Extracts from the Farm Accounts of James Threlfall of Bell Farm, Scronkey, 1861-1865
by Andrew Jenkinson
The extracts in the following article are taken from an account book found at Brook Cottage, Scronkey, Pilling. It contains the farm accounts for 1861-1870 of James Threlfall who farmed at Bell Farm, Scronkey. Unfortunately, the credit accounts until 5 May 1862 have been destroyed.
Whilst providing a picture of farming and general household expenditure during the first half of the 1860s, the account book refers to a number of family events. Reference is made to the emigration of James's son Henry to Canada in October 1864 where he subsequently became a Methodist minister. We also learn of the death of James's wife, Elizabeth, on 30 June 1865 aged 59 years and note the various expenses incurred during her illness and for her interment in the churchyard of St John the Baptist, Pilling. James Threlfall survived his wife by some seven years, dying on 22 May 1872 aged 63 years.
In transcribing the accounts, the original spellings and terminology have been used and a short glossary of these has been listed.
Glossary of terms used
| Blue eyes | - | a variety of potatoes |
| Ellebore | - | hellebore, a purgative from the root of the Christmas rose |
| Delving turves | - | cutting peat |
| Fluke(s) potatoes | - | a variety of potatoes |
| Guano | - | fertiliser produced from sea-bird droppings, rich in nitrates |
| Gift agane | - | luck money given on the sale of produce or livestock |
| Indian | - | indian corn or maize, used as cattle feed or for poultry |
| Oil dust | - | linseed cake, mixed with hot water or milk and fed to calves |
| Stirk | - | a young cow |
| Thack shearing | - | cutting reeds or straw for thatching |
| Thirds | - | meal produced at the third stage of the milling process, similar to bran |
| Twinter | - | a young cow that has lived through two winters |
| Windle | - | an old measure for corn and other grains |
| Whisket | - | a straw basket, especially one used for feeding proven to livestock |
| Rev Banister | - | The Rev. J D Banister, Vicar of St John the Baptist, Pilling 1825-1876 |
| Hornby | - | Mr Hornby was one of the part owners of the Manor of Pilling together with Mr J W H Gardenr of Fluke Hall. |