| Where | Great Broughton Village Hall | Type of Event | Illustrated Talk |
| When | Monday 20th January 2025 | Tutor | Ken Braithwaite |
The lecture was delivered by Ken Braithwaite who is the author of novels featuring drovers and who also has a well-deserved reputation as an informative and entertaining speaker. And so it was on this occasion. We had a good-sized audience. Ken’s presentation was lively and well organised. This was a well-researched and mastered subject.
Ken began with the general point that for over 300 years until the 1840s, the growth of London and other large cities produced a demand for meat. A lot of the livestock came from Scotland and Wales. It was driven over roads where there was abundant pasture at a rate of about ten miles a day. As these roads were improved for general use and tolls were levied the drovers would move to higher ground to avoid payment.
There was always the possibility of theft and drovers were allowed by law to carry a pistol, sword and cudgel. Thieves received a rough justice when caught. Apart from the theft of livestock, another element of risk was the carriage of money. After the drovers had completed delivery and sale they would return home. There would be a lot of money and a great attraction for thieves. Although the drovers were armed, as above, this in turn led to the use of letters of credit. More secure and much safer. Clearly, this was an industry which was organised and involved a lot of trust.
The material was absorbing and the audience was attentive. The time passed easily, and the audience was informed and entertained. There were questions. An enjoyable evening.