Arthur Randell

Arthur Redvers Randell (11 July 1901 – March 1988) wrote about life in the English Fens.

Not to be confused with Arthur Randall or Arthur Randle.

Biography

Randell was born near the River Great Ouse at Wiggenhall St Mary Magdalen, Norfolk, in the United Kingdom.[1] During his early life he made a living from being a railway worker for Great Eastern Railway, LNER and British Rail and a molecatcher, the fourth generation in his family. He worked on the railways for 47 years mostly at Waldersea siding signal box.[2] After retiring in 1965 he worked as a mole-catcher for the Hundreds of Wisbech Internal Drainage Board and the Laddus Drove Drainage Board. In 1968 he went to work as a pest controller on the Coldham Hall estate.[3]

He was a great authority on the Fens and its people and customs. He wrote about the blacksmith who was forced to turn to repairing farm implements and kitchen implements, the chimney sweep, the harness maker, the pig-killer, the straw worker, the maker of corn dollies and many other now extinct trades.

Later he wrote a number of books which were edited by Enid Porter and published. He was a popular speaker at community groups and made several TV appearances. [4] Interviewed by Anglia TV's Dick Joice and featured in one of the Byegones books.[5]

In a letter published in a local newspaper he wrote that he had nearly finished a hand written manuscript for a book of ghosts, witches and haunted houses, this does not appear to have been published.[6] By this time Enid Porter, the editor of his earlier publications had retired.

Death

Randell died on Saturday 26th March in the North Cambridgeshire Hospital, Wisbech. His funeral service was held at Friday Bridge Church and he was interred at Elm Cemetery.[7]

Bibliography
  • Sixty Years a Fenman (London Routledge & Kegan Paul, 1966) - Arthur Randell, edited by Enid Porter
  • Fenland Railwayman (London Routledge & Kegan Paul, 1968) - Arthur Randell, edited by Enid Porter
  • Fenland Memories (London Routledge & Kegan Paul, 1969) - Arthur Randell, edited by Enid Porter
  • Fenland Molecatcher (London Routledge & Kegan Paul, 1970) - Arthur Randell, edited by Enid Porter

[8]

Footnotes
  1. Monger, Garry (2021). "Fenland Mole-catchers". The Fens. 38: 20.
  2. "Railways". Birmingham Daily Post - Saturday 31 August 1968. p. 10.
  3. Randell, Arthur (1970). Fenland Molecatcher. Routledge & Keegan Paul Ltd. p. 9.
  4. "Harvest Evening". Lynn Advertiser. 21 October 1980. p. 4.
  5. Dick Joice (1976). Arthur Randell Fenman. Boydell Press. ISBN 978-0851150765.
  6. "Old characters I have known". Lynn Advertiser. 5 March 1982. p. 16.
  7. "Arthur Randell". Fenland Citizen. 30 March 1988. p. 3.
  8. Detail taken from a copy of Fenland Memories published by Routledge and Kegan Paul (London) in 1969, and edited by Enid Porter of the Cambridge Folk Museum
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