The 21st Century

Dartmoor Worker

Get the Original 'Dartmoor Worker' Here

In 1903 William Crossing published a series of articles in the Western Morning News under the title of, "Present-day life on Dartmoor". Originally it was planned to publish a series of 19 articles which looked at the working lives of everyday people who lived on and around the moor. In the end their were 20 articles printed and the first of these appeared on the 5th of August 1903.

In 1966 David & Charles the Newton Abbot publishers printed these Crossing's articles in a book called, "The Dartmoor Worker" which has under gone several reprints since. I have a copy of this 1966 book which has an invoice inside dated the 22nd of September 1966 from Ward Lock & Co of London in which a Mr. D. Dimond from Bristol was charged £1 12s 6d. I also have another copy printed in 1992 by Peninsula press and today that will cost £6.99 in softback, interesting what 30 years can do.

In 1903 William Crossing devoted an article to the following people; The farmer, moorman, labourer, newtake wall builder, swaler, peat cutter, warrener, miner, quarryman, clay labourer, whortleberry gatherer, sportsman, soldier, prison officer, antiquary, artist, visitor, tour operator and guide.

The whole idea of this category is where possible to compare and contrast the lives of such people in the 21st century with those of their predecessors of a century ago. It will be impossible to include some of Crossing's original trades as in the cases of the tin miner, peat cutter and warrener they simply no longer are to be found on Dartmoor. But where possible I will over time be including all the other trades and professions which will hopefully build up into 'The 21st Century Dartmoor Worker'.  Although some of the original trades have vanished they have been replaced by a multitude of modern-day trades and occupations and so some of these will be substituted for those now consigned to the history books.