Parish Life in Fleckney 1830s to 1920s

Extract Taken from Information provided by Mr Ray Stevens.

The working day began at 4am and during the winter months much of this was by candlelight. Bread was expensive and the main food consumed by villagers would have been vegetables and potatos grown on their allotments or in gardens. The village had it's own baker and bread and milk would have been delivered by horse and cart. Fleckney villagers would have enjoyed buttermilk, whey or beer to drink with only the richer farmers being able to afford tea. During the 1830s tea was sold as leaves which often once used would be dried out and given to the poor to be used a second time.

Delivering Milk the traditional Way, As described by Nora Garner

Prior to a separate Parish Council all community matters were dealt with by a Vestry Meeting. Minutes of such a meeting held on March 23rd 1868 reveal that much of the discussion centred around the problem of sewage in the village. The minutes state that:

"Whereas it has been stated by members of this vestry that there are many nuisances in this village over which the vestry has no control such as prives and cesspools forming parts of dwelling house walls, pigsties and heaps of manure in close proximity to houses, overcrowded and badly ventilated houses and worshops and that a communication to the above effect be made to the committee of the Market Harborough Board of Guardians."

Obnoxious Odour Hits Village

In the October of 1908 at a meeting of the Fleckney Parochial Council the main cause for discussion was reported to be an enquiry into the cause of an obnoxious odour permeating throughout the village.

"It was the opinion of Doctor Phillips who was present, and Mr Blount who wrote to complain of the smell, that the cause of the bad odour was the insanitary conditions of a pond siutated in teh middle of the village and within a few yards of the school.

The pond at this time was occupied by Mr John Peberdy and the following resolution was despatched.

"That the attention of the Rural District Council be called to the insanitary condition of Mr Peberdys pond and that immediate action be taken to remove the cause of nuisance, which is a source of much danger and annoyance to the school and the general public"

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Coming Soon - Tour of Fleckney At The Turn of the Century