Romance of a Pewsey Resident - from bird scarer to big farmer (Published 9 Aug 1935)

There is, we suppose we may safely say, no better known man in and around the Vale, than Mr Alfred Gilford, of  Knapp House, Pewsey. He has just celebrated his 80th birthday, and we congratulate him as will hundreds of others. Mr Gilford - "Kitty" Gilford as he was affectionately known to his associates - is a living  monument to what industry and perseverance can accomplish. In proof of that we need say no more than that, orphanated when quite young, he began life as a bird-starver on one shilling a week and fought the world  until he ultimately became a farmer of 650 acres.
Mr Gilford has a wonderful personality. In fair weather or foul, he has lived in an atmosphere of perpetual sunshine. He is indeed a boon companion; nothing would have cheered a despondent soul more than to spend an hour in his company. He experienced the ups and downs of life, but never brooded on the unfavourable. " Never trouble until trouble troubles you" seemed to be the theme which he set at the top of life' s copy book. In his younger days - and not so many years ago for all that! he took a superlatively active part in the efforts to raise funds on behalf of the Savenake Hospital when the local carnival was at its zenith. The writer who had much to do with the proceedings in those days, in a detached form, can visualise him now, immaculately got up as "John Bull" - an impersonation which admirably suited him, pleading to the public to give "the old fellow a copper for his (hospital) box!"
It was on the morning of August 9th, 1855, that Mr Alfred Gilford of Knapp Villa, Pewsey, first saw the light -in a small cottage at New Mill, Milton Lilbourne.

He was the 13th child of Mr Stephen James Gilford and his wife Sarah Ann, his father being, at that time, hay-tyer for Mr Kingston of Broomsgrove. Five of his brothers and sisters died before his birth - victims of an epidemic of black fever - and Mr Gilford has outlived all the others. When 13 months old, Alfred became fatherless and at eight years of age he started work, receiving a shilling a week for keeping the brown linnets off a field sown with turnip. Well he remembers  his master administering a good thrashing to him with an empty sack, because he was found asleep at his post. He laughs gaily at the recollection, and says the ordeal did him a world of good. He jumped up and ran home and the next day went back to his job as usual.
After six weeks he gained "promotion" by being put in charge of the geese and turkeys feeding the stubble, and for this Mr John Burfitt paid him one shilling per week with a good dinner every Sunday. The young hopeful next went to Mr John Jarvis at the Savernake Hotel to try rook-starving, being now nine years of age, and in the spring he was again promoted by being put to the plough, with an advance in wages to one shilling and sixpence a week. For eighteen months, he stuck it and then he returned to Mr Burfitt - still ploughing at one shilling and sixpence per week. His next job was. with Mr T E Deadman, at Clench, where his wages rocketed to four shillings weekly. About this time the boy became anxious about his mother's health, and returned to Mr Keevil, to be able to sleep at home, still receiving four shillings weekly.

When he was 13, his mother died, so Alfred had sleeping accommodation in a loft-room over the stables receiving a quart of milk a day, but otherwise providing for himself out of the 5 shillings he now received. After five or six years he went to Mr Nuth at Everleigh, receiving 7s. a week in summer and 6s.6d. in winter, with the promise of �2 at Michaelmas. He was delighted when his master gave him �3 instead, on account of his industry at Everleigh - again he slept over the horse stables. His next move was to Mr Norris's farm at Grafton where he received nine shillings weekly with �3 at Michaelmas - by now he felt so big that he threatened to fight his employer!

On second thought he boarded a train and went to London. Seeking out Mr Peter Keevil in the Metropolis, a brother of his former employer, he was put on as "handy-lad" at his wholesale store, where he remained for five or six years, acting as dairyman, milker, cowman and in any capacity required and being well paid for his services, his wages rising gradually from l8s. to 25s.
Now Alfred considered himself "quite a gent", he sported a top hat, and a young lady. He had saved about �60. With the cash he returned to Wiltshire, bought three cows off Mr Spackman and two horses off Mr Bunce, entering into a partnership with.his brother at Wash Pool House, at Milk House Water. The money soon slipped away and Alfred borrowed from his "young lady" the money to pay his fare back to London. He returned to Mr Keevil to find that his place had been filled. He was sent to Mr Keevil's brother, Mr Clement Keevil at Blagden Farm, Bromley, Kent, who put him on at �1 a week. Here he was the victim of a burglary - losing a complete outfit of clothes. Later he took a post as milker at Wimbledon with Mr John Joyce of Keevil, with whom he remained for six or seven years.
While there, he married Miss Ellen Waite, daughter of Mr James Waite of Harris Lane, Easton Royal and set up housekeeping at Westbourne Park, the wedding taking place at Lowe Merton Church. "Many and many a happy day we had there" Mr Gilford reflected. " And many more since, thank God, and always in such a comfortable home". A son and daughter came along and things prospered, so that Mr Gilford set up a hauling business of his own. One day his horse dropped dead on Wimbleton Hill, and a collection which amounted to �6 was made to help him to buy another.