I know every timber and joint in Martha's house now.

I started working there 6 years ago. At first, Master Cooper, he just hired me for a single day to make a range in the oxen stall, and I'm still here now all these years later. And the wages for skilled men are good too, from 8 pence to 12 pence a day, depending on the work.

I'm a Ledbury man.

I live at the south end with my family. But many of the other craftsmen are from round here. See, it's pretty specialized work.

A master cooper couldn't find enough local men with the right skills, so he had to look further afield. Many of them live in lodgings in Ledbury.

I'm lucky.

I get to see my wife Margaret and our children every day. We've got 3 girls, Margaret, Jane, Elizabeth, and a boy, Tom.

Where we can, we use local timber. We get some of it from Hospitalwood in Dunbridge, and it's called Hospital Wood cause it's part of the master's estate. But we get other wood and tiles from Teddyswood, that's over near Ross, and lime from the Forest of Dean. Only the best materials will do for Master Cooper.

He's a good man to work for, and everyone likes him. My boy Tom, he'll be 11 this year, so he'll be starting his apprenticeship soon.

Sometimes he helps me out here, and it's good to get him used to working with tools.

One of our neighbors is a blacksmith.

He says he'll teach him the trade, and in return I'll take on his son Richard as my apprentice. So who knows, one day they might both be working together on this market house that Master Cooper keeps talking about.