Broom makers

The people who made besom brooms

The 1898 Directory gives sixteen broom-makers at Verwood, a large number for such a small place. Luckily one of the last of them was interviewed in 1938.

A report of the interview with Mr. John Haskell including a description of the broom-making process was published in the Dorset Year Book 1938.

The craft continued into the early 1950's with Alfred Sims still making besoms in 1950 but it died out soon afterwards.