Author Topic: Dry stone walling  (Read 249 times)

Offline tornado

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Dry stone walling
« on: Friday 02 May 25 19:11 BST (UK) »
So my ancestor worked on stone walls in 1840 in fell side Kendal Westmoreland . Any info of the social history here would be appreciated . Thanks .   

Offline elliot

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Re: Dry stone walling
« Reply #1 on: Friday 02 May 25 19:22 BST (UK) »
How long did he live, with all that back-braking bending and lifting, and all that fresh air and beautiful views?

Online KGarrad

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Re: Dry stone walling
« Reply #2 on: Friday 02 May 25 20:20 BST (UK) »
Garrad (Suffolk, Essex, Somerset), Crocker (Somerset), Vanstone (Devon, Jersey), Sims (Wiltshire), Bridger (Kent)

Online GrahamSimons

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Re: Dry stone walling
« Reply #3 on: Friday 02 May 25 21:13 BST (UK) »
Depending on where you are, here's a good opportunity to find out more.....

https://www.friendsofthelakedistrict.org.uk/Event/walling-competition-2025

Simons Barrett Jaffray Waugh Langdale Heugh Meade Garnsey Evans Vazie Mountcure Glascodine Parish Peard Smart Dobbie Sinclair....
in Stirlingshire, Roxburghshire; Bucks; Devon; Somerset; Northumberland; Carmarthenshire; Glamorgan


Online hanes teulu

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Re: Dry stone walling
« Reply #4 on: Saturday 03 May 25 08:24 BST (UK) »
The 1851 Census has 67 recorded with "Waller" as occupation in Westmorland. The breakdown is -

a. Registration District East Ward - 2
b. Registration District West Ward - 8
c. Registration District Kendal - 57 (includes 1 "Master Waller").

Similar picture in 1861 - 69 recorded with "Waller" as occupation in Westmorland, 63 in the Registration District of Kendal. The 63 includes 1 "Master Waller."

Your William is a "builder" in '41, "Waller" in '51 and "former Mason" in 61 in Kendal.


Online AlanBoyd

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Re: Dry stone walling
« Reply #5 on: Saturday 03 May 25 08:54 BST (UK) »
In a region where the main building material was stone (still is?), perhaps 'waller' should be interpreted more broadly than dry stone-walling, especially if the man has also been recorded as a builder and a stone-mason.

This is just one example of many newspaper adverts for wallers in that place and period:

31 March 1855: Westmorland Gazette
Boyd, Dove, Blakey, Burdon

Online hanes teulu

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Re: Dry stone walling
« Reply #6 on: Saturday 03 May 25 09:06 BST (UK) »
Agreed - mason, waller, builder, j(ourneynan) builder are quite flexible at this period. Just read a snippet of a waller, working on a house, pulling down part of a ceiling and discovering a dead baby.

The William Airey previously referred to as "builder, waller and former mason" was named as a "waller" in his funeral notice.

Offline tornado

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Re: Dry stone walling
« Reply #7 on: Saturday 03 May 25 12:46 BST (UK) »
All this information is great so thanks again . It really paints a picture of how William would have worked back then in ths rural place . I will contact the friends of the lake district to inquire about walling in the 1800s . They may have history here . William lived for 74 yrs , so he must have been fairly healthy despite the laborious jobs . Best wishes to you all .