to 36/36/Oats 23/6 rising to 28/28/- by the end of Nov. Jan 30/30/- March 30/30/- to 32/32/Hay £3. 5. 0. £3. 12. 6 Feb £4. 12. 6 March £4

Prices for all kinds of stock have been good throughout the year. Beef 9/Pork 7/6 to 8/9/- to 9/6.

8/Store cattle dear Owing to the high price of food young pigs were cheap at the end of the year.

1,914 Dec. 16th.

Heavy gunfire was heard on the coast this morning. Some German cruisers have bombarded Scarboro, Whitby & the Hartlepools. It is estimated that fifty shells fell in Scarboro Scarboro & thirty in Whitby.

20th. Found a fine primrose on the cliff 21st. Three steamers have been blown up by mines laid by the German raiders. A number of minesweepers have been at work during the last few days clearing the mines, one or more of these are also also said to have been destroyed.

22nd. A Norwegian ship struck a mine some miles out at sea this morning. The crew of eighteen men took to the boats, one landing at Filey the other at Scarboro. The vessel is at present ashore on Filey Brigg. A cargo of wood pulp is keeping her afloat.

31st. A quantity of new wood ashore today, have laid up two hundred pieces. A large number of rolls of paper weighing several hundredweights have also washed ashore, also several bundles of short boards possibly intended for box making.

The month of December has been very wet and stormy, reports say the wettest for fifty seven years.

1,915 Jan 1st. A large fleet of minesweeping trawlers came right close inshore today.

Mr. Coe a Speeton coastguard drowned in the Channel owing to the ship on which he was serving ‘the Formidable’ being sunk by a German torpedo.

6th. Fire at Mrs. Coe’s at the C.G. station, the sitting room suite& some blankets & linen were destroyed.

17th. Severe Northerly gale. The vessel on Filey Brigg has broken up up completely. The beach at Reighton & Speeton covered with broken wood & rolls of paper.

23rd. Wheat was sold at Bridlington today at 55/55/- per qtr.

30th. Weather wet. No second ploughing started Feb 14th. Easterly gale. Big steamer ashore under Buckton Hall Hall cliff. L.S.A. left just after six. The vessel was laid broadside on to the cliff. Owing to the fact that she had no cargo and was flat bottomed she had driven quite close to the cliff. The crew of nineteen were able to leave during the day.

The vessel is named the Blakemoor of London and was going to Newcastle for coal.

15th. Very big tide during the night. The wrecked vessel has driven up nearer to the cliff, the bow is not more than six yards from the cliff. The Blakemoor was built in 1902, her gross tonnage tonnage is 3,748 tons, her load 6,000 tons.

26th. The members of the L.S.A. received £2. 9. 8 each for services rendered at the wreck of the Blakemoor. Three assistants got 16/6 each.

A German mine has washed up behind Filey Brigg.

25th. Wm Walton of Speeton Speeton accidentally shot dead at Buckton Hall while tenting crows.

27th. Weather still wet and stormy. Second ploughings on most farms are still not begun.

Owing to the war horses have gone up in price, ten to fifteen pounds each. Beef is also dear, 10/10/- per stone. stone. Farm labourers

wages have been advanced to £1 per week on most farms in the district.

March 19th. Severe snowstorm, all roads blocked, hundreds of sheep reported smothered on the Wolds.

21st. Fine, wind westerly.

A minesweeper was driven ashore at Bridlington Bridlington during the storm. All the crew were drowned. The L.S.A. got a line aboard but the crew were not able to make use of it. An accident also occurred at the launching of the lifeboat, one of the drivers, named Carr, and two of the horses being drowned owing to the breaking of the carriage axle.

26th. The body of a woman was found on the beach here by Filey fishermen, it was supposed to be one of those lost at the wreck of the hospital ship ‘Rohilla’ wrecked at Whitby in October.

Government horse buyers buyers are instructed to supply 3,000horses from this district within a month. Three year old horses are selling for over fifty guineas each at farm sales.

April 16th. Coal laden steamer ashore on Filey Brigg The roads at Speeton are blocked at nights by the military. military.

Weather fairly dry but very cold for the time of the year.

18th. Grass is very backward. Mr Burdass has not yet begun to sow spring corn.

May. Cold and dry. Beef is selling at 12/12/- to 14/14/- per stone.

June 5th. A Zeppelin airship passed over this district district this morning about one o’clock. It dropped two bombs at Driffield.

One woman has died there from shock as a result.

June 3rd. Herbert Witty paid a short visit home today having been in France since the war began.

6th. Zeppelins visit Hull. Serious damage damage done.

No reports are allowed to appear in the papers but reports say that 150 or 160 people were killed and a large number injured.

A statue of King William on horseback was destroyed and a large number of houses levelled to the ground.

Later; report of King William’s statue untrue.

1,915 June 8th. A large floating dock passed by on the sea this evening. It was drawn by six tugs and accompanied by several torpedo boat destroyers.

Weather hot and dry, turnip fly hard at work.

June. The body of Robert Heritage, skipper of the Scarboro Trawler, London, which was sunk by a mine off Cloughton was found on the beach here by Elsie Sellers & Frances Linsley.

June 21st. Weather very fine & dry. Many turnips still to sow but land is too dry. Pastures burnt up.

July 3rd. Rain at last. July 10th. Raining nearly every day.

19th. North East gale, heavy rain, very cold, corn blown down.

24th. Weather improving, nice day.

Aug. Weather wet & stormy. Thunder storms daily.

Aug 26th. Started harvest. Weather fine, very hot. hot. th - 28 . A young territorial belonging to the Hunt’s cyclist corps was drowned here today whilst bathing. His name was Geo. Jackson.

Attempts to float the Blakemoor this week proved unsuccessful 29th. Northerly gale, very cold.

Some lambs sold at Bridlington Market last week made 70/70/- each.

Sept 2nd. The body of the drowned territorial was found near “Weather Castle today.

11th. Finished cutting corn.

13th. Blakemoor towed off & beached at Filey.

16th .

-////- again floated and taken to Hartlepool. th 17 . Found a primrose on the cliff, also saw a fine black wild rabbit.

Owing to the scarcity of labour harvest wages are up from five to ten shillings per week. At Bempton the villagers held a

meeting & decided not to accept less than 33/33/- per week with board. At Speeton 30/30/- or 31/31/- is being paid.

1,915 Frances Artley of Speeton died in the Lloyd Cottage hospital at Bridlington as the result of an accidental fall on the beach at Speeton.

Oct 23rd. Weather very dry. Horses sleeping out.

Nov 3 & 4th. Sowing Sowing Wheat.

Nov 4th. This afternoon Herbert Moon & Arthur Blewes were walking on the beach when they found a curious looking object composed of wood & iron with a drum attached on which was a coil of wire. Moon decided to remove some of the wire but on touching touching it was surprised to see it burst into flame.

Supposing it to be some kind of an infernal German machine they ran for their lives. After running some distance and finding the machine did not explode they stopped and found that it was still blazing. Apparently Apparently at this they decided to leave well alone and go home. Thus ended scene one. The next scene commenced later when the machine was found in the water at dark blazing furiously. The soldiers in the village were sent down to the cliff & had the pleasure of of spending the night there watching it. At two a.m. on the fifth it was still burning & the soldiers fetched the Lieutenant from Reighton also to look at it. Filey coastguard are said to have telephoned morning rning the to Speeton to inquire if a ship was ashore. In the mo mystery was explained. The machine had been lost by minesweepers engaged in trawling for submarines & was attached to their special net used for this purpose. By a special arrangement when a submarine was caught in the net the machine burst into flame thus indicating it’s presence. After the machine had burnt itself out it was again washed ashore & brought up to the C.G. station.

1,915 Crop Report The year of 1,915 was taken all round a good one for crops.

The weather was very dry & hot followed by cold wet periods these again giving place to fine dry weather. The cereal crops were all about an average & prices on account of the war were high. Turnips after a bad start recovered and are a good crop.

Potatoes fair. Hay crops light.

Pastures medium. medium. Seeds good.

Prices of grain were as follows Autumn New Year Spring/16 Wheat 53/60/53/- to 55/55/60/- to 63/63/Barley 50/55/50/- to 52/52/55/Oats 28/33/28/- to 30/30/33/Hay Potatoes £4 to £4.10 Cotton cake £9. 10. 0 Linseed £12

52/52/60/60/32/32/£5

Prices Prices for all kinds of stock were very high. Beef made up to 14/14/- per stone. Pork 10/10/-. Calving heifers to £24. Gimmer shearlings at the autumn sales to 95/95/- each.

Store stock of all kinds was very dear.

An order is in force at present which prevents all the best of the calves being killed under six months old.

Two bacon pigs were sold at Hull market in October for just over twenty pounds each.

The best milk cows are making to £40 each.

1,915 Nov 12th. Severe Northeast gale. About 6.30 p.m. Filey coast guard telephoned that flares were being shown under Bempton cliff. The L.S.A. left about 7 and returned about 12 midnight Without having seen anything of the supposed vessel in distress. L.S.A. men received 4/4/- each for their services.

23rd. Mr Linsley left Mr. Wheldon’s to take a hind’s place at Bessingby. Wages at the Martinmas hirings are very high on account of the scarcity of men. Waggoners & single shepherds up to £40, third lads £30, young lads £16 to £18.

Dec. Very wet raining nearly every day.

1,916. Jan. Dry very windy. Lot of second ploughging done at the end of the month. Few primroses to be found all of the month. Rose trees in bud & leaf.

Mr. Charles Butterworth returned from the front deaf & dumb, the result of shock.

Alf Witty home on leave, married married at Speeton to Daisy Greenley of Hunmanby.

Feb. Wet cold & stormy.

Mrs Medcalf’s baby died suddenly about the middle of month.

27th. Memorial service for Herbert Witty who was buried in a trench in France.

29th. Steam trawler ashore under Bempton cliff cliff opposite Duggleby’s farm. The men were taken off about four o’clock in the afternoon having been in the rigging for some hours.

Speeton L.S.A. fired a rocket over the vessel the line passing just behind the foremast. Flamboro L.S.A. were also present.

Flamboro Flamboro lifeboat took off seven of the crew and a coble the other two.

Grimsby trawler. Baltic

1,916 March 1st. Patrol boat the trawler “Manx Queen” ashore on Filey Brigg. The crew of thirteen were saved partly by the L.S.A. and the rest by the lifeboat.

2nd. Russian coal laden steamer ashore at Flamborough.

Military Service Compulsion Act for single men comes into force today.

March 12th. North easterly gale. Walked to Newbiggin Point to see an armed yacht which had gone ashore early in the morning. The yacht yacht carried a gun fore & aft, a crew of fifty.

Forty six of the crew were saved by the Filey L.S.A. The rest were drowned.The yacht was the property of a French millionaire & was lent to the British government for the period of the war.

During March the price price of wheat has come down from 65/65/- per qr to 52/52/-.

The month of March has been very cold & wet. No harrowing was possible till the last two or three days in t he month.

April 6th. Left the village to live in a house at the Grange.

24th. Potatoes are selling selling retail at Brid at 1/3 per stone.

A fat bull made over £50 at Malton last week. A fat bullock of Mr Wheldon’s of Speeton made forty three pounds at Hull.

The consignment averaged over £40 each. A London buyer is buying a considerable number of bullocks in the district.

29th. Finished sowing corn.

Sold a few potatoes off the farm at 1/1/- per stone.

May 3rd. New Military Service Compulsion Bill passed. All men married or single up to 41 are liable for service.

May. First fortnight wet & cold rain nearly every every day

1,916 May 21st. The daylight saving bill comes into force today.

All clocks are to be put forward one hour in order to save lighting at night. Turnips are plentiful. Sheep are still on land to be sown with oats.

June. Weather on the whole wet & cold. cold.

A pair of wild swans flew over the district. A good view was obtained near the school the swans were flying low at the time.

Wheat down to 45/45/-. Potatoes £12 per ton.

July. Weather still very wet.

Castle’.

13th. Danish steamer “Alpha” ashore at ‘Wheather Castle’.

The vessel is wood laden.

An airship, the first seen in the district came round the coast and returned this evening. The ship is possibly one of the two stationed at Howden.

Aug 6th. Weather fine. An airship passed over the village today, very low. Had a good view from the North pasture.

18th. This week has been wet, in some places the rain has been very heavy & corn has been laid to a large extent.

A large number of soldiers are camped at the bottom of South Close. Turnips look like making a good crop. crop.

17th. Farmers Red cross Sale at Bridlington. A lamb was sold & resold till it realised 100 guineas.

Wheat is up to over 60/60/- per qr again.

30th. Weather wet & cold. First corn cut today at Walker Watson’s.

Sept 3rd. & 4th. Wet & stormy. 5th. Wet morning. morning. Started harvest.

Harvest wages £2 per week for local men.

21st. Finished cutting corn Two airships were to be seen near the village at the same time today.

The period during which corn was cut was on the whole cold & showery.

1,916 Sept. 24th.

During the night a Zeppelin airship passed over this district & was heard and seen by several people. Incendiary bombs were dropped at North Burton & Grindale but without doing any damage. The one at N. Burton I saw personally just about midnight.

30th. Four British British airships passed over or near the village today. Weather cold & foggy. Clocks are to be put back one hour tonight to Greewich time under the Daylight Saving Bill.

Oct. During the week ending Oct 8th. we were able to lead corn on only one day.

Oct 12th. Finished leading sheaves.

Oct 16th. Wet & stormy. Horses start to sleep in.

18th. Mr Yates buried at Reighton today.

21st. Finished harvest. Owing to bad weather have been six weeks and four days over the job. A circumstance possibly unequalled has occurred occurred during this harvest. Mr Watson of South field farm finished harvesting exactly three weeks before any of their neighbours.

Retailers are in some cases charging 3/3/- per stone for superfine flour.

Potatoes are 1/4 per stone at Bridlington market.

Harvest Harvest wages were high. 35/35/- to 40/40/- per week with board.

Some work in the harvest field has been done on Sunday on one of the farms at Speeton.

29th. Potatoes are ten pounds per ton wholesale.

Wheat is 70/70/- per qr, the highest price since the Crimean War. Weather wet & stormy. Very high winds.

Nov. 10th. to 13th. Sowing wheat.

Weather nicely settled fine & mild.

Ted Nelson killed in France.

1,916 Nov. 14th. Shot a wild duck in Garends pond. The first for a number of years.

At Driffield hirings on Monday a Waggoner was hired for a year for fifty pounds with board & lodging. This is the highest wage ever known in the district. Lads from fourteen to sixteen obtained from twenty to thirty pounds.

Dec. 3rd. Memorial services today at Speeton church for Nelson and at Reighton for John Evison who were killed in the war.

Large flocks of stockdoves are at present frequenting this district. A flock of some hundreds settled in the North pasture behind Garends pond. Had a shot at them, got two fine plump birds. It is unusual unusual for these birds to frequent this neighbourhood in flocks.

4th. Frosty, white over with snow.

9th. South east gale very heavy rain.

Owing to the high price of horses a good number of light draught horses are being imported from America. These are sold sold by auction at York and make £40 to £55 each. They are from three to five years old and mostly unbroken.

12th. Saw a pure white stockdove today.

13th. Have eaten the first bread made from government regulation flour. It is slightly darker than bread made from best white flour, but is not at all coarse and quite eatable.

18th. Saw a pied wagtail today. This is unusual as these birds usually are not seen here till the early spring.

Weather changeable, today frosty & foggy.

Wheat is £4 per qr. Barley 77/77/-. Oats Oats 56/56/-. Linseed cake £20 per ton. Cotton cake £16. Beef 16/16/- per stone at Xmas shows.

19th. A fall of snow about three inches thick took place during the afternoon. Hard frost.

1,916 Crop Report The Year of 1,916 has not been a good one for crops on the whole. It’s most noticeable feature was a lack of sunshine. The corn crops are bulky but the grain is rather small & light.

Harvesting extended in some cases into the eighth week. Most of the corn was finally secured in fine condition. On account of the continuation continuation of the war prices for all kinds of grain remain high and will possibly constitute a record.

Turnips are good in nearly all districts.

Potatoes medium, in some cases a lot of diseased tubers are found.

Hay crops good when secured in good condition. condition.

Grass plentiful. Seeds pastures very good.

Prices for all cereals were very high owing to the scarcity of shipping available for carrying grain from abroad.

Local prices were as follows; Autumn Dec Jan March Wheat 70/74/80/83/70/- to 75/75/74/80/83/Barley 58/73/78/72/58/- to 67/67/73/78/72/Oats 35/49/53/52/35/- to 40/40/49/53/52/Hay. The price for hay is fixed by the government at not more than £5. 10. 0 per ton. Wholesale & Oat straw £3 – Potatoes. The price for potatoes rteached £12. 0. 0 in early Nov. but fell quickly quickly to £8 by the middle of the month. Potatoes were sold retail in Hull at 2/2/- per stone.

Cotton cake £12. 0. 0. Linseed £14. 0. 0. per ton.

Prices for stock of all kinds were about the same as in 1915 but slightly higher if anything.

Dec. Linseed cake Cotton £14 cake £17 per ton.

Jan 1917 -//20 pounds £18 //1st. Beef 17/17/- per stone at Hull today.

1,916 Dec 24th.

Owing to an epidemic of colds & indisposition no patrol of the village was made by the Christmas singers. Weather fine & frosty. Sandy chased a beautiful black wild rabbit today.

1,917 Jan 25th.

Have not been to plough for nearly three weeks. The beginning of the month was wet & stormy followed by snow, then by frost cold east wind. Sold two fat heifers at Seamer market just over 21 months months for £38 each. Fat cows are making to £46 or £49 each. Mr Jackson of North Dale sent a fat bull to Driffield market this week which weighed at Speeton station turned the scale at one ton.

The government are commandeering oats at 47/6 per qr which dealers dealers have bought at 51/51/- & 52/52/- per qr.

January has been a bad month for field work. The first half of the month was wet with some snow followed by fine frosty weather. Land too hard to plough. All men of military age who have obtained exemption are compelled to join the volunteer force.

Feb 17th. The frost which set in on the 19th. of Jan and has held since that date to the present shows signs of breaking. During this period no field work with horses has been possible, ploughing is very backward.

Turnips are scarce, very few farmers have enough. Store sheep are cheaper, cattle are dearer. Potatoes are scarce, prices are fixed by the government at £9 per ton till the end of March then £10 till June. The price for seed potatoes is not fixed but is higher than for for **** Gilts in pig £8 each.

1,917 Jan 4th.

Weather windy & dry Small store pigs were sold at Driffield yesterday at 7/6 each owing to the high price of feeding stuff.

8th. North east gale, very heavy rain.

March 1st. From today fewer passenger trains will will be run the last leaving soon after 6 p.m. Mails will be much later in the morning not arriving till 12.45 instead of half past seven.

The Sunday trains will be discontinued altogether.

Weather settling nicely but second ploughings are not yet started. The fixing of minimum prices for cornfor a period of six years 1917 to 1922 inclusive appears to give general satisfaction to farmers.

The prices to be paid are as follows.

1917 18 & 19 20 & 22 Wheat 60/55/45/60/55/45/Oats 38/6 24/24/Farm labourers, labourers, minimum 25/25/- to include rent & housing.

The highroads are in bad repair, the road surveyor not being able to obtain sufficient material & labour for their repair.

March 6th. The weather over the weekend has been extremely cold with some frost & snow, wind wind east, quite a gale.

The first drill of the Speeton volunteers took place at the Council school last night at 7.30. Lieut. Wheldon of Speeton in charge.

8th. Shot a couple of wild ducks at North pasture waterhole.

9th. Weather since the 6th very wintry, too too frosty to plough.

12th. Frost gone ploughing today. A new kind of airship, about the shape of a cigar has been round the coast today.

16th. Mr Ellbeck of Speeton died today.

20th. A baby of Mrs Cooper’s died today.

21st. Wind North, heavy snow showers, white over with snow.

1,917 March 23rd. Khaki uniforms were served out to the local volunteers at Speeton school tonight.

28th. Sale of Mr. Ellbeck’s furniture 29th. Mr Ellbeck left to live with his daughter at Lutton.

The month of March has been very cold cold with numerous frosts, grass & wheat & seeds are very backward in fact they have made no progress during the month.

100 guineas is a common price for horses at farm sales.

Wheat is 90/90/- per qr, oats 60/60/-. snow fell April 1st. Severe snowstorm, about 8 inches of snow between 6 a.m. & 6 p.m.

2nd. Hard frost, snowing for six hours, drifts a yard deep behind field hedges.

5th. Been to Beverley for medical examination, passed fit for general service. 6 p.m. heavy snowstorm wind North.

8th. The week just ended has been been the worst for farmers for a long period. No field work has been possible. Hard frosts every morning. A large number of lambs have died owing to the cold and the scarsity(sic) of labour.

Daylight saving begins today.

A beggar called at the house today. It is so long since we saw one that I thought I would make a note of it.

9th. White over with snow.

15th. Local volunteers inspected at Hull by Fieldmarshall Vicount (sic) French.

20th. Started harrowing 23rd. Sowing barley. This is the latest date on which which sowing was started on record.All farmers have to make a return of all farm implements, cattle & horses before May 1st.

The government have withdrawn the order which prevented the killing of calves under the age of six months. In spite of the war there is at present more livestock in the United Kingdom than at any previous time.

1,917 may 1st. A local farmer drilled his first corn today A large airship, said to be a captured German Zeppelin has been round the coast today.

Weather fine & dry.

4th. Finished sowing corn.

Fat sheep are making 1/6 per lb at the local markets.

25th. A haystack of Mr Wheldon’s containing about twelve tons was burnt today.

28th. Whit Monday. Very fine. Large number of visitors at Speeton for the day. 100 left by the 6 p.m. train.

June 1st. Drilling Swedes, weather fine & dry, strong wind.

6th. Saw a magpie in North pasture this morning.

Beef is £1 per stone this week.

18th. Saw two magpies today.

19th. Saw a live badger on the cliff today, this is the first I have seen. Weather hot hot & dry, rain much needed.

In some cases turnips have had to be sown three times.

23rd. Finished sowing turnips.

Harry Noble died at the Lloyd hospital from congestion of the lungs.

24th. Raining all day.

July 8th. The local volunteers paraded at Hunmanby for general inspection.

A private of the Norfolks was drowned at Reighton while bathing.

Rain much needed, pastures are very bare. Sheep pastures are especially poor.

Both sheep & cattle are down in price.

July 18th. Nice litte(sic) rain today.

20th. Hunts Hunts territorials moved camp from Butterworth’s field to ours today.

27th. Finished hoeing turnips.

29th & 30th. Heavy rain, wind north.

1,917 August First week wet & cold, heavy rain.

Sold ten fat lambs at 78/78/- each. th 15 . Saw black wild rabbit. Shot wild duck duck Weather warm & showery 12th. Man killed at Brid by lightning.

21st. Started harvest, weather windy & showery.

Several sheep & cattle have been killed by lightning in this district. This is an unusual occurrence.

26th. & 27 Heavy rain.

The week ending Sept 1st. has been one of the worst possible for harvest work, exceptionally heavy rain fell nearly every day.

Sept 5th. Finished cutting corn. Weather nicely settled.

A german submarine shelled Scarboro last night. Three persons are said to have been killed. killed.

11th. Saw a steamer sink in the bay, after being torpedoed. It is estimated that ten steamers have been sunk in a week between Whitby & Flamboro Head.

13th. The weather has been fine for ten days. Raining today.

The government is commandeering cattle for for the army.

A fixed price of 74/74/- per live hundredweight is being paid for them. This price drops gradually to 60/60/- in Jan 1918.

This price is supposed to be the maximum for private sales of fat cattle as well, but at Driffield on the 11th it was exceeded exceeded by 25 per cent.

16th. The entire corn harvest of Mr Walter Coleman of North Burton was destroyed by fire today.

17th. Finished loading sheaves.

24th. Finished harvest. Weather fine & dry.

30th. Firing recruits course at Boynton range. Very fine day.

Oct 7th. Heavy shower of snow followed by rain, very cold. At the sales of breeding sheep gimmer shearlings made to seven guineas each. Sold two fat ewes for ÂŁ5. 19. 0 each.

10th. The Hunts cyclists have struck camp and left the village today. The Norfolks have have come in for the winter.

Horses slept in first time on the 8th.

Bacon is extremely dear. Pigs are making up to twenty three or twenty four shillings per stone. Cooked ham in Bridlington is 3/3/- per lb.

Oct 22nd to 24th. Sowing wheat. Weather cold & dry, slight showers 24th. Steamer sunk in the bay.

29th. Finished taking up potatoes.

30th. A gas alarm signal posted in the village.

2nd. Steamer “Jessie” of Grangetown after being shelled by submarine was abandoned & drifted ashore under Buckton cliffs. L.S.A. L.S.A. was called out & went by Bempton to the cliff only to find the vessel as stated above. Four of the crew were drowned. Quantity of wreckage is coming ashore including a few drums of oil. Have brought one up to the farm containing about five gallons of mineral mineral oil.

Nov 3rd. Two or three more steamers have been sunk in the bay during the night.

The wages for thrahing hands are 8/8/- per day.

13th. Mr Nathaniel Coleman died suddenly today.

Weather very fine & dry. Ploughing forward.

25th. Wind North. Heavy gale. gale.

26th. Snowstorm during the afternoon. Army motorlorry stuck in a drift below Dotterel about 7.30 p.m.

Wages for yearly farm servants are very high. Waggoners are getting £40 to £50 with board & lodging.

Dec 3rd. Hard frost. High Nor west winds, heavy sea. Last nights tide reached further inshore than any I have yet seen.

A body was washed ashore on the beach today.

L.S.A. men got for service at the stranding of S.S. Jessie.

10th. A cow in calf was sold at Malton market on Saturday for seventy five pounds. pounds.

20th. A bullock weighing 141 stones live weight was sold at York Christmas market for ÂŁ101.

The best sheep at Malton made over ÂŁ8 each.

Christmas day. Weather stormy. Strong North wind with showers of snow and medium frost.

1,917 Crop Report The year 1917 has not been a good one for crops.

The weather has touched all the extremes in turn, severe frosts lasting for weeks at a time in the early part of the year, heavy snowstorms in April, drought in June & July, cold wet August all combined to make the hay & corn harvests as well as the root crops a succession of failures. Hay is perhaps one of the lightest on record, while the wet August changed what might have been light crops of good quality to light crops of medium to poor quality. The weather during harvest was fairly good after a wet period in the second week & most of the corn was stacked in very fair condition. Prices for corn are fixed by the government and are lower than last year.

Prices Wheat 73/6 in Autumn Barley 65/all the season 65/Oats 45/45/Potatoes. Minimum of £6 to be paid to the grower.

Hay & straw the same as last year All kinds of feeding stuffs are very scarce. They can only be obtained in small quantities at extremely high prices.

Prices for stock of all kinds have been very high. high.

Fat lambs up to 90/90/-. Beef up to 20/20/- per stone.

Bacon was quoted at 25/25/- per stone at Hull in October.

Milk cows up to £47 each.

13th Dec. Four milk cows, the property of one farmer were sold at York market for £290.

1,918 Jan 1st. Weather wintry & cold, very dry for the season.

Second ploughing is nearly finished on most farms in this district. Labour is fairly plentiful, some men have been released from the army to work on the land.

A new cattle sales order has come into force this week.

All cattle cattle must be sold at a public market at a fixed price after being graded & weighed. Very few cattle have been offered this week and much inconvenience has been caused as there was not nearly enough to go round. Pigs are also sold alive by weight and are very scarce. Sheep are not controlled and made very high prices.

A pen of three sheep were sold at Hull for ÂŁ9. 14. 0 each.

8th. Severe snowstorm, roads running East & West blocked.

The train from Brid to Scarboro due at Speeton 7.35 a.m. did not come till after after 12 p.m. 9th. Extremely hard frost, very cold.

Beef is very scarce. Butchers are allowed to sell only half their usual quantity. Prices arte fixed by the local food committee.

Filey Wesleyan Chapel burned down.

14th. Severe frost, heavy showers of snow, snow, drifting.

All sheep must be sold by weight from today. At Seamer the sheep were weighed then the value of the skins estimated after which they were allotted to the butchers at the price fixed viz 1/2 per pound of dressed meat. The price for sheep of all ages is the same.

Feed cakes are ÂŁ19. 15. 0. per ton for cash within fourteen days.

17th. Gladys Hodgson of this village was severely burned this morning through her clothes being set alight while lifting the kettle from the fire. She died in the Lloyd hospital hospital at Bridlington the same night.

Feb 11th. Weather mild for the season. Beef very scarce. We were not able to buy any last week, were offered a small piece

of pork or nothing. Bridlington market was opened this morning as a grading centre.

Straw for bedding bedding is very scarce. Mr Jackson of Buckton Hall is using rough grass sods cut on the cliff for bedding the yards.

Feb 13th. Mrs Reed of this village died this morning aged 70 years.

22nd. Fine week, first half frosty, latter half high West winds.

We have have a fine pair of crossbred lambs a week old.

A Hunmanby woman refused an offer of 14/14/- for a pair of crossbred laying pullets.

Reaper twine is 111/111/- per cwt.

27th. The furniture & effects of the late Mrs Reed were sold by auction today. High prices were realised. realised. Mr Reed has gone into lodgings at Mr Hodgsons.

Weather very cold & dry, several farmers are harrowing.

March 3rd. Northeasterly gale, very cold. A mine was washed ashore near Reighton Gap today the explosive was removed from it on Monday & the case case brought to the C.G. station. th 12 . Finished second ploughing for turnips. Weather very fine. 9 p.m. Zeppelins just overhead. Flamborough guns firing. Windows & doors rattled at Speeton. 13th. Not much damage was done by the Zepps. Four bombs were dropped dropped in Hull. One woman died from shock. Started harrowing today.

18th. John Clubley of Reighton killed while harrowing by a pair of horses which run away and galloped over him.

He was 62 years old and worked for Mr J.H. Coleman.

21st. Mr Judd of Speeton died died suddenly today he was forty years old & had lived at Speeton over twenty years.

Sun crossed line with wind. South west weather warm & dry.

Horses are making big prices at Farm sales, some are making ÂŁ140 each. Three two year olds made from 70 to 90 guineas guineas each at a sale at Nafferton.

Heavy crop of lambs. Triplets are common, a few ewes in the district had four lambs each.

Saw the first wagtail of the season on the 20th & Red Admiral butterfly on the 25th.

April 11th. Weather cold, very thick fog. No field field work possible.

Have done no harrowing since April came in.

April 19th. The past week has been the coldest whole week I remember in April. For six days the wind has been blowing a full gale from the North, today we have had heavy showers of snow. Have worn worn a topcoat at field all the week. Two very large mines are ashore on the beach a quantity of wood and a few pieces of butter and margerine. During last night a very big explosion occurred on the coast but no one appears to know what it was. The general idea idea is that a mine struck a rock and exploded. The mines have broken from thjeir moorings owing to the gale.

Ap 20th. A large quantity of margarine and butter washing up today. Some of it is still in boxes but a large quantity is loose owing to the boxes breaking breaking up. People are coming from all the villages for five or six miles round. A few people have got a cwt, some more. It was estimated that there have been several tons ashore between here & Filey during the week end.

24th. Wind still North, very foggy & cold.

A mine washed ashore at Bridlington and though attempts were made to secure it, it finally struck one of the breakwaters and exploded. No lives were lost but a large amount of damage was done by the breaking of windows & on the front. The wind has been between North & East from the last day in March till the second week in May & we have had one of the coldest springs for a long time. May 6th. A litter of newly weaned pigs were sold at Bridlington cattle market today for

64/64/- each. Gilts in pig are quoted quoted up to £23 each. 30,000 men are to be taken off the land for the army before the end of June May 16th. Finished sowing corn, weather cold & unsettled.

June. Weather fine & warm, very dry.

4th. Drilling swedes, 15th. Finished sowing turnips.

22nd. Large Large steamer torpedoed in the bay.

June 23rd.

Firing musketry course at Boynton range.

July 1st. Five calving heifers sold at Bridlington today averaged thirty nine pounds each.

14th. There have been showers all the week. Rather cold.

20th. Finished hoeing turnips. Weather warm & showery.

July 18th. A sale of work was held at Speeton today to raise money for Parcels for prisoners of war & comforts for soldiers.

The sum of thirty two pounds was raised for these purposes.

26th. Whist drive in Mr Burdass’s granary. granary. nd August 2 . Farmers red cross sale at Bridlington.

Three beasts. 70 sheep, about a dozen pigs, poultry, rabbits, kittens, dogs, fruit, vegetables, turnips, manure, hardware, farm implements all helped to make the sale a success.

About £1,000 was raised raised by the sale.

15. First corn cut at Speeton today at Mr W Watson’s.

22nd. Started harvest. Weather warm, blustery wind.

A farm labourers union is being formed in this district. Some labourers have been on strike in the neighbourhood but not at Speeton. The The men are asking four pounds per week without board or three with board. The farmers club suggested ten shillings per week less in either case. These wages are for one month’s harvest.

Sept 2nd. Wages for farm labourers have been fixed by the government for for the whole of Yorkshire. The wage is 35/35/- for men over 18 years old for a fifty four hours week. Overtime 9d per hour, 11 ½d for Sunday labour.

3rd. finished cutting corn. Owing to our own binder breaking we employed an A.S.C. tractor & binder to finish the cutting.

These tractors have been used for reaping on many farms in the district. Weather cold & showery during the period of cutting corn. Crops mostly good, labour scarse(sic) One local farmer cut some corn on Sunday.

Sept. 9th Sold some Spring chickens chickens off the farm for 18/3 per couple.

These chickens were sold by auction at Bridlington cattle mkt 14th. Raining all day. This has been a bad week for leading.

Showers nearly every day. 15th, 16th, 17th, Heavy rain every day. Oats are sprouting in the stook. stook. No leading possible.

16th. Sold four fat ewes for £7. 1. 0. each.

26th. Rain has fallen nearly every day for a fortnight.

Lot of corn still out.

21st. Mr Butterworth’s farm was offered for sale by auction at the Black Lion at Bridlington today but was was not sold.

Cliff cottage was sold to father for £180.

Oct 1st. Fine day.This is only the second day on which a full days leading has been possible since we commenced to lead.

5th. Finished leading sheaves. Strong wind & showers daily.

6th. Horses sleeping in.

11th. Finished harvest. We have been seven weeks & 1 day from starting to finishing harvest.

A lot of farms & land have been sold this summer in this district for high prices but there is a slump in land at present.

In several cases lately no offer at all has been made for farms offered by auction. A pair of six year old cart horses sold by auction this week at Driffield realised £375.

Nov 2nd. Mrs Temples baby died today.

Lot of people down with influenza This is the worst visit of this plague that I remember. Thousands of people have died during the last three weeks in England.

Nov 6th & 7th. Sowing wheat. Two fine days in the midst of a very unsettled period.

18th. The influenza epidemic has invaded this district.

On some farms all the men are ill. Field work has to be left till a more convenient season. A Filey doctor yesterday sent out his medicene(sic) to the villages North of Filey in three large laundry baskets. 70 people are ill at Wold Newton.

Nov 17th.

A united thanksgiving service was held held at the church today to return thanks for the cessation of fighting.

Owing to the near approach of peace farmers are to be allowed to use one fifth of their barley for feeding purposes.

Herbert Thornton who has been Mr Burdass’s waggoner for six years died died on the 20th from influenza.

25. Mr Temple is leaving Speeton for Kelk today.

Mr Carr who has been at Speeton one year only is also leaving. He is going to Filey.

20th. Moved from the Grange to Cliff Cottage.

About half the village is or has been down with with the flu. th Dec 6 . Been to thrash at Burdass’s. Not one man would have any beer. This is the first time such a thing has occurred since I began to go out thrashing.

At present there are four houses empty at Speeton.

Farm men hired for the year obtained up to £60 with board & lodging.

14th. General Election. None of the candidates held a meeting at S. before the election. A large number of women were entitled to vote under the new franchise act, but only a few availed themselves of this privilege. Less interest interest than usual was taken in the election. There were three candidates one of them a labour man. Christmas Eve. Weather fine & frosty, rather cold.

29th . Weather very wet. Rain every day & night. Mild.

1,918

Crop Report

The harvest this year has been a good one.

The weather has been the worst we could possibly have had.

Our own harvest covered a period of seven weeks & one day and we finished three weeks before the last of our neighbours.

The weather with the exception of a period in June and another in August was very unsettled and on the whole cold. The crops on the whole were both heavy and good & some good yields per acre have been realised since thrashing commenced. Wages for harvesting were fixed by the wages board at 70/70/- per week without food & 55/55/- with food. A large number of soldiers were sent onto farms for the harvest, but owing to their lack of skill were not a great success. Root crops in this district are good. Sheep pastures have been very good. Hay crops medium but spoiled by the weather. weather. Potatoes bulky, but a good few bad.

Prices for everything sold off the farm or bought for use on the farm are fixed by the government.

No tail corn may be used on the farm without permission.

Good feed cake is ÂŁ20 per ton.

Prices for corn are as follows follows Wheat Autumn 75/6 March 76/76/Barley -//Nov 70///- 67/67/70/- March 67/67/- to 70 Oats -//Dec 49/6 March 43///- 47/6 43/Potatoes Hay ÂŁ6. 10. 0 Oat straw 3. 5. 0 Beef 75/75/- per live cwt rising to 78/78/- by the New Year.

Fat sheep 75/-//75///Store stock is sold as usual & makes very high prices Wool 23/6 per st

1,919 Jan 9th. The weather is still unsettled. Very heavy rains nearly every day. Sheepfolds are in a bad state.

A nice milk cow sold at Bridlington on Monday last for 65 pounds.

17th. Saw a red admiral admiral butterfly in the house today.

21st. 24 hours rain. The flag at the CoastCoast-guard station is flying at half mast owing to the death of the King’s youngest son, Prince John who died on the 18th.

Feb 7th. Weather dry & frosty, Wold hills white over with sno snow w 15th. Too hard to plough all this week.

17th. Mr Brigham left Speeton today. He eas taken a place at Wetwang. Wind east, very cold.

19th. Started second ploughing.

23rd. Mild day. Saw a few scouts on the cliff 25th. Mr Swaby left today for Wetwang. There are now seven empty houses in the village. Two stacks of straw in a field on Buckton lane were found to be on fire this morning. The coastguard saw the fire at half past three and roused a few people but nothing could be done and the stacks were allowed to burn out. 15th. Weather very bad. Very heavy rains this week. Mr Hinds has taken Mr Brigham’s place as shepherd at Butterworth’s 17th. Speeton volunteers handed in all equipment tonight.

Weather much better, dry & cold. Saw a corn drill at work.

22nd. 11 p.m. A fire is burning. It is either Mr Burdass’s strawstack above the station or Mr Watson’s at Road Top. The Wold hills were white over with snow this morning.

The stack fire was Mr Watson’s stack.

There has been a large number of changes this Lady day in the district. Nearly every village has had one or more farm sales. All the big farmers are leaving Speeton. Mr Burdass has sold out and is retiring to Scarboro. Mr Wheldon is moving to Howe farm at Hunmanby. Mr Butterworth has

bought two farms at Brigham Brigham and is going there to live but is keeping Speeton on.

Mr M Mainprize has come to live at The Grange moving there from Mr Crowe’s at Reighton.

Mr Watson from North burton has taken Mr Burdass’s farm & Mr Coleman comes to Manor farm.

Weather cool & unsettled, unsettled, fairly dry. Grass backward.

17th. Finished sowing barley. Weather showery & cool.

27th. Hard frost. Snow showers. Wind North.

Nine Filey fishermen have been drowned during the past ten days, seven by the blowing up of a drifter by a mine, two as the result result of a coble accident near the brigg.

A sow which was sold at a Grindale farm sale for £50 is rearing 15 pigs at the estate farm at Boynton.

27th. 8 p.m. Snowing fast. Started at noon there is now six inches of snow on the flat and a lot of drift have just fetched the ewes & lambs from North Pasture into the stack yard & sheds. Wind East.

May 10th. Finished sowing corn. Weather very unsettled.

25th. Fire at Buckton Hall. Nothing left of the house but the walls. The fire was caused by a beam in the chimney chimney catching fire. Only a little of the furniture was saved.

The weather for fourteen days Weather fine & dry. June 1st.

Has been very fine. 6th & 7th. Sowing Swedes, weather still fine & dry.

8th. Caught a very fine cock moorfowl.

Brought it home for general general inspection & then let it away again.

June 29th. Showery day. We have had seven weeks of very fine weather with only very slight showers. Rain was much needed July 1st. Today & yesterday we have several hours rain. Wind North. Very rough sea and high tides.

2nd. Started hoeing turnips.

Found a cuckoo in a larks nest in the North Pasture.

15th. Showery. 19th. Been to Brid to see the historical pageant.

19th. Today is the day appointed for the peace celebrations. Tea was provided for the whole population population of the village, after which there were sports for everybody who cared for them Wm. Jackson while going home to South field farm was run over by a motorcar and had his leg broken.

July 22nd. Mr Jackson of South Field farm died in Lloyd hospital today.

August August 16th. First corn cut at Mr A. Watson’s today The weather is very fine & dry. Pastures are very bare.

18th. Fleet of large minesweepers in the bay, also some drifters.

These boats are making a tour of the coast towns for exhibition purposes.

22nd. Started Started harvest. Weather showery, strong wind.

First corn cut on the 16th at Mr A. Watson’s.

25th. Very heavy rainstorm. Wind S. East.

28th. North East gale. Very heavy rain.

Sept 4th. Rain every day for the past week.

9th. Finished cutting corn.

A few local men have not been able to get a job harvesting 13th. Heavy rain. Large crop of brambles this year.

20th. Ponds partly frozen over. Heavy showers of snow.

26th. Finished leading sheaves. Dry. Strong West wind 30th. Finished harvest. Have been five weeks & four days from start to finish. Weather bad on the whole. A national railway strike is at present in progress. The dispute concerns the settlement of wages on a peace foundation. A report is in circulation that the Filey fishermen have threatened to shoot the first man who strikes at Filey & the men at present are still on duty. One train each way has been run today. Drivers have been brought over from France ( that is Army men) to run these trains for the Government who have still control of the whole railway railway system. One cwt of coal only is to be

allowed for each house till further notice. Motor transport is being used for both passenger and goods traffic. Oct 6th.

Railway men restarted work.

16th. Weather cold & showery, frosts at night. All stock sleeping in. Bought heavy cart at Crawford’s sale at Foston last week.

1,919 Crop Report The harvest of this year varies from medium to poor. The season was too dry for crops to be bulky enough to give a good very ry light yield of corn or straw. On the Wold Spring corn is ve but on heavier land there are some fair crops. The weather during harvest was wet and stormy including a heavy shower of snow but the corn was finally secured in good condition. For some years harvesting has been a long job this year we were five weeks & four days from start to finish.

Wages were the highest ever known.

Four pounds per week without board was the Government fixed wage. Hours 7. to 7. & till 8. in leading time. Pastures have been very bare. Hay crops fearfully light. Turnips good on the coast, bad on the Wolds.

Barley and Oats are free of Gov. control and much dearer.

Wheat is still at the same price as last year.

Feeding stuffs & manures dearer than ever.

Prices for corn Wheat Autumn 75/6. Dec 75/6 Barley -////- £5 to £6 to £6. £6. 5. 0 Oats 65/65/Feeding cakes -//£25 per ton //Hay £13 -////Straw Oat 5 -////Beef & Mutton 75/75/- per live cwt Pork 14/8 -////- stone Potatoes 12/12/- per cwt Some Swedes have been sold by Brid Corporation at £40 per acre the buyer buyer to pull & cart.

Wool Half Down

37/37/- per stone Leicester 27/27/-

1,919 Oct 28th.

Weather stormy. Wind North. Very heavy sea. Quantity of wreckage on the beach including a few apples. Have brought a apples,, few home in fair condition. They are small eating apples Russetts. A few were said to be sold at Filey last night for five shillings per stone.

Nov 6th & 7th. Sowing wheat. The weather for the past fortnight has been very wet & stormy. Rainstorms every day & night. Some barley was sold at Driffield on the 6th for £6. 2. 6. per qr. Some local farmers are selling turnips off the land. These are being sent inland by rail and are making big prices. A goods number of farm men are out of work in the district at present. 11th. Whit over with snow, light frost, wind East. Sold some barley off the farm at £5.17.6 per qr.

14th. Six inches of snow. Wind East.

Lot of wood on the beach, long poles.

18. A black wild rabbit was found on the farm today.

An accident on the cliff near ”Weather Castle” on the 22nd.

A young man, one one of a party of wreckers working at the wreck of the Alpha was descending the cliff by a rope from a derrick and by some means when near the bottom lost his hold of the rope & fell. He was carried up to the village and taken to Filey in a car suffering from from an injury to his back.

25th. Mr Hodgson has left Speeton for Carnaby. His place at Butterworth’s being taken by Mr Hall from Kelk. Mr Mainprize has left the Grange & gone back to Reighton. Rain every day or night.

30th. Hard frost. Rain late at night. Very Very cold.

Dec 6th. Barley down 25/25/- per qr at Bridlington Oats 3/3/-., th 7 Heavy showers of snow, very cold. Thunder & lightning at night.

15th. Weather very dull. Rain every day with strong wet to--day winds. Astronomers predicted fearful happenings for to

owing owing to a conjunction of planets but nothing serious occurred in England. 31st rain every day or night. Weather mild.

1,920 Jan 1st. Brindle cow had twin calves. 1st to 6th. Frosty 8th. SouthSouth-westerly gale, very severe. Much damage to stacks & buildings. 12 12th. Another instalement(sic) of the S.West gale. Some barley for seed has been sold in stack for 27 per qr at Bridlington market. Jan 19th. Weather mild.

21st. Dutch trawler ashore under Buckton cliff. The crew walked ashore at low water and came up to the the C.G. station, leaving later for Grimsby. 22nd. Have been on to the stranded trawler today, her name is Zandstroom. Brought home a load of fish. 26th. Seen the first primroses today. Fine bunch.

27th. South East gale., heavy rain. Very cold.

Feb 3rd. Weather Weather fine. Very strong winds. th 9 . Strong S.W. winds. Very cold.

Government control has been removed from butter/milk & Farmer’s butter is selling at 3/6 to 5/5/- per pound. th 14 . Have had s pell of dry windy weather. Finished second ploughing for barley today. today. Moleskins are now selling at 2/2/each. Rabbit skins at 1/1/-. Rabbits are scarse(sic) 16th. Mrs Jackson’s baby died this morning at the Grange.

18th. First wagtail seen today. Mr A. Watson is drilling barley 19th. The weather which has been fine & dry is breaking today.

25th. Weather fine & mild. Sold some fat hoggs for 7 guineas each. The graders allowed 33/6 each for the hogg skins.

March 11th. Weather fine & dry. Finished second ploughing, started harrowing. Leicester ewes made up to 20 guineas each at Mr J. Cranswick’s sale at Hunmanby yesterday.

14 & 15. Heavy rain, all field work stopped. Wind North.

13. Fine lamb born on the farm. Weighed 16 ½ pounds at birth.

22nd. Seen the AuroraAurora-Borealis, this is the first time for a good number of years. Some fields fields of barley can be seen in rows across the fields. A gilt & litter of pigs were sold at a farm sale at Bempton for £26. 10. 0. The young pigs were only a few hours old. Sun crossed line with the weather fine & dry. Store beasts were sold at Brid cattle mart today up to £45 each, gilts in pig 1818- to 20.

March 23rd. Sowing barley. Weather fine & dry.

29th. Coleman’s farm stock sale.Heavy rain. All stock is making big prices at farm sales this year. Good wagons & rullies to 90 pounds each. Binders to sixty sixty pounds and all farm implements much higher prices than usual. April 9th. No field work has been done since the first. Rain every day.

Mr. Sawdon from Langtoft has taken Manor farm.

15th. Weather still wet. Rain every day. No field work possible. Mr Scrivener Scrivener from Bridlington has come to take up work at Manor farm. Flour has gone up I n price 1/1/- per stone. th 20 . Weather still wet. All sheep on seeds. Grass growing nicely.

30th. Weather improving. Lot of corn still to sow. We did not sow any from March 23rd till the 29th of April.

May 3rd. Finished sowing corn, fine dry day. Strong West wind. Eclipse of the moon visible at Speeton.

10th. Weather much better but still cold. Banked a few potatoes 17th. Mr Hall has left Butterworth’s for North Dale, his place being taken by Mr Taylor from North Dale.

24th & 25th. Sowing Swedes. Weather fine. Land in good order.

Mr Butterworth is still sowing corn. Two six week old calves were said to be sold for £11 each at Seamer market a week ago. June. Fine & dry. 10th. Finished Finished sowing turnips. This is

the earliest date on which I remember finishing sowing turnips. 20th. Raining today, land was very dry.

June 28th. Finished hoeing Swedes. July 2nd. Have had a nice lot of rain during the last few days.

July 4th. Very heavy rainstorm. rainstorm. Wind North. Cold. S.S. Anniversary 8th. Found a cuckoo in a lark’s nest in home pasture.

Weather still wet but much warmer.

12th. Sold three fat lambs at Brid for £6 .10 .0 each. A pen at Seamer made £6 .15 .0. These are supposed to be record prices prices for fat lambs. Weather still showery.

23rd. Wet. Rain every day. Much hay wasted.

July.

23rd. A cow on the farm gave six gallons & three pints of milk in twenty four hours this week.

August 2nd. Shearlings at Brid market made up to £9.15 each 9th. Lambs -//7.19 //Weather still showery. Aug 16. A pen of shearlings made 10.0.0 Aug 15th. A motor car stuck in a soft place in the sand & although two horses were yoked to it, it had to be left till the night tide when a four horse team pulled it out and took it to Filey. The salvors received £20 for their help.

18th. Mr A. Watson started cutting barley today.

27th. Started harvest. Weather settling nicely but cold.

30th. Found two primroses today in the garden.

15. Very slow weather for harvest. harvest. Started leading barley yesterday. Raining t o day.

17th. Finished cutting corn. Weather very unsettled.

18th. Heavy thunderstorm. A house is being built near the mere by Mr F. Postill of Brid for his own occupation.

28th. Fine weather but very wet mornings. mornings. Leading very slow. th Oct 12 . We have only got one load of sheaves during the past fortnight. Sheep at the Autumn breeding sales have made record prices. Gimer shearlings at Brid up to £11. 15. 0. Store lambs £6 to £7. 0. 0. Butchers sheep very scarce. The supply seems to have been exhausted during the holiday season.

Harvest still drags on. Much corn still to be got in.

19th. Finished leading sheaves. 14th to 18. Sowing far field wheat. All coal miners in England on strike. We have supplies for some weeks, weeks, also for thrashing.

Started sheep on turnips, good crop. Lot of oats heating in stack. 25th. About half the passenger trains have been discontinued owing to the coal strike. Have finished harvest with the exception of a cartload of rakings. We have been been over eight weeks over the job. A good few farmers are still harvesting. 29th. Finished sowing wheat. Land dry & in nice condition. Horses sleeping out still.

Wool. Halfdown 35/35/- per stone Leicester 17/6. Dec much cheaper

30th. Mr E Artley died this morning. morning.

Nov. Shot a very fine wild drake this morning.

4th. Thrashing. Wheat very poor. Barley fair.

5/--.

15. S. West gale. L.S.A. practice. Pay raised to 5/ All corn down in price except wheat which is controlled.

Mr Suggitt has left Greenland for Brigham. His place being taken by Mr Taylor from Church farm.

Mr Hide is leaving Butterworths for Harpam Grange.

30th. We have had a little rain during the last three days. Nov has been dry & fine. We have had no rain for some weeks. A quantity of candles have been washing up on the beach at Spring tides for some weeks. I got two score this weekend.

Six houses are to built at Speeton by the R.D.Council. Work has just been begun.

12th. A large mast was washed up on the beach early this week. It is ninety feet long & 27 inches in diameter. Wind East. Snowing to day. Dec. The larger part of the month was wet & stormy. Jan 10th 1921. Two or three attempts to salve the large mast on the beach have been made by the coast guards from Speeton & Filey but have failed up to the the present.

1,920 Crop Report The year of 1920 has been a year of extremes so far as the weather was concerned, the result was that some crops were very good others very bad. Pastures & roots were on the whole very good. The hay crop was heavy but most of of it was completely wasted & when stacked was of little more value than straw. Wheat was very poor. Barley fair, oats very light.

The sowing period extended over three months. Some barley was sown in February & oats the last week in May. We did not sow any corn in April the land being too wet the whole of the month. Turnips are very good in this district but not so good in some places inland. The weather during harvest was very bad. From start to finish we were eight weeks, some farmers who started sooner were were ten weeks or more. Prices are lower for oats & Barley but higher for milling wheat. The wheat yield on our own farm was only three qrs per acre & the quality very poor, on some farms only about 2 qrs.

Prices were as follows Wheat. Gov price for wheat fit for flour.

95/95/Barley Oct £5. to £5.10.0 Nov £4 to £5 Dec £2/10 to £4 Oats -//-////- £3 //- £2.10.0 -////- 38/38/- to 45/45/Dec 30th Wheat down to 80/80/- per qr.

Feeding cakes are plentiful and much lower in price.

Best cotton cake £14. Dec 30th. Best cotton cake £11. 10. 0 Bombay £8. 0. 0. Artificial manures are to be reduced in price.

Prices for stock are higher than ever especially for good stuff.

Breeding ewes & shearlings good £9 to £11.

Fat lambs to £8. Fat calves to £15.

Dec. Dec. The prices for all kinds of live stock are tending downwards.

1,921 Jan 3rd. Weather mild & wet. Heavy rains this week end.

A large number of farm men are out of work. In some villages the number is from ten to nearly 20.

10th. A few primroses are to be found on the cliff. In our garden they have been in flower since October.

Mr Clements from Brid has come to live at the Grange.

11th. Mr Reed died this afternoon at Mr Judds where he has been lodging for over a year. He was eighty six years old.

Weather still still mild. Raining to night.

11th. Mr & Mrs Percy Butterworth have left to day for Scarboro Owing to scarcity of live stock there are many more turnips than can be used. The blacksmith has been making an implement to destroy them for a local farmer. A report report is current that the windmill has been sold to a local builder and will be taken down at an early date.

Feb 7th. L.S.A. called out at 4.45 a.m. Filey reported a ship firing rockets under Buckton Cliff. Searched the coast to past Bempton Hut but found nothing. nothing. 10/6 for the job.

10th. The windmill was collapsed to day. Sold to Sawdon builder.

28th. Weather still fine. Finished second ploughing for barley.

23rd. Mr A Watson is sowing barley to day. Mr Butterworth drilled some corn about a week ago.

March 19th. Drilling. Four acres barley. Weather fine & dry.

21st. Sun crossed line with the wind in the West, fine & dry.

Sold a fat heifer at Brid market, 21 months old, for £48 .10 and one 17 months for £39 .5 .0. A fat lamb made £4. 10. 0.

23rd. Butterworth’s farm farm stock sale. Cattle first class trade.

Sheep medium. Horses very poor. Horses are down forty per cent since last year. 25th. Saw the first bats of the season to night, this is very early for them to be seen.

30th. Finished sowing barley. Weather very fine fine & dry.

13th. Raining to day. We have had very little rain for ten weeks. It has been one of the driest springs on record. Eclipse of the sun visible at Speeton on the 8th.

April 30th. Weather still dry. On some farms no spring corn has been sown. Beef very dear. Big sheep cheaper. Mr Plewes of this village died suddenly on the 21st of this month aged 71.

May 4th. Finished drilling corn but have still an acre to sow on the hillside.

25th. Sowing Swedes. Weather fine & dry. Rain needed especially on strong strong land. June 9th. Finished sowing turnips.

Weather fine & dry. Rain much needed.

June 10th. Taken up some nice early potatoes. This is the earliest date on which I remember taking up potatoes.

14th. A straw stack burnt at Reighton Moor farm.

15th. A large fire is burning at Hull. The smoke can be easily seen here with the eye. Land very dry. Rain much needed.

June 24th. Started hoeing turnips, nice plants.

-////- 27th. Sold the first fat lambs of the season ÂŁ5. 2. 6 each.

Shearlings are down over two pounds per head since March.

July 3rd. Found a large dead bird on the beach to day. It measured six feet across the wings & was white with the exception of the wings from the first joint outwards which was oes. black. The legs were green with a blue streak down its ttoes.

9th. Weather still very dry. Led the hay without cocking.

Nearly all the ponds are dry. Picked garden peas today, this is three weeks earlier than usual.

26th. We have had nice showers for two days. This has been the driest season for fifty years. Have Have been cleaning out Garends & Cow pasture ponds. Nearly all the ponds in the district are dry. A lot of turnips on strong land are either not sown or have not come up. Cutting corn has begun in the Driffield district. Mr A Watson of Speeton cut corn in July.

July. th Aug 4 . Started harvest. Weather warm & unsettled.

Heard of a village further South where there is a difficulty in procuring enough water to make tea.

26th. Finished cutting corn. Just had a weeks fog.

One farmer who cut corn a month ago has not led any. any.

Sept 1st.

All the corn in the village is now cut. Nice day. th 15 . Finished harvest. Have been six weeks on the job.

Sold the wool 7/9 per stone. Potatoes 12/12/- per cwt.

Oct 5th. Weather still fine & dry. Too hard to plough.

Had a days thrashing last week. week. The wheat yielded six quarters per acre of dressed corn. Barley 5/5/-. Prices are only low for good dry corn. Farm labourers wages were reduced 1/1/per day a little while ago a further reduction is possible in the near future.

A large number of men are out of work, 9 at Reighton.

Oct 9th. Beautiful SpringSpring-like day. Saw Red Admiral butterfly. Breeding sheep are less than half the price of a year ago. Shearlings can be bought for 80/80/- to 90/90/- that would have cost ÂŁ10 a year ago.

13th. The first tenants arrived arrived at Wide Lane Villas toto-day.

Weather still very dry. Drinking water scarse(sic) 23rd. Very severe Northerly storm. Small steamer ashore at Primrose valley. The crew were taken off by the Filey lifeboat.

24th. Vessel broken up. Good bit of wreckage passed passed here going South. Small amount washed ashore here. The wrecked vessel was laden with phosphates. Nov 6th. Big storm, heavy rain.

Wind North, cold. There were some high tides during the week.

7th. White over with snow. 8th. Snow one foot deep. 14th. Snow Snow nearly gone, fine & mild. 4th Dec. Body of unknown man found on the beach. Stable fire at Pilmoor farm, Hunmanby.

Eight horses were burnt to death or smothered. Weather cold & unsettled. Farm horsemens wages sre down 25 per cent this

Martinmas. A lot of men are not hired. Dec 24. Submarine G.3. ashore near Crowes Shoot. L.S.A. found no one aboard.

Weather open. Rather cold. Very high tides a week ago.

Serious floods in Hull. Many streets flooded. The year of 1921 will be long remembered by farmers owing to to the large fall in the prices of stock & corn.

1,921 Crop Report The year of 1,921 has been about the driest on record. Barley sowing was commenced in early February & mostly finished early in March. This was all to the good but when the dry held out one month after another we had to admit that it was possible to have too much of a good thing. The result was that crops were either very good or very bad. Wheat is the best for a number of years. Barley fair. Oats on the whole very bad.

Pastures were more more like roads than green fields. Result that store stock could hardly be sold at all during late Summer & Autumn. Turnips will not average half of last years crop.

Some have been ploughed up altogether. Hay crops were very light, some being cut one day & led led the next. Prices for stock are very low. Sheep at the Autumn sales made below half of last years price. Beef that was worth £5 to £6 per cwt last Spring is now worth 65/65/- to 70/70/- per cwt. Rough bullocks & cows 10/10/- less. Fat sheep & lambs about half as much much as last year. Corn prices are about half of last year in some cases less than this.

Prices for corn Wheat Sept 55/55/- Oct 45/45/- Jan 1922 44/44/- Mar /51//51/Barley -//42/-//- 55/55/- -////- 42/ Oats 25/25/Cotton cakes about £11 Jan /22 Egyptian made £9. 5.

Potatoes about £6 wholesale Basic slag £3. 5. 0. Superphosphate £3. 10. at Hull

1,922 Jan 2nd. Received cheque. Government compensation for scrapping the agriculture act. £3 per acre for wheat £4 for oats grown during 1921. Weather fine but very windy. Mr Mr Watson has started second ploughing today. Workmen working on the Priory Church extension scheme near the Bayle Gate Bridlington found a large number of old coins consisting of fifty three guineas 27 half guineas, a number of crowns, halfcrowns, florins, florins, shillings, sixpences dating from 1725 to 1796. 5th. Very severe N.W. gale. Much damage to stacks & buildings. Starting on the 3rd. was at its worst on the morning of the 4th. More damage is said to have been done at Flamborough than at any time during the the lifetime of the oldest inhabitants. Large quantity of wreckage on the beach but it appears to have come from a wreck in Filey Bay. Heavy fall of snow, roads running East & West blocked in places.

Small car fast in a drift near the Grange. 17th. Roads blocked blocked snow cutters at work.

24th. More frost & snow, very cold. Wind East. Rough sea.

26th. Grimsby trawler ashore in Red Cliff hole. L.S.A. left at half past two. After some difficulty in getting communication the crew were assisted ashore and the L.S.A. returned about seven o’clock. Wind East. Very rough sea.

Night dark & foggy. L.S.A. coy received £1. 10. 9 for their services. Feb 28th. The trawler was refloated on Saturday last & taken to Bridlington for repairs. The month of Feb has been a stormy cold month. month. Practically no field work has been possible. Very hard frosts. A good deal of snow & rain storms nearly all the month. Foot & mouth disease is prevalent practically all over the county. Cases have occurred at Rudston, Thwing, Grindale, Gristhorpe, Flotmanby Flotmanby & other villages round 1,000 sheep have been killed at Kellythorpe near Driffield.

1,922 Mar 7th. A large number of farm labourers are on strike or locked out in the district. The dispute is connected with hours & wages. The masters are asking the men to work an hour longer than at present. Some are offering to pay for the extra hour while others would like the extra hour and a reduction in wage. The only men out at Speeton are Mr A Watson’s.

17th. All farm men except a few stockmen for miles round are on strike. A gang of men visited Speeton to day to compel those who had not done so to leave work. Owing to cold unsettled weather farm work is getting into arrears. At present it is at least three weeks behind last year which was exceptionally early.

21st. Farm men still out. A few are working on the quiet. Big meeting to day when it is hoped a settlement will be made.

Sun crossed line with wind NorthNorth-East very cold, slight frost, snowsnow-showers.

April 2nd. Weather very bad. Frosts every night. Wind East.

East.

Cattle food very scarce, turnips just about done. Grass and seeds are a month behind last year. Stock have to be kept mainly on cake & corn. Labourers strike fizzling out. No official settlement has been made.

10th. Weather still cold. Frosts nightly. Thirteen Thirteen farm men were fined ÂŁ4 each at a local police court for compelling men who were working to leave work.

13th. Sowing Hill field oats, nice day in the midst of very cold unsettled period. 22nd. Nice day, finished sowing barley.

Turned cows out to pasture, pasture, grass very backward.

27th. Finished sowing oats. 30th. Sharp frost. Fine day.

May 25th. Sowing Swedes. Fine warm day. Land in good order. 12th June. Finished sowing turnips. Land in good condition. Had a few showers during the past week but rain is still much needed. 17th. Started hoeing Swedes. They have

been sown only twenty three days. This is the shortest time from drill to hoe that I have ever known.

June 29th.

Have had some nice rains during the past week and are quite ready for fine weather again.

Had the first new potatoes on the 24th.

27th. Sold the first fat lambs. 90/90/- each July 16th. Very heavy rain. Wind North. Cold. The weather has been unsettled the whole month. We are quite ready for some more hot sunny weather. Aug 9th. Raining all day.

Wind North. Big sea. Bank holiday 9th Raining all day.

Aug 12th. Gathered the first brambles. 16th. Saw a large bird at Garends pond. Looks like a heron, has been about for some days. 24th Aug. First corn cut at Mr A Watson’s. Weather dull & unsettled. unsettled. 31st. Started harvest. Weather still bad.

Sep 12th. Finished cutting corn. Nice day. Weather unsettled.

14th. Very heavy rain. Wind North. Blowing a gale.

Oct 10th. Finished leading sheaves. Weather during leading time very bad. 17th. Finished harvest. harvest. 18th Sowing wheat. Dry & cold. 27th. Wind N.E. Big sea. Cold. Good number of potatoes going bad.

Nov 3rd. Thrashing. Barley poor field. 4 ½ qrs per acre, medium sample. Bad trade. Fine day. Weather unsettled.

15th. General election. Conservative majority majority 300.

Conservative. Admiral Gaunt. Liberal J.D. Fenby.

22nd. A mine on the beach at Reighton was blown up by the CoastCoast-Guard toto-day. It has been on the sands a considerable time & was a nuisance as well as a danger. Weather mild & fair. Several changes changes are taking place in the village this martinmas. Mr Noddle is leaving Coleman’s for Howe farm Hunmanby. His place is being taken by Mr Brambles from Muston. Mr Catterick is also leaving Coleman’s for North Burton. His place is being filled by Mr Eelbeck from from the

Grange, Speeton. While Mr Berriman from Grindale takes Mr Eelbeck’s place at Mr Watsons.

1,922 Nov Mr Townsend from North Burton has moved from North Burton to Speeton to day to be Mr Coleman’s beast man.

Mr Coleman has sold a part of CrossCross-Leys field and the new owners are levelling a part of the land and setting up sheds.

They are said to be for some kind of chemical works but little is known as to the real purpose for which they are being erected.

Dec 18th. We have had a long period of mild open open weather.

Heavy rain this morning. Christmas fat stock market at Brid. Bullocks to 50 pounds. Sheep to £6. Sold roan bullock twenty months old for £36.

23rd. Fine night. South west Gale for the last two nights.

25th. Wet. Cold. South East Gale.

30th. Weather Weather showery, windy & unsettled.

Oct 28th 1,924. Nothing is known yet as to the purpose for which the sheds near the station have been erected.

1,922 Crop Report The year of 1,922 will be long remembered by farmers because of the slump in prices of everything everything produced on the farm. The weather which was fair up to the middle of June was wet & cold from that time till the end of the year.

The corn crops which looked well in July ripened very slowly.

Wheat & Barley were poor to medium. Oats very fair.

Harvest Harvest started the last four days in August dragged on well into October.

Much of the corn was led in only medium condition.

Hay was a medium crop carried in poor condition.

Root crops are on the whole good. We have some very good Swedes. Soft turnips fair. Potatoes Potatoes bulky crop but a lot of bad owing to the cold & wet.

Live stock fed very badly and a good number of lambs died in early Autumn. Prices for cattle & sheep were much lower during summer & Autumn but fair at Christmas.

Milk cows are scarce & dear.

Prices for corn were as follows Wheat Barley Oats

Oct / 44/44/42/42/30/30/-

Dec 42/ 42/-35/35/26/26/-

Potatoes. Autumn 40/40/- per ton wholesale. 8d & 9d retail.

Feeding stuffs are cheaper. Cotton. English made carriage paid ÂŁ8. 5. Bran ÂŁ6 per ton.

1,923 Jan 1st. Nice day. Light frost. From to day all grain must be sold at per cwt instead of per qr.

27th. Weather fine & mild. Started second ploughing.

28th. There are more primroses on the cliff than I remember seeing at this time of the year. Heard a skylark skylark singing.

12th Feb. Sold the last of the fat hoggs. Trade has been good for sheep for some time but shows signs of a big drop at present. Weather very wet & unsettled. Turnips are plentiful.

They are being given away to be eaten on by sheep.

L.S.A. called out at 5.30 a.m. Large steamer asking by 17th. L.S.A. wireless for assistance. Found under Bempton cliffs. L.S.A. got to work at once on arrival. Communication was effected by the first rocket & the crew of 28 were landed without mishap. Much assistance was given given by Buckton & Bempton men in hauling the men & their baggage up the cliff. The company was out for twelve hours some of them being without food all the day; Steamer Radium, load 5,000 tons of coal.

Dalmatians..

Bound from the Tyne to Venice. The crew were Dalmatians L.S.A. men received ÂŁ3. 2. 9. for their services.

21st. Big snow storm. Wind East.

Mar 10th. Weather wet & unsettled. Wind Nor East.

17th Planted a few potatoes. 19th. Been to Brid market.

Calving cows are down in price several pounds. Best Beef 60/60/to 63/63/- per cwt. Sheep are still a good trade. Best hoggs to ÂŁ6.

20th. Started harrowing. The weather looks like settling. Very little second ploughing has been done for turnips up to the present. 26th. Easter market at Brid. Beef poor trade. Sheep & calves good. 27th. Drilling Hill field barley. Land in good order. 30th. Finished sowing barley. April 1st. Easter day.

Rainy Cold. Wind East. 2nd. Fair. 10th. Setting potatoes East of the house. Land in fair condition. Wind still East.

Apr 30th. The wind has been been in the East V nearly all the month, very cold & dry, not much frost. Land working badly

1,923 May 2nd.

Finished sowing corn. Land very dry. Lot of corn still to sow on heavy land. Horses sleeping out. 4th. Put sheep on seeds. Seeds good. Several cows have have died in the village lately all the farmers except Mr Plewes having lost one each. 17th.

White over with snow about 2 inches deep. Colds & wet. 31st.

The weather is still very cold, wind North. Big sea. June 6th.

Sowing a few Swedes & turnips. Land in medium condition 9th. Drilling three corned field Swedes. 18th. Finished sowing turnips. Weather still cold & unsettled. July 8th. Heavy rain.

13th. Finished hoeing Swedes. New potatoes nice crop selling at 6d per qr stone. Sold the first fat lambs 86/86/- each. each. Nice lambs in good condition. 24th. Finished hoeing turnips.

July 30th. Heavy rains during the last two days. S.S.A. yesterday. People had to wait in the granary till the storm ceased before they could go home. Barley is a good bit laid, but wheat & oats are not damaged. The late Mr Sykes’ property was offered for sale on the 26th. Mr Plewes bought his farm.

Mr Moon bought the two cottages on the hill. Mr Watson bought two cottages at the grange. Mr Sellers of Hunmanby bought the cottage & allotments. Mr Appleby bought Woodbine farm. Mr Watson’s was withdrawn Aug 19th. Gathered about a quart of brambles. Fine berries.

Weather unsettled. 24th. Started harvest. Weather unsettled.

30th. Weather bad. High winds. Heavy rains. L.S.A practice.

Station officer Saintsbury injured about the face while firing the mortar to call the company together. 14th. Sept. Heavy rain. The weather for three weeks since starting harvest has been bad. 25th. Heavy rain. A lot of corn is still out. 28th.

Finished leading sheaves. Nice day. We have had only two whole days leading this season. Potatoes good crop. 1/1/- per stone at Brid less carriage. Oct 2nd. Finished harvest. 12th.

Thrashing, nice day. Wheat good condition & sample. Oats & barley fair.

Oct 12th. L.S.A. called out at at 6 a.m. ship reported ashore under Buckton cliffs by J. Robson of Buckton. Found trawler Alexander Hetty close under the cliff. A line was fired over the ship but the crew had left the vessel and the L.S.A. returned about 10. 26th. L.S.A. men received 8/9 8/9 for their services.

The trawler has not yet been refloated.

Finished pressing wheat, Weather wet & unsettled.

A case of foot & mouth disease is reported at Maidens Grave near North Burton. Nov 3rd. Fire at Mr Websters, Reighton.

Motor shed & horse burnt. burnt. Motor & carts saved.

15th. Big S.W. gale. Starting about noon, was at its worst about two o’clock, settling by about three o’clock. The last of the thorn trees in South close which marked the old S. to Brid road was blown down.

24th. Mr Cooper left the village to day for North Burton. Saw a flock of over fifty wild geese to day. They crossed North Dale & W.Watson’s land heading seaward. Weather cold, frosts at night. 26th. Hard frosts daily. Saw a larger flock of geese cross the village to day.

The whole of Yorkshire has been proclaimed an infected area owing to cases of foot & mouth disease. Cases have occurred locally at North burton & Rudstone. Dec 6th. General election.

Candidates. Con. Gaunt. Lib. Fenby. Con. Elected. Maj 250.

7th. Mrs Nelson died suddenly suddenly this morning. Weather cold & unsettled. Lot of light frosts. Large flocks of stockdoves in the district. Mr Cooper’s place at Sawdons has been taken by Mr Hammond of Hunmanby. Several farmers are still wanting one or two men.

25th. Hard frost. Big snowstorm at night, lot of drift, very cold. 31st. Weather still wintry. Roads bad for horses.

1,924. Jan 9th. Mrs Scrivener left the village toto-day for Buckton. Weather very cold. Some snow, hard frost.

Jan 21st. Owing to the engine men’s strike no trains trains of any kind have passed through the station today.

1,923 Crop report.

The year of 1,923 has not been a good one for crops.

Owing to the absence of frost land worked badly especially land on which turnips had been eaten on. Most of the corn crops were fairly bulky but owing largely to the lack of sunshine did not yield well. Green food of all kinds was fairly plentiful but soft & watery. Turnips a fair crop, potatoes a lighter crop than last year but of better quality.

Grass & Clover for hay plentiful.

Prices for all kinds of stock are still tending downwards though good prices were realised at the Autumn sales of breeding sheep. Cattle markets have been closed for some time owing to foot & mouth disease but are now open for stock for slaughter.

Prices Prices for corn were as follows Oct Wheat 40/40/Dec -//42/-//- 42/ Jan 46/46/-

Barley 37/37/- to 42/42/- Oats 25/25/- to 27/27/-//-////- 34/34/- to 40/40/- -////- -//////44///--//44/- -////- -// //-

Potatoes Autumn 8/8/- per cwt. 1,924 Feb 11/11/- to 12/12/-

Prices for feeding stuffs are about the same as last year.

1,924 Jan 29th. Nice day. We have had a long wet cold month & are quite ready for fine weather. Mr Skillbeck from Little Driffield has come to Mr Sawdons to be beastman. The railway strike which begun ten days ago has ended to day trains are running this afternoon. No goods train has been through the station for ten days. One passenger train each way daily. Febraary(sic) 11th. Sold some fat hoggs at Brid market ÂŁ6 each. 13th. Found the first primroses on the the cliff today. Weather has been very cold lately. Wind East, frosts medium. 16th. The L.S.A. practice which should have been held this afternoon was postponed owing to an accident to Station officer Sainsbury. 18th N.E. wind, cold. Been to market. Beef slow slow trade, sheep still good. Lot of hoggs being marketed in store condition. March 2nd. 12 a.m. Snowing all morning, about four inches at present. Weather has been very cold all the week but fair, medium frosts. Started lambing first pair born in February. 8th. Weather still very cold. Hard frosts nightly, days mostly fine & sunny, some snow. The district is short of reliable farm men at present.

March 15th. Planted a few potatoes. Weather cold, land in fair trim. Coal trade dispute. There is no coal to be had had at Speeton at present. There are heavy losses among lambing ewes in the district this year. April 3rd. Weather dry & cold. Fine woodcock sheltering in the garden.

12th. Weather still very cold. Frosts nearly every night.

Everything is very backward. Wind still east.

17th. Drilling Raikes barley, fine day, land in fair trim.

May 7th. Showers daily. Have still a few oats to sow.

6th. Potatoes were sold at Driffield to day at 17/17/- per cwt. th 15 . Finished sowing oats. Horses slept out on the 13th.

Weather settling. settling. Grass & seeds growing fast.

21st. Rain everyday. There is still some corn to sow.

Potatoes are being sold retail at 2/6 per stone.

1,924 June 1st.

Raining all day. Cold. Wind North. Big sea.

5th. Have not yet sown any Swedes.

9th. Whit Monday. Nice Nice day. Visitors to Speeton seem to get fewer each year. Been to market. Beef & Mutton good trade.

Pigs cheap. June 10th. Drilling a few Swedes, land in nice condition. 11th. Raining.

July 22nd. Finished cutting clover & Grass. Weather very unsettled. New potatoes cheap 1/6 wholesale. Nice crop black currants & strawberries, gooseberries very poor.

24th. Big thunderstorm. Lot of rain are quite ready for fine weather again. Grass & clover cut but cannot get on with it owing to the wet. 28th. Been to Seamer market. market. Raining all afternoon. Sold the first fat lambs 86/86/- each. Very big show of sheep nice trade. Aug 4th. Bank holiday. Been to Brid market. Light show of cattle & sheep. Cattle slow trade. Sheep good. Fine day. The storm of last monday has laid a lot of corn inland. Only a little is laid at Speeton.

Aug 18th. Raining. Corn still more laid. Messrs. Coleman & Watson each cut a little corn on the 15th & 16th.

23rd. Gathered a few brambles. Fine berries. Weather unsettled. Sept 1st. Started harvest. Weather Weather still unsettled.

3rd. Today has been a real nice day. It is so long since we have had such a day that I am making a note of it. 21st & 22nd.

Big gale. The corn stooks are blown down more than I ever remember seeing them. George Marr of Muston who is at present Mr Sawdon’s wagoner has been presented with the Royal humane society’s silver medal for rescuing a dog which had got down the cliff and was not able to get back again to the top without assistance.

Oct 1st. There is still some corn to cut at Speeton.

Speeton. The weather has been a little better but we had some rain during the night.

5th. Raining all day.

6th. Weather still bad.

1,924 Oct. 9th. Thursday. Have done no leading this week. Raining again 8 p.m. 18th. Finished leading sheaves.

19th. L.S.A. called out at 1 a.m. Ship reported ashore under Bempton cliff. Found after some trouble. Very dark night, heavy showers of rain. Steam trawler ‘Joule’. Refloated about 5 a.m. and reached Hull safely. L.S.A. reached home at 7.45.

15/3 for the job.

24th & 25th. Sowing Sowing wheat. Weather fair land in nice trim.

30th. Result of election. Conservative elected. 3004 Majority.

Nov 3rd. Sucking pigs are said to have been sold at Seamer market for 1/1/- each to day. 10th. Thrashing, nice day. Oats good yield. Barley medium. Wages Wages 7/6 per day. Nov 1st. Mrs Judd left the village for Bridlington toto-day. 24th. Mr Burgess left to day for Cottam Warren. Mr Ford has come back to Speeton from Octon to be Mr Watson’s hind.

Mr Tom Artley has left Mr Watson’s for a house in the village. Alf Alf Jackson leaves Walker Watsons for Hunmanby Moor his place being taken by Mr Temple of Hunmanby.

Dec 4th. Heavy rain at night, high wind from South.

8th. Farm labourers wages have been fixed by the wages board at 35/35/- a rise of 5/5/- per week.

1,924 The Year of 1,924 will be long remembered by farmers. The weather seemed to have decided to make a record. A bad one too and it made one.

Corn sowing was done at intervals fom the middle of March to the middle of May a lot of it under unfavorable conditions.

Turnip sowing was a very similar job. Haymaking was worse & the corn harvest took the biscuit. Roots are a fair crop but very weedy. Potatoes bulky but very bad. Prices for corn are better than last year. About the same for stock. Pigs very cheap. Sheep a little dearer. Wool much dearer.

Prices for Corn Autumn Wheat cwt 12/12/- to 13/13/Barley 12/6 - 18/18/Oats 9/9/- - 10/10/Potatoes stone 1/1/- - 1/6 Flour 2/7 \ stone.

Winter

Spring

1,925 Jan 1st. Cold high wind. Rain at night. 2nd. More rain & wind.

Ploughing backward. 17th. First lambs 2 born toto-day. 3 lambs 18th. 2 lambs 19th. Weather medium 3. 21st.

27th. Hunmanby doctor sent 80 bottles of medicine to North Burton toto-day, Flue mixture. Feb 13th. Land very wet. Lot of rain lately. Flour is 3/3/- per stone. th March 7 . Nice day. Land drying nicely. Mr J Edmond & family left toto-day for Bridlington. Mr Ford who only came back to Speeton at Martinmas leaves on Monday to go back to Thwing. March 21st. Big snow showers, very cold. Wind North.

North. Frost. 30th. Weather still very cold. Planted a few potatoes. April 10th. Good Friday. Raining nearly all day.

Have not yet sown any corn. Very few visitors. Mr Blackburn the stationmaster left the village to day. 21st & 22nd. Drlling barley. Weather still still very cold. There have been heavy losses this lambing time. A small holder at Brid is said to have lost ten ewes & forty lambs. Turnips are very scarce in the district.

24th. Very heavy rain. The weather has been on the cold side for a long time. Turnips were finished very early but grass & seeds are now plentiful. June 2. Drilling a few turnips & Swedes, land in fair condition, nice day. Mr Boynton who has been Mr Watson’s hind for two months only left to day . June 30th. Started hoeing turnips, 8th. for turnips, nice plants. Land very dry & full of weeds. A concert was given in Mr Watsons granary by a party of 47 girls from Chesterfield who have been spending the weekweek-end in the village. The proceeds were in aid of the new chapel fund.

July 9th. Work on the new chapel was started this morning.

Mr Coleman has given the land.

Aug 13th. Stonelaying ceremony at the new chapel.

18th. Started harvest, fine day. Barley light crop owing to dry weather earlier in the Year.

1,925 Sept 21st. Harvest is nearly finished. Weather Weather cool & unsettled. Been to Brid market. Pigs very scarce. Nice trade.

Store lambs slow trade.

26th L.S.A. practice. Nos. 1, 6 & 9 received long service medals. 20 years service.

29th. Steam trawler ‘Rhodolite’ ashore near Weather Castle but was refloated refloated on the next tide. The services of the L.S.A. Coy were not required & the company were not called out.

26th. Sowing wheat. Land damp. Weather unsettled.

Nov 12th. New Wesleyan chapel opened to day. Nice day.

14th. Saw three flocks of wild geese about four hundred in all.

Weather frosty & cold. Started sheep on turnips. 25th. Big gale. Frosty very cold. 27th. Big gale. High tides. Lot of firewood on the beach. 28th. Snowstorm, cold.

29th. Snowshowers. 30th. Roads blocked. Snowcutters at work.

Ship reported reported ashore but could not be found by Coastguard & L.S.A. 1. Dec 7th. Still very cold, frosty & unpleasant.

Mr Greenlaw has come to Mr Watsons as hind. This is the only change among married men. Farm men have had two weeks holiday instead of one.

Christmas Christmas Eve. Several inches of snow, very cold & frosty.

Wind North. 30th. Thunderstorm. High wind. 31st. Raining.

Crop report for 1,925 The year 1,925 has not been a good one for corn crops. The weather was too dry during the growing period for the crops to make growth and in consequence spring sown corn was a light crop of medium quality. There are some fair crops of wheat. Grass for hay was bulky but the weather was bad and a lot was got in poor condition. Turnips & Swedes are good.

Potatoes fair on the whole whole but prices are lower. Prices for stock appear to be settling on a lower level. Pigs have been a good trade for some time.

Prices

for

Autumn 1925 Per cwt Spring May

corn Wheat 12/12/11/6 13/13/-

Barley 10/10/8/8/- to 9/9/-

Oats 9/9/9/9/- 6 -

1,926 Jan 1st. South westerly gale, heavy rain.

30th. Found a fine primrose to day near Breckon Hole.

Feb 12th. Mr Plewes had the misfortune to break his collar bone this morning by falling from the back of his cart. Weather still bad. Rain or snow snow daily. No field work possible.

March 23rd. The weather has been dry for some time but very cold. Some corn has been sown. The local markets have been closed on account of foot & mouth disease at Tibthorpe but are now open for stock for slaughter. There have been considerable losses this lambing time. The ewes are in poor condition owing to the wet cold winter. March 25th. Planted a few potatoes.

Land dry & in fair condition.

April 13th. Weather still fine & dry. On strong land no sowing is possible. Have Have not yet sown any spring corn.

23rd. Sowing Banks barley. Weather cold & showery.

27th. Planted potatoes east of the house. Dull day land in good order. May 5th. Finished sowing corn. 8th railway men on strike in sympathy with the miners. No coal at Speeton.

Speeton.

Brought a few bags from Brid on monday. Only one or two trains daily. One passed about 4/30 to day, but had only one passenger. No papers are coming through now, the last was typewritten and consisted of a few pages about 12 x 8 inches.

There is no shortage shortage of foodstuffs at present.

28th. Nice rain, land has been very dry all the season. There has been no coal at Speeton since the strike begun(sic) No one is allowed to purchase more than half a cwt weekly.

Newspapers have got back to their usual size. The The miners are still on strike but the railways are working.June 1st. Drilling four acres Swedes. Nice day, land in fair condition. 25th.

Finished sowing turnips. Land still in good order. July 6th.

Very heavy rain. 24th. Heavy rain at night. July 31. Gathered Gathered about ½ pint brambles. Aug 23rd. Cutting three cornered field wheat. Bulky crop of medium quality. New wheat 54/54/- per qr.

1,926 Aug 29th.

7.15 Have just made a coal fire. The last coal we had I brought from Brid on whit Monday. It is poor stuff but seems seems very nice now that the nights are colder.

13th. Harvesting slow job, showery weather. 17th Sept.Finished leading sheaves, fine day. Mr Brambles is leaving Greenland & Mr Greenlaw is leaving Mr Watsons at Martinmas.

Nov 10th. The weather is very unsettled unsettled at present.

Dec 2nd. L.S.A. called out at ½ past seven. Went by Bempton to the cliff. Filey lifeboat coxwain had reported a ship showing flares under the cliff. Found nothing & the L.S.A. returned at ½ past eleven. Mr Bentall who had gone on the cliff had had the ill luck to fall into a deep crevice in the cliff at Buckton & had to stay there till a rope was fetched from the cart at Bempton. He was then hauled up again little the worse. 10/10/- for the job.

Dec 5th. Ship ashore at chimney hole near Filey. Refloated Refloated next morning.

13th. Small flock of wild geese crossed the village toto-day.

30th. Have been helping to pull sugar beet for some days.

This is the first time it has been grown in this district.

Mr Good has come to Greenland for hind from Carnaby.

Mr Brown Brown from Hutton Cranswick to Watsons.

Crop Report Wheat medium Barley ditto. Oats good.

Turnips good pastures fair seeds good Prices for corn & feedstuffs lower Pigs scarce & dear all the year Labour plentiful.

1,927 New year opened with medium weather. weather. March 2nd. Large number of people in the village & district are or have been down with the flue. Have had hardly any frost or snow.

March 6th. No services were held at the chapel to day on account of the influenza epidemic.

13th. The vicar & congregation congregation at the village church to day consisted wholly of greygrey-haired men.

30th March. Planted a few potatoes. Weather cold & unsettled.

Land in medium condition. There have been big losses among the lambing ewes this season. One local farmer has lost forty.

20th. Our old friend “Sandy died to day.

April 6th. Sown a row of peas. Land rather damp & cold.

25th Mr Gilbank & family left today for Willowby Wold, his place at Mr sawdons being taken by Mr Donald Hammond of Hunmanby. Weather cold & unsettled.

May 2nd. Finished planting potatoes.

May 31st. Sowing Swedes, land in fair condition. Weather cold & unsettled. June 16th. Finished sowing turnips, land dry & in fair condition. 17th. Heavy rain.

July 27th. A young farm man was killed by lightning at Greenland today. today. A horse and two men were knocked down but were not much worse. The man’s name was Deighton and his home was at Muston. Weather showery & unsettled.

Aug 15th. Very heavy rain. Mr Brambles left toto-day for North Burton. Aug. Donald Hammond has finished work work at Mr Sawdons but has not yet left the village. 18th. Very heavy rain. Sept 5th. Started harvest. Weather showery & unsettled.

Gathered two pints of brambles. 15th. Finished cutting corn.

Mrs D Hammond left for Beverly. Oct 10th. Finished leading sheaves. sheaves. Oct 28th. Big gale during night. A garage of Mr Megsons was lifted over the hedge into Mrs Taylors garden.

1,927 Nov 4th. Sowing wheat land in fair condition.

17th. Thrashing, nice day. Wheat very poor, oats fair.

Mr Good is leaving Greenland for Grindale Grindale his place is taken

by Mr Clarkson.

1,928 March 3rd.

LSA practice. A new line thrower was tried to day but was not a success. Weather unsettled & mild. Labour plentiful.

March 8th. Mr Moon blacksmith died to day, he was seventy nine years old.

12th. Wintry weather. Several inches of snow.

April 15th. Very cold.

30th . Finished sowing corn.

June 4th. Sowing Swedes.

Sept 13th. Finished cutting corn.

Weather fine all harvest.

Sept 25th. Finished leading sheaves.

31st. Stack fire in Mr Colemans yard.

July July 20th. 1929.

Weather very hot & dry. Water very scarce.