Name/TitleChild's utility jacket

About this objectTweed jacket with CCHI (?) label inside. The jacket has 2 buttons and is single breasted with long sleeves. It was worn by a 7 year old boy.
The jacket was kept as a keepsake by the boy's mother after he died in a farming accident on 27th August 1945.

Dessa Hayes, Research Volunteer:
Kenneth Bryan Hammond was born on the 27th of April 1938 in Norton, a village 7 miles east of Bury St Edmunds, Suffolk. He was the middle child of Herbert William Hammond and Kathleen May Hammond.

Judging by Kenneth’s other possessions in the museum collection, his parents were devout Christians and involved in the Oddfellow fraternity. The collection contains a handful of photographs showing Kenneth as a typically active, curious young boy around his family home. His well-used toys included a wooden boat (STMEA:2005-54a), a toy camo truck (STMEA:2005-54b), and a card whistle (STMEA:2005-54c). He owned four religious children’s books (STMEA:2005-53(c-f)), along with Gulliver’s Travels (STMEA:2005-53a) and an exceptionally well-worn issue of Railways Past and Present (STMEA:2005-53b).

Before the 1950s, Suffolk men usually worked on farms during the harvest, even if they had other jobs in-between seasons. Women also assisted with the harvest, often as gavellers. Therefore, it was common for children to accompany their parents into the field.

According to the local newspaper, Herbert had just loaded his trailer with the final bags of barley for the day. Kenneth and three other young boys climbed on top of the bags. At 7:40 pm, Herbert began driving away at 3-4 mph. As one of the boys, 10-year-old Clifford Nunn, recalled, Kenneth was rolling around the trailer as Herbert was driving. The other boys were sitting still.

Suddenly, Kenneth fell over the side of the trailer. One of the boys shouted, “You’ve run over Kenny.” Herbert immediately stopped the tractor and ran to his son. Kenneth was lying on the ground with his head in the tracks of the trailer’s side-wheels, gasping for air. When Dr. D. Hyde James, arrived at the scene, he discovered that Kenneth had died from a fractured skull. The coroner ruled his death as accidental.

Kenneth’s funeral was held on Thursday the 6th of September at Norton Baptist Church. Aside from family, it was attended by Kenneth’s teachers and his Sunday School superintendent. “Safe in the Arms of Jesus” was the hymn. His memorial card (STMEA:2005-56a) contains “Jesus called a little child” written on the cover, which is an excerpt from Matthew 18:2 (King James Version). It also features a poem about finding comfort despite a loved one’s sudden death, knowing that they have left a beautiful memory behind and found peace with God in Heaven.

After Kenneth’s death, his mother kept his jacket, hobnail boots (STMEA:2005-51), lace-up shoes (STMEA:2005-52), belt (STMEA:2005-50b), pencil case (STMEA:2005-58), writing exercises (STMEA:2005-59) and other possessions in a trunk. She later passed them on to Kenneth’s sister. Although she never wanted to see the items, she would often check with her daughter to make sure that they were still there.

Medium and MaterialsMaterial (outer): woollen tweed.
Material (lining): cotton.

MeasurementsLength 520 mm
Width 330 mm

Back length: 46cm

Object numberSTMEA:2005-49

Copyright LicenceAttribution - Non-commercial (cc)