Thomas Farrall
Encyclopedia
Thomas Farral was a Cumbrian teacher, author and agricultural authority, who today, is most remembered for his Cumberland dialect poems and stories published in Betty Wilson's Cummerland Teals.
, Cumberland
in 1837. After a basic education he began life as an agricultural servant, working under his father for Sir Henry Vane, of Armathwaite
Hall. He later enrolled at the Durham
Training College to train as a teacher. He graduated with honours in 1858 and commenced his teaching career at the tiny village school at Isel
, where he stayed for two years. Lavendale was his next appointment, where he remained for a further five years. He taught for seven years at Wetherall
and three at Dovenby
before accepting the head position from the newly formed Aspatria
and Brayton School Board in 1874. He also taught part-time at the Aspatria Agricultural College.
he obtained prizes for compositions, amongst which appeared.
Some of these were printed in the Society's Transactions.
Shortly before the Society precluded non-Scots from their competitions, they made him an honorary award of a Gold Medal for a work entitled ‘The Agriculture of the Island of Orkney’. He also received prizes from the Royal Agricultural Society of England. Perhaps his greatest achievement occurred when he won the £20 prize for an essay documenting the agricultural improvements that occurred in the 35 years prior to the time of writing. He also received several awards from the Royal Agricultural Society of Ireland. In 1877, Farrall helped the Ayrshire Cattle Society to compile the Ayrshire Herd Book, which contained a portrait of the famous Ayrshire cow
, ‘Colly Hills’, considered at the time the finest specimen of its breed. He received the original painting from the Duchess of Athlone, and later donated the copyright
to the Ayrshire Cattle Society.
In 1878, he wrote a series of long essays on the subject of Modern Farming in West Cumberland, where after visiting neighbouring farms he wrote about their various techniques and methods. The following farms appeared.
, which were first published in the West Cumberland Times and the Whitehaven
News. He was the author of the famous Betty Wilson’s Cummerland Teals, a volume published in excess of thirty editions. Other contributions regularly appeared in many of the local newspapers, under a variety of noms de plume, including, ‘Bachelor Joe’, ‘Recollections of Aunt Sarah’, ‘Tom o’ t’ Nulk’, and ‘Wise Wiff’. His contemporaries considered him a ‘Keen observer of men and things’. In the course of his life he accumulated an inexhaustible stock of anecdotes and when added to his remarkable memory, made him a popular character at social events. He was President of the Aspatria RUFC
and a patron of the Aspatria Cycling Club. He died on 19, August 1894 and his remains lie in Aspatria churchyard.
Education
Thomas Farrall was born at BassenthwaiteBassenthwaite
Bassenthwaite is a village and civil parish in the Borough of Allerdale in Cumbria, England. According to the 2001 census it had a population of 412. The village is about east of Cockermouth, and is approximately from Bassenthwaite Lake...
, Cumberland
Cumberland
Cumberland is a historic county of North West England, on the border with Scotland, from the 12th century until 1974. It formed an administrative county from 1889 to 1974 and now forms part of Cumbria....
in 1837. After a basic education he began life as an agricultural servant, working under his father for Sir Henry Vane, of Armathwaite
Armathwaite
Armathwaite is a village in the English ceremonial county of Cumbria.Historically within the county of Cumberland, Armathwaite lies on the River Eden, forms part of Eden district and is served by Armathwaite railway station...
Hall. He later enrolled at the Durham
Durham
Durham is a city in north east England. It is within the County Durham local government district, and is the county town of the larger ceremonial county...
Training College to train as a teacher. He graduated with honours in 1858 and commenced his teaching career at the tiny village school at Isel
ISEL
ISEL can refer to:*Instituto Superior de Engenharia de Lisboa, a Portuguese school of engineering*Industrial Syndicalist Education League, a British syndicalist organisation*Institut supérieur d'études logistiques, a French school of engineering...
, where he stayed for two years. Lavendale was his next appointment, where he remained for a further five years. He taught for seven years at Wetherall
Wetherall
Wetherall is a surname, and may refer to:* David Wetherall , English footballer* Frances Wetherall , British sprint canoer* Frederick Augustus Wetherall , British General...
and three at Dovenby
Dovenby
Dovenby is a small settlement in Cumbria, England. It is on the A594 road and is northwest of the town of Cockermouth....
before accepting the head position from the newly formed Aspatria
Aspatria
Aspatria is a small town and civil parish in Cumbria, England, and lies half way between Maryport and Wigton, on the A596. Historically within Cumberland, it is about away from the coast. It is approximately seven miles from the northern boundary of the Lake District, and located to the south east...
and Brayton School Board in 1874. He also taught part-time at the Aspatria Agricultural College.
Agricultural matters
He began writing on agricultural matters for both the Carlisle Journal and the Carlisle Examiner, and later the West Cumberland Times and a wide variety of other Cumberland publications. Although a great deal of his writings appeared anonymously under the pseudonyms, ‘Rusticus’, ‘Agricola’, ‘Rover’, and ‘The Mud Student’. He won many prizes, writing essays on agricultural related subjects. From the Royal Highland and Agricultural Society of ScotlandRoyal Highland and Agricultural Society of Scotland
The Royal Highland and Agricultural Society of Scotland was founded in Edinburgh in 1784 as the Highland Society of Edinburgh. The Society was formed 2 years after the repeal of the Dress Act of 1746, at a time when there was renewed interest in Highland culture.The Society is responsible for...
he obtained prizes for compositions, amongst which appeared.
- The West Highland Breed of Cattle - Fourth series Vol. VIII 1876
- The Ayrshire Breed of Cattle - Fourth series Vol. VIII 1876
- The Galloway Breed of Cattle
- The Comparative Advantages of Autumn and Spring Cultivation
- The Agriculture of Arran and Bute
- The Agriculture of Edinburgh and Linlithgow County - Fourth Series Vol. IX 1877
- The Dairies of Edinburgh
Some of these were printed in the Society's Transactions.
Shortly before the Society precluded non-Scots from their competitions, they made him an honorary award of a Gold Medal for a work entitled ‘The Agriculture of the Island of Orkney’. He also received prizes from the Royal Agricultural Society of England. Perhaps his greatest achievement occurred when he won the £20 prize for an essay documenting the agricultural improvements that occurred in the 35 years prior to the time of writing. He also received several awards from the Royal Agricultural Society of Ireland. In 1877, Farrall helped the Ayrshire Cattle Society to compile the Ayrshire Herd Book, which contained a portrait of the famous Ayrshire cow
Ayrshire cattle
The Ayrshire cattle is a breed of dairy cattle originated from Ayrshire in Scotland. The average mature Ayrshire cow weighs 1,000-1,300 pounds . Ayrshires have red markings. The red can be an orange to a dark brown, with or without coloured legs. They are known for low somatic cell counts,...
, ‘Colly Hills’, considered at the time the finest specimen of its breed. He received the original painting from the Duchess of Athlone, and later donated the copyright
Copyright
Copyright is a legal concept, enacted by most governments, giving the creator of an original work exclusive rights to it, usually for a limited time...
to the Ayrshire Cattle Society.
In 1878, he wrote a series of long essays on the subject of Modern Farming in West Cumberland, where after visiting neighbouring farms he wrote about their various techniques and methods. The following farms appeared.
- Shatton Hall Farm
- Gatesgarth
- Crosscannonby Hall
- Warthole Guards Farm
- Eaglesfield and Southwaite Farms
- Preston Howe Farm
- Aigle Gill Farm
Cumberland dialect
Farrall also wrote many poems and tales in the Cumbrian dialectCumbrian dialect
The Cumbrian dialect is a local English dialect spoken in Cumbria in northern England, not to be confused with the extinct Celtic language Cumbric that used to be spoken in Cumbria. As in any county, there is a gradual drift in accent towards its neighbours...
, which were first published in the West Cumberland Times and the Whitehaven
Whitehaven
Whitehaven is a small town and port on the coast of Cumbria, England, which lies equidistant between the county's two largest settlements, Carlisle and Barrow-in-Furness, and is served by the Cumbrian Coast Line and the A595 road...
News. He was the author of the famous Betty Wilson’s Cummerland Teals, a volume published in excess of thirty editions. Other contributions regularly appeared in many of the local newspapers, under a variety of noms de plume, including, ‘Bachelor Joe’, ‘Recollections of Aunt Sarah’, ‘Tom o’ t’ Nulk’, and ‘Wise Wiff’. His contemporaries considered him a ‘Keen observer of men and things’. In the course of his life he accumulated an inexhaustible stock of anecdotes and when added to his remarkable memory, made him a popular character at social events. He was President of the Aspatria RUFC
Aspatria RUFC
Aspatria Rugby Union Football Club is based in Aspatria, Cumbria in north west England, not far from the Scottish Border. They are nicknamed the "black reds", and have a red cockerel as their logo....
and a patron of the Aspatria Cycling Club. He died on 19, August 1894 and his remains lie in Aspatria churchyard.