Ted and Bet Porter

Ted Porter: (born 1901 and died aged 76) and his wife Annie (Bet), who came from Mayfield, were engaged in the chicken fattening business, an industry started in this area in the 18th century.  Young birds were conveyed in specially constructed ‘back crates’ by ‘Higglers’, who acted as general carriers, walking many miles over difficult terrain to avoid heavy road charges.  These higglers often walked up into Kent and returned with up to three dozen birds in their crate.  This was an unpleasant job to say the least, with chicken fleas getting under the collar.  The birds were taken to a small farm where they were fattened and prepared for the London market.

Ted was ‘feather man’, collecting and selling the feathers to the upholstery trade.  Like Sarah and Jim they carried on the seasonal trades, gathering holly around Christmas to make wreaths which they sold locally and to contacts in Covent Garden.  I recall seeing Ted emerge from the wood with a large bundle of holly across his back and looking remarkably like an illustration in a fairy story book.

Part of the booklet notes, written by Brian Matthews and Rod Stradling, to the Musical Traditions Records CDs Just Another Saturday Night (MTCD309-10)