Note: there was a small farmstead at Oakengrove and also other homes. I try in this post to cover both and to distinguish between them but that is sometimes difficult. Address normally given as off Harleyford Lane, occasionally as Red Pits or Upper Red Pits. Close to Temple. The farmstead doesn't seem to usually have a farmer actually living on site and perhaps in fact had no farm house anyway.
This post focuses on the occupiers of land or property at Oakengrove. These are rarely the actual owners.
Circa 1793 to his death 1853- William Smith. Age 96 or 97 when he died. Wife Mary. Not at the farm. In 1833 occupied a cottage worth £4 a year so a medium sized one. In 1851 this address is given as Pound House, Temple. William then was an agricultural labourer. His son also called William was a gentleman's servant. William Junior later moved to Maidenhead but is buried in Marlow near his parents.
Above, grave of William Smith "who lived at Oakengrove in this parish for upwards of 60 years". Mar 20 1853. Also Mary his wife, died May 27th 18(55?) age 85. At All Saints, Marlow. Note other sources give age at death for William as 97.
1831-1846 William House, under gamekeeper to Sir William Clayton. Wife Ann. In 1833 his home consisted of a house, garden and stable worth £6 a year.
1833- Other residents Oaken Grove= "Jordan" in a cottage worth £5 a year and Thomas Fulton in a £5 house and garden.
1834-1837 Thomas Holdgate at the farmstead. Owner Alexander Higginson in whose family the land had been for some time. In his will proved 1855 Alexander left Oakengrove to his brother George Stowell Higginson or if George died before him to Alexander's nephew George Wentworth Alexander Higginson.
1860- William Bowles, fruiterer had land at Oakengrove. Went bankrupt that year but survived it. His shop was in Quoiting Square. Bankrupt again 1886 after more than 40 years as fruiterer and farmer.
1881- residents 1.) Alfred, a carter, and Mary Fidler. They had a lodger William Young, a 17 year old plough boy. 2.) Charlotte and Jacob Mendy and their little daughter Ellen. Jacob and family moved so he could be the head carter at Brandy Bottom Farm, Little Marlow and was probably later at Barmoor Farm too.
1901-Households= 1.) Hannah and Joseph Betts and their young son George. The couple had married in 1893. Hannah was nee Pratt. Joseph was a farm carter. The family moved in the next few years to Munday Dean. 2.) Emma and George Simmons. George was a domestic gardener. Perhaps at Harleyford or Temple House.
For more farm occupier posts for Little Marlow and Great Marlow see the Specific Shops, Streets Etc option on the menu. You will also see a Person Index option on the menu to help you find every mention of a person on this blog. For more Little Marlow content in general see Other Places on the menu.
Farm occupancies calculated from wills, adverts, trade journals, censuses, property records, court cases etc. I hope to fill in the gaps in dates as I wade through my Everest sized mountain of research notes.
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