Captain, the Donkey Mark Jenkinson October 2017 Photos Mark Jenkinson
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The donkey shown in Karen Fretwell's article is a well-known underground celebrity. The graffiti is tricky to photograph because it is obscured but in two halves (above) you can see the picture more clearly. The man on the left with the bowler hat and whip appears with the words James Moody done this Nov 21 1871 and Captain is written on the right, above the donkey. James Moody was 22 years old when he drew the graffiti.
Captain was a well-known donkey/horse who worked in the quarry. There are at least three separate underground drawings of a donkey, all labelled Captain. Furthermore two of them at least were drawn by James Moody. The photo below by James is usually known as Farmer Sheppard’s Donkey Captain. The photo was taken by the light of an old carbide lamp.
Captain was a well-known donkey/horse who worked in the quarry. There are at least three separate underground drawings of a donkey, all labelled Captain. Furthermore two of them at least were drawn by James Moody. The photo below by James is usually known as Farmer Sheppard’s Donkey Captain. The photo was taken by the light of an old carbide lamp.
The image below of Captain is the most well-known, featured in a major passage known as Black Horse Road (for obvious reasons).
The writing here is indistinct apart from the word Captain. The animal's ears are smaller and more horse-like than the larger donkey-like ears in the other two pictures. This could be down to the artist as the first two are attributable to James Moody, whereas the one above is unknown; or perhaps these are different animals. Many of the old photos of quarry horses seem
to show large, shire-like animals, unlike a donkey.
I don’t know how, or if, James Moody was directly involved with Captain, James was often described as sawyer rather than as carter, the usual description for those in charge of horses.[1] James worked in the quarries from a young age as we have inscriptions from him at 14 and 15 years of age. In the story of Frank Elms (a quarryman who worked in Neston and Corsham quarries from 1925) Frank records that he looked after quarry horses as one of his first jobs from the age of around 14 years.[2]
Perhaps helping to tend to the horses was a common task for the younger workers, as they would not have been physically strong enough for the harder labour. Or it could be that James was a sort of odd-job gopher in his earlier days and could have had an affinity for the horses from that role. Or perhaps he just fancied his own artistic abilities.
to show large, shire-like animals, unlike a donkey.
I don’t know how, or if, James Moody was directly involved with Captain, James was often described as sawyer rather than as carter, the usual description for those in charge of horses.[1] James worked in the quarries from a young age as we have inscriptions from him at 14 and 15 years of age. In the story of Frank Elms (a quarryman who worked in Neston and Corsham quarries from 1925) Frank records that he looked after quarry horses as one of his first jobs from the age of around 14 years.[2]
Perhaps helping to tend to the horses was a common task for the younger workers, as they would not have been physically strong enough for the harder labour. Or it could be that James was a sort of odd-job gopher in his earlier days and could have had an affinity for the horses from that role. Or perhaps he just fancied his own artistic abilities.
References
[1] Derek Hawkins, http://www.choghole.co.uk/WORKINGMETHODS.htm
[2] Frank Elms, Tanky Elms, 1984, CJ Hall, p.40
[1] Derek Hawkins, http://www.choghole.co.uk/WORKINGMETHODS.htm
[2] Frank Elms, Tanky Elms, 1984, CJ Hall, p.40