PIGS CLUBS

Susanah Farmer was our speaker for the February meeting & began by telling of her students days which led her into studying local history & eventually her family history, Susananh also has a love of pigs to the extent that she rears her own!
As she explained, when one starts a project it invariably leads to other avenues & as part of local history she became aware that in days past most families kept a pig at the bottom of the garden or on their allotments to supplement their food supplies especially during hard times such as the war.
The powers that be realised that such practices would continue so they encouraged the formation of Pig Clubs which started around 1880 to buy, feed & look after pigs.
Pigs Clubs were established as self help groups, had minutes recorded & members lists – a source of names for family history & fees paid which helped members out in lean times.
Pigs were known to eat anything & everything from scraps from the table to the waste products from such places as breweries & dairies & returned the same as manure.
The government created inspectors & documents & plans such as IR 58’s show that not only did they inspect the pigs & their environ but also described how peoples’ houses were built & the number of rooms they had & where the pigs & poultry were kept.
The clubs were also a way for the hierarchy to have some social control over the populace- ‘give them something to do & keep them out of trouble’ & people were encouraged to become self sufficient.
We were shown many documents of historical & social value & told of ways to research Pig & Cow clubs for lists of members & as an insight to social history which could enhance our knowledge of our own families .
Susanah told how the slaughter of the family pig was always an occasion, if somewhat sad perhaps for the children, but the end products fed the family, even if the pig had become a pet & that every part of the pig was used – except the squeal.
There were several books available to peruse, one of which was Mrs Beaton’s recipes for pork products.
The talk ended with members recalling their own family pig keeping.
Our March meeting is the Club Night when members show how they have recorded their Family History & to exchange help & advice with lap tops fiche & readers & CD’s available.
[Barbara Holmes]