Diary of a Young Farmer

Written by William Robinson 1939 - 1941, then aged about 20.

(click here for William's brother, Wilson's, diaries from 1935)

links to other months

January, February, March, April, May, June, July, August, September, October, November, December

Monday 1

Very hard frost

Carting muck. Took last of fat lambs to Auction 35/- and 24/6.

At Kendal

Tuesday 2

Hard frost

Carting muck. Just 1½ carts left in

Wednesday 3

Hard frost

Started topping S.H. hedge again O.S. At Over Bleaze. S Daisy 25th calved white C.C.

Thursday 4

Very hard frost

Carting muck. Topping hedge

Friday 5

Thawing a little

Saturday 6

Foggy thawing very bad traveling.

Carting muck. Topping hedge. At Bridge House. Got new K. shoes

Sunday 7

Thawing all day. Very misty at night

Monday 8

Much frost left in ground

Scaled muck set out on Sat

Took 2 fat cows to Auction

S. Goldie 6th weight 11½ cwt £26-5-0

S. Jubilee 5th weight 10½ cwt £22-5-0

Rationing started. Bacon butter and sugar

Y.F.C

Tuesday 9

Very hard frost

Wednesday 10

Very hard frost

Topping hedge. Carting muck

Thursday 11

Very hard frost

Sorting sticks. Finished topping

Friday 12

Very hard frost

Sorting sticks. 2 carts of lime and mould into Square S and 1 cart of pea sticks home.

Greaves

Saturday 13

Frost, much rag. Very cold out of sun

Putting sticks for burning into heap at top of S.H. Finished sorting that hedge

Sunday 14

Frost

Monday 15

Little frost. Much thaw by night

Full control of livestock introduced by Government.

Bought pair of shoes16/6 from C.W.S.

Lorry of straw came. Rosette 12th calved B.C.

Roads slippery

Tuesday 16

Very hard frost. Very heavy fall of snow with strong wind out of north. Big drifts

1 cart of muck into N.H.F. Jobbing about

Wednesday 17

Very hard frost. Freezing all day and night

Brought sheep off lots 28.

Major and Mrs. Pease here for about 10 minutes

Thursday 18

Hard frost

Froze our water about the beck again Strickley Bridge at teatime

At Greaves. Jobbing about

Heavy fall of snow about 3 inches

Friday 19

Very hard frost.

All snow which came yesterday put into big drifts by south-east wind

Jobbing about. 2 carts of water. Cows down to beck for first time

Saturday 20

Very hard frost. Still drifting snow very cold

Jobbing about. 2 carts of water

Sunday 21

Very hard frost

33 of frost in Kendal

Monday 22

Very hard frost

Took Jess to smithy. Cart of water. Jobbing about

Tuesday 23

Very hard frost

Cleaned calf hulls out. Jobbing about. 2 carts of water

Wednesday 24

Very heavy snow all day put about 6 inches on

Started thawing after dinner. Very wet and cold at night. Very slushy

Jobbing about

Thursday 25

Thawing very cold. Roads very slippy

Tup hog died. Jobbing about. Cleaned calf hulls out

Friday 26

Very cold north east wind, heavy rain in morning, 2" snow afternoon

1 cart water. Jobbing about. Roads very slippy. No Greaves

Saturday 27

Very cold north wind. Few flakes of snow all day. Drifting very bad. Very bad night

Sunday 28

Very cold north wind. Worst snow since 1894. Snowing a little all day

Milkman never came. Our lane blocked. No Service

Not much snow if level but all drifted into big drifts never seen anything like it.

6 - 8 feet deep

Monday 29

Very windy and cold. More and bigger drifts than Sunday

Took Red Bullock to Kendal

Grade B.2 made £21-16-0 weight 8½

Got first lambs 3 from Suffolk 1 dead

Jobbing about. 1 cart water. Maggie 14th calved B.C.

Tuesday 30

Very windy and cold. Little snow shower in A.M. and  P.M. Very hard frost

Rolling oats. Jobbing about

Wednesday 31

Very cold north wind

Norah to smithy

Digging snow out of gateways and little out of lane. 2 carts of water