People: Mr Quarton Adamson

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THE HULL TIMES - APRIL 23, 1938 (an extract)

RECOLLECTIONS OF BISHOP WILTON'S VETERAN CRICKETER

It is 11 years ago this summer that the picturesque Wold village of Bishop Wilton created no little sensation in cricket circles by the now famous challenge that from that village of less than 700 inhabitants, could be found a cricket team of players, every one over the age of 70 years, who could bat, bowl or field and were willing to meet any such side that could be found in any village of the same size in England.

Eleven years have passed since those exciting days of 1927 summer and Father Time has assed relentlessly on, taking one by one, those Wold cricketers to their last rest, until we have but one survivor of the 13 original members.

THE SOLE SURVIVOR

He is Mr Quarton Adamson, a fine, active, clear-eyed and witty old gentleman who attained his 86th birthday a few weeks ago. Possessing a remarkably retentive memory, he narrates many interesting episodes passed on by his parents, along with his own reminiscences, which reveal the vastly changed conditions of country life during the past century.

Naturally his conversation reverts to the great days of 11 years ago when the Bishop Wilton veterans made history, for he was one of the stalwarts of the side, being responsible for 39 runs of his team's total of 75 when at Huddersfield.

Mr Adamson's story tells of the changed conditions of rural life and the amazing forms of recreation in days gone by. On the occasion of the village Buttercakes in October, the manly sport of hare coursing (in the good old style over the Wolds) and horse racing were indulged in. The Buttercakes or feast used to be a great fixture in the village calendar, and the revelry was kept up for a whole week. Many of the men employed on the Wold farms never went anywhere during the remainder of the year, but saved up their earnings to have a week at the Buttercakes.

THE BREAD BASKETS

Large baskets were obtained, and with these men made a round of the village and were given a kind of a currant loaf with a liberal covering of butter, hence the name - Buttercakes. In some cases they were rewarded with money and when their rounds were completed they adjourned to one of the village Inns and the fun began.

At that period there were two Inns and a beerhouse in the village, and two on the Garrowby Road. Today one Inn suffices to slake the thirst of the residents and the old-time Buttercakes are unobserved.

It may be that the village agricultural and horticultural show, which is one of the most popular August Bank Holiday attractions in the district, has usurped the old-time Buttercakes, and our friend tells how from very modest beginnings this event has developed in importance.

The first show was held in the school-yard and the tent or marquee was composed of a number of stack sheets and poles borrowed from the neighbouring farmers. Perhaps a crude form of marquee, but the show was on its feet.

FORGING AND WEAVING

Turning to the changed condition of village life, Bishop Wilton today is described as a purely agricultural village, but Mr Adamson relates how at one time it had its foundry which found employment for several men and it also had a flourishing weaving industry where calico sheets were made from hemp obtained from line which was extensively grown in that part of Yorkshire.

He describes how this line was pulled and the pith or hemp extracted from the straw by means of wooden knives. The seed was separated at the same time and this was sent away to make linseed oil and the refuse went to make cattle cakes, and he recalls, as a youth, pulling it on his father's farm at Kexby and helping to take it to Elvington, where it was loaded on boats for Selby.

The weaving industry flourished at Bishop Wilton for many years, but gradually passed into the hands of the larger firms who were equipped with machinery, and so, like many other rural industries, the weavers of Bishop Wilton passed out.

QUAINT CHAR-MAN

The site of the weaving industry at Bishop Wilton was near the school, and the last of the weavers was a man named Tom Thackray, and Mr Adamson tells how, afterwards, this man used to wear a top hat and frock-coat and go round the farmhouses doing their weekly washing. One wonders what the charwomen of today would say should they meet with such competition, but we are told that Tom's experience in bleaching calico sheets as a weaver stood him in good stead, for no woman could beat him at the wash-tub.

These are but a few of the interesting reminiscences of this fine old veteran, about whom a few personal details are no less interesting.

Coming of good agricultural stock, his ancestors being the Quartons, the Newbys and the Adamsons - all well-known farming families in the Pocklington district in former times - he was born at Givendale, where his father farmed. At the age of five his father went to Kexby under Lord Wenlock, and after spending several years there returned to Bishop Wilton.

DRIVING AT TEN

It was at a little school at Kexby that Mr Adamson received his schooling, but he tells how, at the age of 10 years, he was driving horses on his father's farm and helping to drive cattle to York market on market days. At the age of 12 he carted 121,000 draining tiles and bricks from Kexby Brickyard for a new system of drainage on the farm, which eventually resulted in a great disagreement between his father and Lord Wenlock's agent as to how it should be done. The agent did it his way, which proved, after heavy rains, to be the wrong one.

At the age of 20 Mr Adamson commenced farming for himself at Bishop Wilton and later he farmed for 20 years at Mettle Hall, Warter, until retiring about 17 years ago, when he returned to Bishop Wilton. With this we must conclude the reminiscences with the last survivor of what may be termed the most remarkable English cricket team that ever took the field.