9.10.1879

Weeding, Walter. 50. Served 25 years in the Grenadier Guards. Was in the Crimean War. A pensioner. At the age of 13 was carter boy first in Mrs Jackson and then in Mr. Hale's service at Shawhurst Farm for 3 years [and] is now again in Mr. Hale's service. Lives on the Forest at White House. When carter boy constantly carried litter and turf for fuel to Shawhurst, Shepherds and Suntings, cut on the Forest by his uncle Daniel Weeding, now dead, before going to Mr. Hale's as carter boy. When just big enough to pull a rake used to help his uncle rake up litter for Buckhurst Place at Blackham and High Fields Farms from what is called the 500 roughs.

I was born and brought up on a little place about 2 acres on the Forest near Chuckhatch belonging to my father and called Lone Oak Hall. We kept one or two cows and a few sheep and a donkey and turned them out on the Forest. We had turf and scrub for firing and heath to thatch lodges and pigstyes.