C S Smith Collection

D CSSM

1933-1994

Clifford Sydney Smith had a career in agricultural journalism that extended over sixty years. He started on the Wiltshire Advertiser in 1926 and then moved to the Bristol Times and Mirror, the Evening Times and Echo and the Wiltshire Advertiser before joining the North Wilts Herald in 1933. He wrote the agricultural page using the pen-name "Peter Gurney" (a name taken from the song Widicombe Fair like his predecessor at the paper "Uncle Tom"). In 1939 Smith moved to Fleet Street and spent twenty years working on Farmers Weekly. He later became Public Relations Officer for the Country Landowner's Association (1961-1971) and the National Association of Agricultural Contractors (1976-1991). An expert in farming lore Smith was also enthusiastic about more modern farming methods especially the use of aeroplanes. He dealt with public relations for A D S (Aerial) Ltd, the largest firm of agricultural aviation contractors in Britain, and was a vociferous defender of the spraying of chemicals from the air. Smith was also an acknowledged expert on Dutch hydrological engineering. He died in 1993.

RECORDS OF C S SMITH (1906-1993) ("Peter Gurney")

159 documents

Agriculture, Journalists

Articles in Farmers Weekly by C S Smith and articles by others relating to agricultural aviation. 1942 - Sep 11 1946 - Jun 28 Aug 2, 16, 30 Sep 27 Oct 4, 11, 18, 25 Nov 29 Dec 20, 27 1947 - Jan 3, 10, 17, 24 Feb 7 Mar 7, 21, 28 Apr 3, 18, 25 May 2, 9, 16, 23, 30 Jun 20, 27 Jul 11, 25 Aug 15, 29 Sep 19, 26 Oct 3 1948 - Jan 30 Feb 6, 13 Mar 5, 19 Apr 2 May 28 Jul 9, 16, 23, 30 Aug 6, 13, 20 Sep 10, 17, 24 Oct 15 Nov 12 1949 - Jan 7 Feb 4 Mar 4 Apr 8, 22 May 13 Jun 3, 10, 24 Jul 1, 15 Aug 19 Sep 2, 9, 16, 30 Oct 7, 21 Nov 18 Dec 16, 23 1950 - Jan 20 Feb 3, 24 Apr 21, 28 Mar 3, 17, 24 May 5, 12, 26 Jun 9 Aug 11 Sep 8, 15 Oct 20 Nov 3, 10, 17 1951 - Jan 19, 16 Mar 2, 16, 22, 30 Apr 6, 20, 27 May 11, 18 Jun 1, 8, 15 Aug 17 Sep 7, 28 Oct 12, 19, 26 Nov 2, 9, 16, 23 Dec 28 1952 - Jan 4, 18, 25 Feb 1 Mar 7, 14 Apr 10, 18, 25 May 2, 9 Jun 13, 20, 27 Jul 4, 11, 18 Sep 12, 26 Oct 10, 24, 31 Nov 7, 14 1953 - Jan 30 Feb 13, 20 Mar 13 Apr 10, 17, 24 May 1, 29 Jun 19 Jul 31 Aug 28 Sep 4, 18, 25 Oct 9, 30 Nov 6, 13, 27 Dec 4, 24 1954 - Jan 1, 29 Feb 12, 26 Mar 5, 19, 26 Apr 2, 9, 15, 23 May 14, 28 Jun 4, 25 Jul 2, 9, 23 Aug 27 Sep 10, 17 Oct 15 Nov 19 Dec 3, 24 1955 - Jan 14, 21, 28 Feb 4, 11, 18 Mar 11, 18, 25 Apr 29 May 6, 20 Jun 17 Jul 29 Aug 19 Sep 2, 16, 30 Oct 14 Nov 11, 18 Dec 2 1956 - Jan 13, 27 Mar 2, 9 Apr 13 May 25 Nov 16, 30 1957 - May 31 Jun 28 Jul 5 1958 - Mar 7 April 18, 25 May 9, 23 Jun 13, 20 Jul 4, 11, 25 Aug 8, 29 Sep 5 Nov 14, 21, 28 Dec 5, 26 1959 - Jan 30 Feb 6, 27 Mar 13, 27 May 29 Dec 23 1964 - Jun 5 1965 - Jan 8, 15, 22, 29 Feb 5, 12 Mar 5, 12, 19, 26 Apr 16, 30 1966 - Jan 21 Feb 25 Mar 4 May 20, 27 Oct 28 1967 - Feb 10, 17 Mar 3 Jun 16 Feb 24 Mar 10 Oct 6 Dec 22 1968 - Jan 19 Feb 16 Jun 21, 28 Sep 6 1969 - Jan 10, 24 Apr 4, 25 May 16 Jul 25 1970 - May 22 1971 - Jan 8 1972 - Jul 21 1973 - May 4 Nov 9 1974 - Feb 15 1975 - May 9 1976 - Feb 13 1978 - Sep 15 1981 - Feb 20 Book in Rural History Centre Library by C S Smith Shepherd Lore: The last years of traditional shepherding in Wiltshire (Writing as Peter Gurney, 1985)