Grandpa Nevard's Saw

While working on one of my projects recently I pulled out one of the antique hand saws that I seem to have accumulated here over the years. I know there are power saws that will do the job better, faster and with less effort but in the spirit of making do with what I have I went with this one.
Although after a  few minutes I found it did not work well at all it was still interesting to read the fine print on the saw.

It has "H.W. Nevard" stamped on the handle so I'm guessing it was one that my grandfather brought from England when he first came to Canada in 1905. Probably one that he acquired while working as Carpenter's Apprentice in Lexden, Essex, U.K.  It shows signs of hard use with a break in the handle.
W. Tyzack and Turner & Sons stamped on the frame as well as the name "Non Pareil" over the little elephant image. No doubt a brand name from long ago.

I was thinking of a fellow blogger, Gorges Smythe when I took the saw photos since he appreciates a good wood working tool and writes an interesting blog you might like to check out some time.

Love Letters from a century ago

Saxmundham
April 26/1910

My Dear Horrie

I was very pleased to receive your nice letter this morning and to hear that you were all well. I hope you are still having nice
weather so that you can get the seed in alright. We are having very showery weather here at present. Father has finished
putting the seed corn in and today he has been drilling beet or (mangold) and then will only have the swedes to drill.
Does your cow give much milk? We got 68 pounds of butter this week which is the most we have ever had. We are going to
take it to the town tomorrow but there will be too much to carry all one time. We get about 56 eggs in a day.
It was 4 years ago yesterday since you went away from here. Annie went back to London last Saturday. She had a nice
little change as she stayed here three weeks. Herbert was very good to spare her for so long wasn't he?.
Louie and little Ethel are at Lexden.They went a fortnight ago last Saturday. I don't know when they are coming back again.
The Suffolk Agriculture show is going to be held at Saxmundham this year in June and in July the Essex Yeomanry and the
Essex and Suffolk. Cyclists are coming to camp on Hurts Hall Park, Saxmundham so I expect it will seem quite a busy place.
Is there any flowers out on the prairie yet? The cowslips are out in the meadows now. I am sending you one just for a little
remembrance of the last time you were here. I wonder how long it will be before I see you again. I don't think I shall forget you
even if it is lots of years and now I think I will bring my letter to a close as it is getting rather late.
Hoping you are all quite well. With love to all and my best and truest love to you Dearest, I remain your everloving Alice
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Yet another in the collection of letters mailed between my grandfather and grandmother, Horace Nevard and Alice Hall.
Horace had sailed off to Canada to take up a homestead in Sask. in 06 while Alice remained working on her parents farm at
Saxmundham, Suffolk.How difficult must it have been for him to sail half way around the world not knowing when they might
see each other again? And it was to be another 6 years before they met again when
Horace returned to England in 1916 in the Canadian
Expeditionary Force , soon to see action in some of the big battles of World War I in France. It must have been a stressful time to be separated
all those years , briefly re-united and then separated again by war , now knowing if he would survive. Luckily he did and they were married in 1919, soon to return to his homestead in Saskatchewan.