Carters

[Bay Horse]

I received a will yesterday, which I didn't expect to spring any surprises - but it did. My husband's grandfather signed as a witness in 1949, giving his occupation as 'carter'. This was news to us. We knew he'd been a poultry farmer for some years and also a gardener for the local parks. 'Carter' certainly explains all the photos of him working with big Shire horses when he was getting on a bit, long after the family farm had been sold and built on. An unexpected piece of the jigsaw.

My question is, how long did carters carry on using horses?

 

[Londoner]

I remember ( 1950-60) our milkman having a horse and cart. My father-in-law used to take my husband ( as a child) out collecting manure dropped by carthorses for his roses.

 

[Daft Bat]

I also remember horse and carts being used - especially by the Rag 'N' Bone man in the 1950s/60s. There used to be a race between the housewives to see who could get to the manure first!

 

[Ma-dotcom]

I also have rellies from all over being 'carters'. Many seem to have owned as such after other relative occupations.

 

[AnnB]

I also remember horse and carts being used - especially by the Rag 'N' Bone man in the 1950s/60s. There used to be a race between the housewives to see who could get to the manure first!

I remember ( 1950-60) our milkman having a horse and cart. My father-in-law used to take my husband ( as a child) out collecting manure dropped by carthorses for his roses.

Blimey, that brings back memories, only it was my Dad who rushed out with his bucket and spade

 

[MollyMay]

I am guessing a bit, but after the war the use of horses must have dimished with more small lorries and vans becoming available (ex military stock) and the cost of buying and owning one became cheaper than looking after a horse. I would have thought that this change was happening earlier in the towns, whereas in the countryside caring for a horse was probably less expensive.

No one has mentioned the coal man and his horse - hiding behind the curtains and counting each sack he tipped into the bunker, to make sure he didn't diddle you out of a cwt and the bonus went on the rhubarb!

With the advent of motorised delivery came the Appy Pack potato man, the Corona Drinks van. the bread van, but the onions still came by bike, as did the window cleaner and the knife sharpener (now that must have tripped a few memories)

 

[AnnB]

I am guessing a bit, but after the war the use of horses must have dimished with more small lorries and vans becoming available (ex military stock) and the cost of buying and owning one became cheaper than looking after a horse. I would have thought that this change was happening earlier in the towns, whereas in the countryside caring for a horse was probably less expensive.

No one has mentioned the coal man and his horse - hiding behind the curtains and counting each sack he tipped into the bunker, to make sure he didn't diddle you out of a cwt and the bonus went on the rhubarb!

With the advent of motorised delivery came the Appy Pack potato man, the Corona Drinks van. the bread van, but the onions still came by bike, as did the window cleaner and the knife sharpener (now that must have tripped a few memories)

I’d forgotten about the coalman and his horse. We didn’t need veg delivered as Dad had an allotment and grew most of what we needed - hence the need for manure

 

[Bay Horse]

I’d forgotten about the coalman and his horse. We didn’t need veg delivered as Dad had an allotment and grew most of what we needed - hence the need for manure

We grew our own of that, as well - we had a donkey in the orchard. But... you've heard about the donkey.

I only ever saw a rag-and-bone man's cart once - that was on holiday in Blackpool. There wasn't much horse-drawn activity where I grew up, 900ft above sea level. We did have everything delivered though, fresh-baked bread, cakes, groceries - 'pop', as @MollyMay said... milk of course, but these were all by van and they delivered far and wide. Isn't it funny how things have gone full circle with home delivery for most things?

I have a lot of carters in the family, pre-war, mostly down on the docks in Birkenhead and Liverpool (although of course it was the carting horses that kept the docks going during the war). Liverpool museum's page suggests that horses had disappeared from the city by the 1960s. That was certainly the time that Grandad was employed as a council gardener, so I think we can safely date the photos as 1950s. Thanks all.

Here's one of what looks like a May Queen carnival or something. That grey features a lot in the family photos.

 

[AnnB]

We had one rag and bone man who gave out goldfish to children if their parents gave him large enough ‘donations’ Thinking back, this may well have coincided with a local fair which turned up during the school holidays, I suspect this rag and bone man may have been from the fair community and the poor goldfish were part of the batch handed out at some of the stalls as prizes

 

[BernardOC]

I am guessing a bit, but after the war the use of horses must have dimished with more small lorries and vans becoming available (ex military stock) and the cost of buying and owning one became cheaper than looking after a horse. I would have thought that this change was happening earlier in the towns, whereas in the countryside caring for a horse was probably less expensive.

No one has mentioned the coal man and his horse - hiding behind the curtains and counting each sack he tipped into the bunker, to make sure he didn't diddle you out of a cwt and the bonus went on the rhubarb!

With the advent of motorised delivery came the Appy Pack potato man, the Corona Drinks van. the bread van, but the onions still came by bike, as did the window cleaner and the knife sharpener (now that must have tripped a few memories)

I remember back in in early 1950's, my Dad complained the coal delivery was short. He got the Delivery Company to come back, empty the Coal Bin and weigh the contents. He got a refund!!!!!

 

[BernardOC]

I also remember horse and carts being used - especially by the Rag 'N' Bone man in the 1950s/60s. There used to be a race between the housewives to see who could get to the manure first!

We lived at the top of a hill. The road quite steep. Horses were used delivering Milk. Two competing Companies. Then the Rag 'n Bone cart. Also after end of Sweet Rationing every Sunday a Horse drawn finely decorated truck came selling Ice Creams. My Dad gave me Sixpence for collecting the manure.

 

[Genie1]

When I was growiing up there was a neighbour who came out with a bucket and spade to scoop up after the vegetable man left.

 

[Murfomurf]

I grew up in Port Macquarie, NSW, and when we first arrived in late 1958 the Baker brought his cart of bread drawn by a horse! I was very surprised coming from New Zealand where we had to go to the corner "dairy" to buy bread.