"bungy lad" a new term for me, any ideas?

[Tickettyboo]

I have been reading a report in the Newcastle Evening Chronicle of an inquest held in Dunston, Whickham, in June 1902 on the death of a young man aged 15, who was an employee on the farm who'd  committed suicide at Baldwin Flats Farm, by hanging himself in the barn after attacking the farmer's niece with a hammer.
A witness at the inquest, who was just 10 years old and the granddaughter of the farmer had witnessed the attack and gave evidence.
<quote>
After tea, four of the company left for chapel, leaving at the farm [the] witness, Emma Thompson[girl who was attacked], "the bungy lad' and witnesses's baby sister.
</quote>

I've never come across this term before and Googling just brings up hits for the more modern foolhardy thrill seekers who jump from great heights whilst attached to stout knicker elastic (or similar).

I assume its a local term for some sort of farm job/maybe pecking order in the staff list of the farm. Does anyone have any ideas?

Its not vital, hardly the most pertinent section of the reports of either the attack or the inquest, but I do hate not knowing stuff :-)

Boo

[Rena]

I realise County Durham is a different county to the one I was born in, but ....

When I was young "bungy" was "cheese" in our house.

As the place of work was a farm, would it have anything to do with cheese making?

[Tickettyboo]

oh it could be I suppose, on the 1881 census return the farmer (Andrew Hopper), prior to being the farmer at Baldwin Flats, was listed as a cow keeper and did employ a dairy maid. If he kept a dairy herd at Baldwin Flats then cheese making could well be the answer.
Thanks Rena, that's certainly a highly likely contender! (and so much better than Mr Google came up with!)

Boo

[Tickettyboo]

and now you have given me a clue, though its mainly referring to a later period, this page
https://historyofdunston.weebly.com/street-names.html

says:On the ordnance survey sheet of Dunston dated 1897 published by Alan Godfrey of 57-58 Spoor Street Dunston in 1981, is shown Baldwin Flat
farm. It was between Knightside Gardens and the bottom of Redesdale Gardens and was run as a dairy by the Youens family up to about 1960.

If it had previously (when Andrew Hopper was at the farm) been a dairy farm, then it continued as such for many years.

Boo

[carlineric]

From the Dictionary of  Occupational Terms (http://doot.spub.co.uk)

bungey lad
a milk boy q.v. who helps bungey man (776) q.v. in delivering milk from milk float.

[Rosinish]

From reading the previous paragraph it seems a slang term in relation to the chap who hung himself as the 'the bungy lad'

Annie

[Tickettyboo]

From reading the previous paragraph it seems a slang term in relation to the chap who hung himself as the 'the bungy lad'

Annie

In what respect Annie? I am not disputing what you are saying but don't see the connection - or at least the connection relating to the time frame?

Boo

[Tickettyboo]

From the Dictionary of  Occupational Terms (http://doot.spub.co.uk)

bungey lad
a milk boy q.v. who helps bungey man (776) q.v. in delivering milk from milk float.

That would tie in to the farm, thanks carlineric

Boo

[durhamgirl73]

...well I'm from Durham and that word is new to me!