Preserving rural bygones
The day to day lifestyle of Britain's rural population revolved around their working life, mainly on the land. A surprising amount of peaple, as shown on the England & Wales census for 1841, were in fact employed in thier own trades, or self-employed as we would call it today. Britains coastal population seemed to have a multitude of trades, from reed cutters to professional wildfowlers shooting duck & geese for local and London markets. Further inland we find professional river fishermen, river boat owners/traders, wild rabbit breeders, rat catchers... the list is endless. Many peaple didn't work but made a living poaching or catching wild song birds plus a multitude of other devious occupations, especially around London.
From these individual, hardy peaple, many life-style necessities have been made into traditional country past-times and pursuits, so, we feel it necessary to describe some rural history here.
From these individual, hardy peaple, many life-style necessities have been made into traditional country past-times and pursuits, so, we feel it necessary to describe some rural history here.
