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Sunday, January 2, 2022

Copy Farm Marlow Historic Occupiers

Copy Farm at Copy Green. Not to be confused with Charity Copy Farm which was much smaller (though I suppose they were originally one) which was left to charity by Benjamin and William Loftin in 1759. (Or rather money was left for the purchase of land to provide an income for the charity). The latter also called Loftin's Charity Farm at times.

Description: 1844= 106 arable. 1854= 112 acres with 2 workers cottages, stable and 3 barns 1861= 112 acres. 1910= 110 acres. 1919= arable and pasture 112 acres. 1927= Under 100 acres.

1798- Mr Johnson.

1833- John Gibbons occupier, owned by Mr Hammond. 107 acres. At that time Copy Charity Farm amounting to 60 acres was occupied by William Goldswain.

Owned by Robert Hammond certainly between 1845-55. Likely remains in that family ownership long after.  Unknown occupier - believe to be John Gibbons still in 1847 but uncertain.  Robert in his will proved 1855 asked for it to be sold after his death. 

1861- William Greenwood. Wife Alice. 1861 census says employs 3 men and 2 boys. Sold up his stock and left town 1865.

1871-91 Thomas King. He also occupied Widmere Farm. He was a churchwarden of Marlow. Wife Mary. See previous post here on Widmere Farm for much more on his farming life.

1891-95 Emmanuel William Plumridge. Leased from Mrs Hammond whose agent Mr Lawrence allegedy  would not let him leave lease early after Emmanuel suffered the expensive death of all 9 of his farm horses during an agricultural depression when things were already tough. Emmanuel was ruined as a result of being unable to get out of his loss making farm. He seems to have been illiterate and thus unable to understand what rental agreement he was signing (with just an X). (He does seem to have been very confused about the circumstances in general, and at first said he'd signed no rental agreement, then he stated that he hadn't recognised the document for what it was.) According to Emmanuel he'd transferred his stock from Field Farm in Marlow to Copy Farm to make way for the expansion of Captain Marshalls Menagerie. He thought he'd taken Copy Farm on for three years but at the end of this period he was told he must give two years notice to quit! You can read more about Emmanuel and especially his wife here

1900- J Wheeler. May be mistake for Leonard J Wheeler.

1901- Leonard John Wheeler. Had been publican at Royal Oak Bovingdon Green, 1893-95. Prior to coming to Marlow had been a farmer at Wargrave Berkshire like his dad. Left Marlow by 1911.

1910. For sale.

1910-16. Arthur Hawes. In 1901 he lived with his parents Thomas and Mary at nearby Charity Copy Farm [not same as Copy Farm] though he seems to have been the farmer there rather than them. He and his dad worked at Charity Copy as labourers and the whole family lived there long before that.

1927-28. Fred Lee.

Occupation compiled from property records, adverts, wills, court cases, agricultural journals etc.

Ongoing research, more will be added if possible.


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