THIS IS FINDON
VILLAGE — www.findonvillage.com
created by Valerie Martin, contains scenes from her home village of Findon, West
Sussex, U.K.
The boarded up Wattle House on Nepcote Green in July
2004 — once Shep Norgate and Johnnie's home. |
SHEP NORGATE AND JOHNNIE
Originally published in the
Findon News in August 2004
Copyright Valerie Martin 2004
Findon can be proud to have
possessed a number of personalities over the years. They may not have been
famous on the stage or screen but they all acted out important parts in the rich rural pattern of
village life. In fact, the history of Findon is star studded with stories
of individuals who made a significant difference to our countryside.
Derek Bushrod (a one time
resident of our village) has written to me on the subject of one of our Findon
shepherds. The shepherd in question resided in the
Wattle House on Nepcote Green where the Sheep Fair is held and looked out over
the scene every year.
|
25th February 2004
Further to the subject of the shepherds of the South Downs, I worked with
probably one of the last of this breed of men who lived in The Wattle
House on Nepcote Green, namely Shep Norgate with his wife and his dog
Johnnie who in latter years moved to Homewood.
I think he was about 80 years of age when he retired in the late 1950s. He
always slept out in his "sheperds hut" during the lambing season.
These old shepherds were a little superstitious and he would not allow the
counting of the lambs until "tail docking time" at about 8 weeks old
which was the when the farmer would pay him a bonus for each lamb which if
my memory serves me well was a shilling (5 pence) that reached that age,
and farmer Wills who managed Tolmere Farm at that time was a stickler for
things being right would count the lambs tails usually around 500 or so.
Happy days.
Derek Bushrod, Colchester, Essex.
|
Lawrence May is another who was brought up in
Findon....
26th February 2004.
Shepherds of Findon
I can confirm that Shep Norgate was the last old style
shepherd in Findon.
His dog Johnnie was famous. I swear that Shep used to talk to Johnnie
like another human and Jon used to listen and apparently take it all in
!
Nice to hear from Derek Bushrod I was his next door neighbour when his
mum and dad used to run a smallholding to the west of the Oval. I can
still remember the smell of the pigs food being boiled up every day !
Believe it or not a very evocative and wholesome country smell.
Come on Derek and get busy on the e-mail - you will have some lovely
stories about your youth in Findon and your hard working family !
Lawrence (Lawrie) May
Lawrie May, Antigua,West Indies.
|
Shep was born William Norgate but was referred to
as Billy by Farmer Wills who managed Tolmare Farm. Shep's
wife was Esther.
The couple lived at Rogers Cottages (the north
side) nextdoor to John Pelling (now of Lower Salvington).
In 1951 they were re-housed at No. 2 the Wattle
House (east side) on Nepcote Green in 1951.
Shep's name now is often confused with that of Jack Norgate.
Jack was Shep and Esther's grandson and lived with them.
In 1955 the couple moved from the Wattle House to
a bungalow at Homewood .... even though Shep always refused to go because the Parish Council
would not allow animals in the new "Old People's Home".
The council eventually
relented to allow former shepherds to keep one dog each.
Jack Norgate lived at the new houses at Homewood
in the 1960s after getting married. I am told by John Pelling
that Jack's father (also named Jack) may have been a shepherd too....... which
is very confusing for me when trying to sort out the names!
I guess that Shep Norgate would not have thought
the day would come when sadly there would be a Findon Sheep Fair without the
auctioning of animals.
Continue if you would like to read
Peter Joins The Fair.
This is
Findon Village —
www.findonvillage.com is
a continually growing record created by Valerie Martin exclusively for
documenting life in Findon.
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