15. Clarence ‘Clary’ Daws (Part 1)

Not many people in Monkton will remember Clarence ‘Clary’ Daws as he died in 1978. Clary owned a small-holding within the Parish. Those of you who have walked up the Bridle Way (Colletts Hill) opposite the Foxhunter Park, will have seen the remains of four barns on the left, they were part of Colletts Hill Farm, which along with about 30 acres (12 hectares) belonged to Clary. His thirty acres was from the left of the barns all the way up the left of the track to the main road with another part over the road (easy access before the dual carriageway was built).

I do not know how Clary obtained this farm, he was born in Monkton in 1914 and never married, did not drink or smoke. Until the 1960’s he lived with his mother ‘Minnie’ in no. 2 or 3 Delce Cottages (110 or 112 Monkton St). At the end of the 1960’s he had a bungalow built at 106 Monkton Street for himself and his mother.

Clary employed one full-time farm labourer, Frank ‘Bunny’ Ireland, who retired in the late 60’s.

Clary gave employment to a generation of boys who lived in the village (I was one of them). Most of the crops he grew were sold locally to the then many greengrocers in Thanet. Mainly cabbages, cauliflowers, brussel sprouts, potatoes and runner beans. With a few acres of wheat and barley as break crops. Most of the work was seasonal. For most of us boys it was one to three weeks work in the summer holidays, maybe a few days in the Easter holidays, most was Saturday work. This often meant getting crops ready to go to market the following week.

In my time working for Clary, I cannot remember him ever turning any boy away, you were given a job which suited your age and abilities. Top job was driving Clary’s tractor a ‘Nuffield’. I drove it for a short while before I went to work for Terry Whiteman at St Nicholas.

Clary was 64 when he died of a heart attack whilst working in one of his fields. He lies with his mother in the churchyard just to the north of the holly tree.

Terry Marsh

Originally published in the Monkton News (November 2023).