Main Collection
Rural Life in the Nineteenth Century
If you’ve ever looked into your family history, chances are at some point you’ll have come across some of your ancestors that worked the land.

Collection Overview
In 1850 one in every three working men in Scotland worked in agriculture. Women were also employed on the land, in part because they were cheaper to employ, or in some cases, they received no cash payment at all, these women were known as Bondagers. Some male commentators thought that women were particularly suited to agricultural work as they could bend more easily than men! But whether you were male or female one thing was certain farm work was hard work!
Collection Highlights



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