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meticulously recorded the names of the ponies. Together with their breeding and markings or “particulars” as he insisted upon calling them, each one written in a small, black bound pocket book, (bound with a piece of elastic) with a purple/blue pencil; which always seemed to write better if spat upon!
In 1932 Harry registered in Vol XXI of the National Pony Society Stud Book, Lownthwaite ponies with recorded pedigrees, using his own name as both owner and breeder.
Jenny of Lownthwaite, 6367, named after his mother.
Lucy of Lownthwaite, 6368, named after his daughter.
Mary of Lownthwaite, 6369, named after his grandmother.
Sarah of Lownthwaite, 6370, named after his wife.
In 1935 the price paid for two unbroken geldings at Appleby Fair was £7 each; a princely sum for together they would pay the wages of one agricultural worker for one year. One broken pony was sold to Mr Cranston of Kirkoswald at Appleby Fair. At Penrith Show in 1935 Mr Cranston won a prize with an unnamed Fell Pony; was this, the same pony? . What we do know is that this pony was used to pull Mr Cranston’s high wheeled butcher cart
In 1936 a four year old gelding was sold for 7 Guineas at Wigton Auction Mart, he went to Blackpool to pull a fruit and vegetable cart. At that time many of the ponies that “worked” had their tails docked; owners did not want dirty tails slashing onto goods on the cart. Docking was “In Vogue,” but its roots were established for practical reasons. A number of ponies were sold to go into the mines. Frank Ward of Ward Bros., Wolsingham was one such buyer. Buying ponies, normally geldings, for the coalmines of County Durham. These ponies left by and large unregistered; registration was viewed as an unnecessary expense.
The advent of the railways and steam power may have sounded a warning, but the invention and progression of the internal combustion engine must
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