The Village Carpenter: The Classic Memoir of the Life of a Victorian Craftsman

by Walter Rose

First published in 1937, this woodworking classic reveals a fascinating look into the social structure of a 19th-century English town and a carpenter's place in it. Encapsulating a time prior to power tools and mass production, when woodworkers made virtually everything, Walter Rose writes eloquently on a number of topics, including running a country business; the carpenter's shop; working on a farm, new home, and windmill; undertaking; and furniture repairs. Manifesting the importance of skill and the attitudes of the craftsman to his tools and work, this book will be of great interest to any carpenter or woodworker with an appreciation for the history of their craft.

Genres: Woodwork, Nonfiction, Crafts, History

146 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 1, 1937

Reviews

[Michael · Rating 4 out of 5]

Written by a third generation time served carpenter and joiner from the Victorian era, this delightful little book tells of men who took a rough hewn natural product and by hand turned it into something of beauty. A necessary item of practical use and pleasing to the eye. It is also an important historical document that details the work of skilled craftsmen all subject to the rhythm of village life.

[Dan Carey · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was a little disappointed that this book didn't contain more details about the day-to-day business of the carpenter shop that had been run by his grandfather, father, and himself. But I was pleasantly surprised by the information about the creation of wooden water pumps and the maintenance of water mills and windmills. This was fascinating stuff.

[Tim Berube · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was a traditional timber framer (Broadaxe, Adze, boring machine, slick, and Peavey, and muscle) for a bit over 20 years.
Books such as this are invaluable for illuminating a trade which spanned millennial.
An amazing and valuable resource.

[Jim · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fascinating look at turn of the century carpentry, enjoyable read.

[Luke · Rating 5 out of 5]

Elegantly written, an evocative trip back in history to examine the craft of carpentry with the great personal insight of a person thoroughly familiar with it.

[Nigel Thornton · Rating 4 out of 5]

So many things made of wood!

[Jeremy German · Rating 4 out of 5]

From mill repairs, to coffin making this book covers some of the common tasks of a Victorian woodworker. It's interesting to see how similar some of the thought was 100 years ago. Rose hits on sustainability, art in craft, and laments the loss of skill in building arts to machines. There are also mentions of exodus from the town to to a more rural life in the village, something that I didn't know (and hadn't considered) to be a thing during that time period.

[Cheyenna · Rating 4 out of 5]

pretty gorgeous in places, it's a love poem to victorian carpentry. he walks you through the practice and principles with a level of detail that can lose you if you're not too sure about the tools. the writing is eloquent and inviting, so even if he loses you for a few lines he'll get you again with a well-placed image. worth the cost of purchase.

[Jeff · Rating 4 out of 5]

An excellent slice of life, covering matters that normally get omitted in the history books. The observations on carpentry are also informative, and appear to have relevance even today, insofar as it prompts meditation on progressing from mere structure to art. Also recommended for the curious anachronist.

[Chris Shepheard · Rating 5 out of 5]

Superb narrative of a village carpenter at the turn of the nineteenth century - a time of change when machines began to replace the skilled craftsman. All skills are remembered from the joiner to the undertaker via the millwright and.the sawyer.

[pearl]

Not about Jesus. Just sayin'.

[Rich · Rating 4 out of 5]

The title is literal. The village is British, late 19th and early 20 century. Speaks to the start of transition from hand work to machine powered.

[Cyberbiker Deitrick · Rating 5 out of 5]

this is an excellent historical view of what it was like to be a local carpenter in late 19th/early 20th century England.