Author Topic: Mole-Catcher as a profession  (Read 10476 times)

Online Erato

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Re: Mole-Catcher as a profession
« Reply #9 on: Friday 22 May 15 16:58 BST (UK) »
What was your grandfather's profession after immigrating to the United States?  There are plenty of moles in North America but, as far as I can tell, mole catching was never an occupational option there.  I wonder why.
Wiltshire:  Banks, Taylor
Somerset:  Duddridge, Richards, Barnard, Pillinger
Gloucestershire:  Barnard, Marsh, Crossman
Bristol:  Banks, Duddridge, Barnard
Down:  Ennis, McGee
Wicklow:  Chapman, Pepper
Wigtownshire:  Logan, Conning
Wisconsin:  Ennis, Chapman, Logan, Ware
Maine:  Ware, Mitchell, Tarr, Davis

Offline Mike in Cumbria

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Re: Mole-Catcher as a profession
« Reply #10 on: Friday 22 May 15 17:29 BST (UK) »
Farmers dont like them on their land as apparantly they transmit disease to animals.
A dying breed thats for sure
alan

Not just that. The mole hills get in the way of agricultural equipment - for instance bar cutters and balers.
They can be harrowed out in spring before the grass grows too high.

Offline Rena

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Re: Mole-Catcher as a profession
« Reply #11 on: Friday 22 May 15 17:57 BST (UK) »
Aberdeen: Findlay-Shirras,McCarthy: MidLothian: Mason,Telford,Darling,Cruikshanks,Bennett,Sime, Bell: Lanarks:Crum, Brown, MacKenzie,Cameron, Glen, Millar; Ross: Urray:Mackenzie:  Moray: Findlay; Marshall/Marischell: Perthshire: Brown Ferguson: Wales: McCarthy, Thomas: England: Almond, Askin, Dodson, Well(es). Harrison, Maw, McCarthy, Munford, Pye, Shearing, Smith, Smythe, Speight, Strike, Wallis/Wallace, Ward, Wells;Germany: Flamme,Ehlers, Bielstein, Germer, Mohlm, Reupke

Offline pelirroja

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Re: Mole-Catcher as a profession
« Reply #12 on: Friday 22 May 15 20:48 BST (UK) »
To answer your question about my grandfather, he worked many years for a local railroad company.  He also loved to garden and grew beautiful flowers.  I've always regretted not talking to him more about Scotland.
Here in the U.S. mole-catchers are almost non-existent.  Hardware or garden shops sell traps and other equipment to kill the moles in one's yard.  If a family of moles gets started in a park or one's yard, it's a challenge to get rid of them.  I don't know what a farmer would do so a professional mole-catcher might be very busy here.
Fascinating about the elderly gentleman, who still works as a mole-catcher.
Love the photo with the straw hat surrounded by the dead moles.  Thanks again for all the responses.


Offline deebel

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Re: Mole-Catcher as a profession
« Reply #13 on: Saturday 23 May 15 12:18 BST (UK) »
Pellirrooja. I still have a local friend who is a Dry Stone Dyker and Mole catcher freelance and works mainly on the local Border Golf courses and farmers..He is 82 and still wont retire. In bye gone days they hung the dead moles on the field wire fence to show the farmers how many they caught and how much money they were due. Some people still collect the mole hill earth for their gardens .He originally was registered to use poison from the local chemist but now only uses mole traps set into their runs.Farmers dont like them on their land as apparantly they transmit disease to animals.
A dying breed thats for sure
alan

Brings back memories. remember the family going to visit my gran in Sanquhar and the car journey always involved the road north through Crawfordjohn out to the old A74. We used to try and count the moles hanging on the fence at the side of the road as a sort of car game.

This post is a natural hand made product. The slight variations in spelling and grammar enhance its individual character and beauty and in no way are to be considered flaws. Unfortunately my preferred method of writing (Parker Quink on Basildon Bond) cannot be used.

Offline pelirroja

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Re: Mole-Catcher as a profession
« Reply #14 on: Monday 25 May 15 23:48 BST (UK) »
Another question about the professional mole-catcher: What would have been the average annual wage of a mole-catcher in the 1800s?

Online Erato

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Re: Mole-Catcher as a profession
« Reply #15 on: Monday 25 May 15 23:52 BST (UK) »
I suppose smart mole catchers always let the pregnant females 'escape' to ensure future catching jobs.
Wiltshire:  Banks, Taylor
Somerset:  Duddridge, Richards, Barnard, Pillinger
Gloucestershire:  Barnard, Marsh, Crossman
Bristol:  Banks, Duddridge, Barnard
Down:  Ennis, McGee
Wicklow:  Chapman, Pepper
Wigtownshire:  Logan, Conning
Wisconsin:  Ennis, Chapman, Logan, Ware
Maine:  Ware, Mitchell, Tarr, Davis

Offline Mike in Cumbria

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Re: Mole-Catcher as a profession
« Reply #16 on: Tuesday 26 May 15 09:00 BST (UK) »
I suppose smart mole catchers always let the pregnant females 'escape' to ensure future catching jobs.

Absolutely. Our local guy always jokes about leaving a breeding stock (probably not to his clients though).