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This account of Harby 150 years ago was first published in  the Harby News  numbers 6 - 8in the 1970s.

On a winter day of 1850, Thomas Kemp, blacksmith, signed his name and laid down his pen. Twenty four pages he had laboriously filled in a small cashbook, writing down all he could remember of the stories told to him in years long past.

"In the middle of the day, my father and my brother James and me sat on an old coffer, and he told us what happened in his day, and his father's day, and his father's. Now my brother could remember nothing. I can remember it (at 74) as well as if it had been told me yesterday, so if my brother James wanted to know anything about my family he came to me, and I could tell him as well as if I had it in a book before me." 

On the first of these now yellowed and stained pages begins the story of the James Kemp who was born in 1672 in Hose. When James was old enough he was apprenticed to a blacksmith in Harby, and his chronicler, Thomas, recalls the door of the old smithy, imprinted all over with letters from the branding irons. The smiths always tested them on the door to make sure that the letters would be clear and well-shaped. This smithy, which was demolished and rebuilt in 1857, had a roof of thorns. 

After serving his seven years' apprenticeship, James left Harby and went to Southwell in Nottinghamshire. His new master, who was known as Red Hot Tom, whether from his nature or his calling we are not told, taught him to make gears and chains. At that time (1694) "horses draw'd all in ropes" so this was a great innovation. 

"Almost night and day at that time there was never a waggon, never a clock, nor a pump, nor a poor man. The shaft horse had nothing but a saddle, no breech. The cart sides came all the length for shafts. Four inches from the end there was a three-quarter hole bored and a pin of wood to fit it. They had a staple put into the hame and a piece of white leather to fit the shaft, so they put this leather ring on the shaft, and then the wood pin through. This was called the towpin. When they took the horse out, they took the pin out, and the ring came off." 

After a year, James's first master died, and he returned to the blacksmith's shop at Harby, where he at once began to make gears, the first in Leicestershire. He married the late blacksmith's widow, and they had two sons, the elder of whom in 1700 eventually learnt the trade. The business prospered exceedingly, keeping four of them fully occupied - James, his son, and two young men whom they employed. 

The son, also called James, became friendly with a young man of the same age, named Thomas Gregg, and they married two sisters. "James Kemp's wife was Elizabeth (Betty), and Thomas Gregg's wife was Catherine (Kate). Their father was a farmer who had a house and land of his own at Harby. He gave the two daughters a fortune, leaving the house and land to his son John at his death. 

"Thomas Gregg was a shepherd and lived in his own house. He and Catherine had four sons, Thomas, Richard, John, and Henry, all brought up as shepherds watching their fleece care. The estates of James Kemp and Thomas Gregg joined together, and they lived in unity all their lives. When they were stricken in years, betwixt 70 and 80, there was a great election betwix Hungerford and Putchin for the County of Leicester, such a one as never was before nor never since. The Duke of Rutland gave Esquire Putchin his Interest. All of them as could not ride on horseback they fetched in Coaches and Chaices. There was Plungar, Barkestone, Redmile, and Bottesford, all went threw Harby. This Mr Kemp and Mr Gregg, as the Duke called them, for he came a-canvassing himself, gave him their votes. 

Mrs Gregg and Mrs Kemp told their husbands as they would never fetch such old men as them. This is 75 years since.

The day before the election they let them all know to get ready at 8 o'clock on the next morning. Mr Gregg and his wife came to our house about 7 o'clock. In a little while a man came and told them as the Coaches was against Whittle's and they might come. Directly Mr Gregg and my Granfather got up, and he said 'Now Betty, you said they would never fetch us.' Then Betty and Kate cried. They got into the Coach, and there was such Huzzas, Putchin for ever! Old Mrs Harwood's mother and Mr Julian's mother, as they had no votes, pulled off their caps and twirled them over their heads and shouted Hungerford for ever, Huzza!

There was never seen so many in the nether street before, for Coaches was seldom seen in those days. Mr Gregg was a very stout, bulky man, and Mr Kemp was very stout. There was a man, his name was Richard Hawley, a very deformed little man, Humped Back, but full of consequence. He was put into the Coach with Mr Gregg and Mr Kemp. They crushed, he cried, and would not ride. He would come out but they snap the door to and away they went. My cousin Dickey said they would keep him very warm.

There was open house at Melton, and the Duke, Lord Granby, Putchin, and all the nobility met them on the road almost two miles to welcome them into the town. There was so many Carriages and Horses that they reached a mile. The Gentlemen rode first. There was such a show as Leicester had never seen. They was well treated, wines, rum, brandy, and anything as they wished to drink. Esq. Putchin came to their inn to see if the Old Gentlemen were good care taken of. Hungerford was voted in. They was brought home to their own door, their Hats all over Ribbons, pleased enough to tell Betty and Kate as they was better looked after there than at home. 

All these things was before my day, as my Father was 40 years older than me. 

Note: The borough election concerned was a bitterly fought contest between John Peach Hungerford, Tory, and William Pochin, Whig, the former being elected by a majority of only 120 votes. 

"The fields was open at that time. It was Inclosed in the Year 1790, before the Inclosure it being almost all plowed, so we was at work betime in the morning and late at night. We often had 20 pair of plow irons to be done by six o'clock in the morning. It was at this time that they rested in the middle of the day on the coffer before-mentioned, and young Thomas listened enthralled to his father's stories of bygone days. 

When I was three years and a half old, my Granfather and Mr Gregg used to sit under a crab tree upon some trees as lay under it, their long staffs in their hands, and one time Mr Rouse of Hose about their age all sat under this large tree. He was an old companion of theirs, all with their long staffs, about 2 yards long. This puts me in mind of their keeping their staffs in their hands, as long as I live. 

Mr Rouse was telling them as when he was first married he went to Nottingham with the Team, and he brought back a peck of taters, the first as come into Hose. They went again soon after and told the man to bring a strike (bushel) and the Mrs said they should not for they should not eat them, whilst they were good. Thomas used the word 'whilst' in its local meaning of 'whereas'. 

Mr Rouse would evidently have enjoyed more potatoes. 

Then he records something which evidently made a deep impression on him : 'Mr Rouse lighted his pipe with a glass by the sun'. What an interesting picture this conjures up, the three men chatting peacefully, the child listening and watching, storing it all away in his retentive memory. 

It was their last meeting. My Granfather was taken ill, and soon died. At his funeral Mrs Gregg stopped at home with my sister, Mary, and me; she was about half-a-year-old.

Mrs Gregg, I remember, knocked her stick on the hearthstone to quiet Mary, and said 'Churn, butter, churn'. Mr Gregg lived but a few months after. He gave his son Henry his Estate, to take care of his widow (Thomas's Aunt Kate). 

I have heard my mother say she was well taken care of, and well used. My Aunt Kate oft-times came to drink tea with us, she was a great favourite of my father's. My father and mother was at her funeral, and I hope they are all gone to happiness. 

'And so adieu' concluded Thomas Kemp, with an obviously tiring hand, 'January 4th, 1850. I have seen 74 Christmas Days'. 

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Copyright © 2000 Harby Limited, All rights reserved.
Revised: October 29, 2001 .