The Exile Posted December 31, 2013 Share Posted December 31, 2013 . "Tales from the Fens" by W. H. Barrett edited by Enid Porter book first published in 1963, my book was printed in 1966. William Barrett as a kid and young man, in the 1890's to early 1900, heard many tales and folklore from the fen people, mostly from Chafer Legge who was in his 80's.Chafer Legge and other people told the stories from the times of their parents and grandparents going back to the beginning of the 19th century. And some more ancient tales from centuries ago.William Barrett wrote down these stories that he had heard.Then in his old age in the 1960's had the books published. He saved a lot of the stories told by the fen people that for the most part would have disappeared. The last of the fen people that were telling these stories have died out by the beginning of World War I.Life in the fen lands has changed afterwardsChafer Legge was a champion fen skater and was feared by other as he was a champion bare fist fighter in the area. "At a ripe old age Chafer died in his sleep, the last of the real old Fen tigers." The second book by W. H. Barrett has stuff about witches. i have that copy and will read it and comment on it. . Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jevne Posted December 31, 2013 Share Posted December 31, 2013 This looks like a good read, Exile. Thank you for mentioning it. I can't wait to read your reviews. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Aloe Posted January 3, 2014 Share Posted January 3, 2014 I'm loving this book! I have a copy thanks to The Exile who felt it would add to some of my research, and he was correct. I'll add my own review when I've finished. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Exile Posted January 10, 2014 Author Share Posted January 10, 2014 It is interesting that a reoccurring facet of life in the fens long ago was the Xtian monks and abbots of the church in the area were the bad people. . Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jevne Posted January 11, 2014 Share Posted January 11, 2014 Since I am not familiar, I was reading a bit about the area. I am curious how the geography and history of the land play into the stories. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Exile Posted January 11, 2014 Author Share Posted January 11, 2014 . Tales from the Fens I included a summary about some of the chapters in the book. As you can see history and the geography is involved in these stories. Part One: Fenland People Chafer Legge at Newnham.................................. 3 This story was told by Chafer Legge. His visit to Newnham occurred in 1895. Chafer was an expert Fen ice skater. In that year there was long winter spell and the river still frozen and the college invited Chafer to teach the girls at Newnham college. Start and Finish................................................... 8 Tricky's Mother and the Widow........................ 12 The story of Tricky Porter, when he was a baby and his mother and a widow. The story was told by Chafer Legge and belongs to the early 19th century. Murder and execution. Cadilly................................................................ 23 Cadilly was a notorious prostitute in Cambridge in the late 18th century and early 19th century. She used to take undergraduates and others in her sailing boat, the Willing Maid, to Brandon Creek for week-ends at the Ship inn. John Doyly in his diary mentioned Cadilly in the dates of June 4 and 5, 1796. The story is about when Cadilly was jailed in Cambridge and many of the fen people skated there to rescue Cadilly and bring her out of Cambridge and a happy ending. Joshua................................................................ 30The Policeman and the Gibbet's Offspring....... 33 Dowser and Sam................................................ 38 Murder involved. The events in this story, told by Chafer Legge, took place in Feltwell Fen, ca. 1865. Because of its macabre nature the tale was very popular in the public houses of Southery on dark winter nights. Peggy Thornhill.................................................. 43 A Crimean war veteran and his supposedly most foulest language shocking many people. And an accident happens... Part Two: Fenland History A Sermon on skating.......................................... 53 Fighting in Three Counties................................. 58 Loved this story. This story was told by Chafer Legge who heard it from his father in ca. 1830. Fenmen converging to a location, where three counties converges, where they had fights and wrestling, in his father's group there were up to a hundred ice skaters and others joining in from other towns along the way.. many food and beers... and a great fight story. A Journey to London.......................................... 64 This story of his journey to London in 1864 was told to Mr Barrett by his father. His father was ten years old when he was allowed to go with Jacob and his dog on his wagon to London. Stuff happened and a tragic end for Jacob and the dog. French Prisoners in the Fens.............................. 73 Loved this story. This tale was told by Chafer Legge who heard it from his father. The Depot for French prisoner of war at Norman Cross, Huntingdonshire which had provision for 2,000 inmates from july 1811 to April 1813. Chafer's father ran into a woman turned out to be from France and she told him about the deplorable conditions of the French prisoners. He went to check for himself and then him and other fen people helped smuggle out the prisoners hiding them in the fens and then sailing them down the river and out to sea to return to France. A great story. The Littleport Riots............................................ 85 Many old fenman had accounts to tell of the Littleport riots of 1816; this one was narrated by Chafer Legge who learned it from his father. The economic distress which followed the Napoleonic Wars led to rioting in several places in Norfolk and Suffolk in May 1816. This story talk about the event leading to the riots and how the military was called in to clamp it down and then a trial and executions of the five people from the Fens. Hunger in the Fens............................................. 99 In around 1845 there was hard times in the fenlands to the point where people were starving. Some died. Showing they were scrounging food together and they even let some neighbors join in. The Drown of 1861............................................. 111 This story of the great flood or 'drown' in the Fens between Brandon Creek and Southery in 1861 was told by Chafer Legge. Some of the stuff that happened during the flood is told here. After the Flood: One-Horse Farmers............... 119 "After the floods went down a great change came over the Fens. Those who owned the land and were big farmers before they were washed out didn't care to come back, so anyone who wanted a few acres could have them....." Part Three: Legends of the Fens The Legend of the Bulldog Bridge..................... 131The Legend of Gold Hill.................................... 133The Legend of the Southery Wolf-Hound........ 136The Nun's Ring................................................. 140Grey Goose Feathers......................................... 146How Littleport Began....................................... 150The Priest's House at Brandon Creek.............. 163How Stilts came into the Fens.......................... 174 Part Four: For Amusement Only Old Nick in the Fens......................................... 189A Strange Creature............................................ 196 .. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Exile Posted January 11, 2014 Author Share Posted January 11, 2014 . Tales from the Fens This map was in the book. And it shows the area of the the Fens. Chafer Legge, who through research I found his real name is William Legge, (in the book he did said 'Chafer' was a handle to his name) and William Barrett's grandmother was living in Southery, Norfolk. Brandon Creek is nearby. This is the center of the stories. About 5 miles north of Southery is the area of Denver,of which the Denver sluice is mentioned a couple of times in the book and Downham Market. Not shown in the map but the nearby villages of Denver and Downham Market is places like Stow Bardolph, Wimbotsham, Crimplesham, and Stradsett some of these places are in or near the Stow Bardolph Fens. These places are where some of my brother's wife and children's ancestors lived in the 1700's and 1800's, they lived in the Fen lands. So there is a personal connection of us to the book. . . Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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