Brent Knoll youngsters are hired! (From Burnham and Highbridge Weekly News)

Brent Knoll youngsters are hired!

11:00am Friday 12th November 2010 in Burnham By David Hemming

A MYSTERIOUS 18th century painting sparked a fascinating investigation into local history for Brent Knoll Primary School pupils.

The school was sent a copy of a picture, entitled 'The Hiring Fair', depicting a scene from Axbridge Town Square in 1730.

Hiring fairs, or mop fairs, were held to help employers find potential workers in town squares across the country.

In Axbridge, people who turned up at the mass recruitment fairs were hired as either servants or farmers.

Alison Banham, a teacher at Brent Knoll Primary School, said nobody knows who painted the picture but it proved an intriguing topic for youngsters.

She said: “We decided to base a lot of our history, art, design and literacy class work on the painting.

“We also visited the town square in Axbridge to put the work into context and the children enjoyed learning about the social history.”

Their studies culminated in a re-enactment of a hiring fair in which they enlisted the help of local historian John Page from Axbridge and District Museum.

Ms Banham added: “John helped us on the day when children dressed in traditional costumes and made bread, played games like juggling and tried to recreate the picture.

“It was a fantastic day and the whole experience proved fascinating for the pupils.”