Richard John Mount, 1833–1915
In an article in the Folkestone, Hythe, Sandgate & Cheriton Herald for 6th October 1900, headed “HARVEST HOME AT NEWINGTON”, the regular columnist ‘Felix’ (W.G. Glanville) described the musical contributions which followed the meal and healths:
Dick Mount, a farm hand of some seventy summers, in a twenty-verse song, told the story of a bashful swain and an innocent country lass, whilst another follower of the plough related in a ditty the doings of a certain little tailor of Dover, much to the amusement of the company.
It’s not possible to positively identify the song which Dick Mount sang, but there certainly was a farm labourer named Richard Mount, of very nearly seventy summers, living in Newington at that time.
He was baptised at St Nicholas, Newington Next Hythe, on 11th August 1833, the son of William and Sarah, née Gower. The 1841 census showed them living in the hamlet of Arpinge near Newington. William and his eldest son (also William) both worked as thatchers. In 1851 Richard was working as an agricultural labourer for William Matson, a farmer of 140 acres, at Alkham (the precise location is difficult to decipher, but could be Drellingore). When the 1861 census was taken he was boarding with the family of Samuel Hood at Paddlesworth, to the West of Hawkinge, working as an agricultural labourer, probably for Robert Marsh at Cole Farm.
He married Jane Gilham at St Nicholas, Newington Next Hythe, on 15th October 1870, and the following year’s census found them living with Richard’s father back at Arpinge (recorded as “Harpinge” on the census return). William was by now 79 years old, but his occupation was still shown as Thatcher, as was that of 38 year old Richard. He and Jane had a baby son, also named Richard.
Thereafter census records show him simply as a farm labourer. With Jane and an ever-increasing family, he was living at Coombe Farm Cottage, Newington Next Hythe, in 1881, at Arpinge in 1891, and at Grove Cottage, Newington in 1901. In 1911 he and Jane were residing at 81 Shaftesbury Avenue, Cheriton and, although he was 78 years of age, he was still listed as “Farm labourer”. He died in the final quarter of 1915.
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