These records are part of the working papers of Raphael Samuel, tutor at Ruskin College, for a study of life at Headington Quarry c. 1860 - 1920. They were deposited in 1990 with the accession number 3037.
The material was used in an essay by Samuel titled 'Quarry Roughs: life and labour in Headington Quarry, 1860-1920'. An essay on oral history, which is on pages 139-265 of Village Life and Labour (Routledge 1975), edited by Samuel. A copy of this can be found in the Local Studies Library (ref. OXFO 944 HEAQ). Potential users of P1 may find it useful to read this published essay before examining the documents themselves, as this will make the collection easier to understand (documents which Samuel refers to in this chapter as being in the archives of Holy Trinity, Headington Quarry, are now to be found at Oxfordshire Archives among the Quarry's parish records).
These papers are largely based on typed edited transcripts of taped interviews made, mostly in 1969, between Samuel and several elderly inhabitants of Headington Quarry. These transcripts are to be found in P1/MS15. In P1/MS1-14, other copies of these transcripts were cut up, arranged by subject, glued onto larger sheets of paper, and stored in files. These extracts can be anything from one or two lines to an entire page. There are also photocopies of several printed documents: some had been left as they were, but others had also been cut up and their pieces glued onto larger sheets of paper. Searchers should therefore realise that most of the papers are somewhat disjointed in format, and that those seeking individuals at the Quarry are advised to use P1/MS15, whereas the rest of the collection is more suitable for those searching by topic.
All the documents except P1/MS9 were found in 14 large files. The file divisions have been preserved (and the legends on each file reproduced), but the contents of each file have been divided up for ease of reference. Original order has been preserved, except where documents on the same topic were scattered over part of a file, and it made more sense to bring them together.
Catalogued in September 1993 by Robin Darwall-Smith.
Open
(with reference to rabbiting, ochre pits, and acorning)
(piece of common ground)
(piece of common ground)
(with discussion of territories used and material poached) and 'totting' (term for foraging, often illegally, for material, such as watercress, mushrooms, flowers, ferns, acorns, horse radish, evergreens, ivy, holly, rabbits and fossils, which could be transformed into produce for sale)
a famous totter
references to Morris dancing and literacy
with especial reference to shortage of work there in winter (mostly drafts).
effects of the lack of any gentry and the village's isolation
(mostly drafts)
and links between kinship and labour
its independence, lack of social classes, gossip and drinking habits
radicalism, and relations with G.H.Morrell (local Tory M.P.)
mostly photocopies of 19th century material
for Oxford and Oxfordshire which mention Headington Quarry
Almost all of these documents are drafts for unpublished work on Headington Quarry.
the lifestyle of Headington Quarry
stories about Crowy Kerry and Joseph Dead'n Green
especially for grazing horses, and as a gypsy encampment
lack of work in winter; clothing and diet: living standards; types of work carried out (e.g. well digging, laundry and carrying)
notes include lists of which villagers specialised in which trades c.1900
growing up there; the diet of villagers
Aunt Sally, pub cricket, skittles, Union Benefit Society meetings, May Day and Morris men
includes photocopies of two letters from William Kimber to Cecil Sharp
the seasonal nature of this work
fiddler for the Morris men
including copies of correspondence with the Charity Commissioners
including bar work (especially at the Six Bells), and stories about Moggie Coppock and Alf Kerry
especially for college dripping and garden produce including eggs and pork
(with a photocopy of a letter from William Kimber to Cecil Sharp); photocopies of documents concerning the Headington Pig Club
(especially on how both were usually repaired at home)
(including selling, totting, poaching, harvesting, brickmaking and carrying)
growing and making food, especially jams, sweets, pickles and the different dishes derived from pigs
soldiers, squatters, carriers and bricklayers, including stories about 'Jackie' Snow; the quarry dogs
sewer work, harvesting, flower-selling and pubs
especially dogs and ducks
stories about Barrel Kerry, and certain poaching families
especially Bessie Barnett's, the butcher's
including extracts from parish records concerning churchwardens and communicants
and the effects of winter unemployment
includes drafts for an unpublished chapter titled 'The Social System'
including the Slade and Old Marsh; wells
the role of the Six Bells pit
(e.g. May Day pit), not least as children's playgrounds
the 'Quarry roughs'; poaching; the Quarry's reputation; its attitudes to strangers; the recreation ground; Quarry dogs
their bad behaviour (apple scrumping, obscene language etc.); Headington Quarry School, and stories (mostly hostile) about its headmaster c.1900, A.H Bickley
attitudes to strangers; its relations with Old Headington; its radical politics (and rowdy behaviour toward Tory politicians such as G.H Morrell)
stories about Tom Mayo Appletree and Colonel Miller; their provision of soup kitchens, coal clubs and relief for the unemployed
(and Bishop Wilberforce's role in this), and Methodism in the Quarry
the gentry of Old Headington; attitudes toward strangers; cockfighting
and sanitation
a legend on the intended route of the railway around Oxford; the Quarry's children; the solidarity of the community
types of work, including laundry work and well digging
(with stories about Jim Morris side Hedges), Morris dancing, festivities at Whitsun week and May Day, and the Christmas mummers
types of work (including bricklaying and travelling labourers)
favoured sites for both activities (especially Shotover)
and pigs, with stories about Teddy Coppock, a villager skilled in pig-killing
and lighting in homes; gardens and squatters
Cowley Barracks; pits and rubble heaps
anti-police feelings; drink; poaching; folk culture
and photocopies of school records of c.1900
drink; pets; travelling to and from the Quarry
and photocopies of printed material concerning large houses in the area
their good works for the poor (includes several photocopies of extracts from Parish magazines).
enclosure and common lands
poaching
includes photocopy of letter from Cecil Sharp to William Kimber
titled 'Work and Wages in Headington Quarry' - and 'Essay in Oral History'
including trade, and members of Quarry families
mostly reports from local papers
lack of class distinction; nicknames
walnut thrashing, window cleaning, blacksmiths, grass-cutting, and paper flower making
(almost all photocopies from published texts)
especially over land set aside for charitable purposes
names of quarries; when closed down; tools used
contracts in Oxford and London
Mac Murray, 'Sip' and Jimmy 'Surry' Washington, 'Gerry' Jones, Bobby Cooper, Jack, Tom, Will and 'Mucky' Curl, and other members of the Curl family, Bobby Trafford, 'Piggy' Baker, Jim Hedges and Tommy Webb
(see too the notes on Tommy Webb at P1/MS11/8 above)
many notes concern bitter disputes in the 1870s-1890s concerning the ownership of lands called Open Magdelen and Open Brasenose (claimed by Magdelen and Brasenose Colleges respectively), resulting in arson attacks on the land. As well as interviews, there are extensive copies of newspaper reports and letters, assize reports, and some documents taken from Misc.Mor. at Oxfordshire Archives
who was involved in the land dispute of the 1870s-1890s, and was the grandfather of William Morris (see too several references in P1/MS12/1)
Open Magdelen and Open Brasenose
and Open Brasenose disputes
with extensive revisions and annotations in his hand, concerning Squatters and Wasteland at Headington Quarry
(including Jack Snow); family firms; carpenters; travelling builders
especially Reg (a brickmaker), George, 'Beautiful',' Ferret', 'Jumbo', and others
(who lived at the Manor House) and Tom .
especially Teddy, Jessie and Tom, and their laundry and poaching activities
with especial mention of Fishy Durham, Stephen Goodgame and Auntie Meeson, and many photocopies from 19th cent. directories with the entries for the Quarry
especially Bannister, Harry and George Lord, Henry Harris, Thornton, 'Muddy' Clarke, John Corby and the Narroway family
titled III - Squatters and Waste
of the typescript and P1/MS14/2, with 30 pages numbered 24-53.
lack of discipline and dog-fights
with reference to village radicalism: many documents are photocopies from 19th cent. papers, with especial interest in a riot there in 1849
in the 19th cent.
over the ownership of Open Magdelen and Open Brasenose, and the troubles of Richard Pether
As explained in the Introduction,
whereas P1/MS1-14 consist of extracts
from the transcripts from Raphael
Samuel's interviews arranged by subject,
P1/MS15 consists of copies of the
original transcripts. These transcripts
are not complete, but have already been
arranged into various topics. Here the
name or names of the interviewee has
been given, as well as their ages, and
dates of interview, where possible.
age not given
N.B. it is possible that Alan Edney was also the interviewee in P1/MS15/14, but this is not certain.
(the latter's age not given)
(3 pages).
age not given