Barmoor Farm Marlow Occupiers And History Timeline

Barmoor Farm 

Description= 2 miles from Marlow. In 1895= 295 acres with  farmhouse and 6 cottages. 1937 = 328 acres with house and 8 cottages. Consisted mostly then of pasture but also had a small wood and for plantation attached. Earlier a mixed farm. Farm no longer exists (it is under Booker Airfield).

1250 - a Barmoor Manor existed in Marlow which may be the origin of Barmoor Farm. It was seemingly a minor manor. First known mention of the farm as Barmoor Farm was in 1672.

Occupiers - these are not usually the same as the owners. Gaps in dates are current gaps in our knowledge=

1758 - part of the farmland (only) occupied by Moses Medwin.

1798 - Mr Brangwin 

1833 - 51 George Brangwin who was born Hambledon circa 1791, as was his wife Mary. The owner of the farm was then Sir William Robert Clayton. George also rented Red Barn Farm next door from the same owner.

1859 - 61 Isaac Wane son in law of George and Mary Brangwin. Wife Eliza. Isaac was born circa 1821 in Fairford Gloucestershire. He had previously been running Red Barn Farm for George Brangwin. Both Isaac and Eliza were members of the Salem Chapel in Marlow, entering that church in 1845.

1863 - 68 George Brangwin back in charge though Isaac Wane seems still to have been involved. He continued to rent Red Barn Farm too. George died in 1868 aged 75.

1868-82 Following the death of George Brangwin Isaac was back as the lead farmer and had the lease in his own name. In 1872 his daughter Clara passed the Cambridge Exam. She and her siblings had had the benefit of a governess who taught them French and more. Isaac's widowed mother in law Mary Brangwin also lived within his household. In 1868 James Faulkner labourer was convicted of poaching at Barmoor Farm and was fined 30 shillings. In default 1 month in prison. [Bucks Herald 1869 Feb 13th, British Library Archives via the BNA]. Isaac gave up the lease in 1882. He stayed at Red Barn until 1892 when he retired from farming altogether. He died circa 1893. More on Isaac and Red Barn here.

1882-95 James Elliott who also rented Red Barn Farm towards the end of that period. He was elected as one of the parish overseers in 1889. James made a significant income from growing mushrooms in his fields but struggled with thefts of them. Mushrooms were extremely popular in late Victorian England for making into the condiment mushroom ketchup as well as using in soups etc. In 1895 both farms were put up for sale by auction. James made a bid for Barmoor but it wasn't high enough. Red Barn Farm did not reach its reserve price. James's wife Elizabeth had died earlier that year aged 67. 

1897- 98 W Lee. He gave up the farm in 1898 and sold off his stock. This does not seem to have been substantial. He raised sheep.

1899- 1936 Thomas Lacey Morris born circa 1871. He occupied the farm until his death age 65. His wife was Emily. Owners and occupiers in one. Both were from West Wycombe according to the census. Their baby daughter Kathleen died at the farm in 1899. Another daughter Margaret married William Pinches of Field House / Pinches Farm in Marlow. Thomas bred and sold shire horses at the farm.

1937 - the house, farm and "sporting estate" of Barmoor put up for auction by the executors of Thomas Morris at the Crown in Marlow. It is sold for £10,500. 358 acres, a fir plantation, a wood, pasture land and eight dwellings.

1938 - the farm is used to film the film I Met A Murderer (originally intended to be called Deadwater) directed by Roy Killino and starring James Mason as a murderous farmer and Pamela Kellino as the woman he meets. The farm shire horses Boxer and Ronnie feature as plough horses in the film. Filming is difficult because of muddy conditions on the farm and the sheep running away from the strangers when they are meant to be in shot. The film is a low budget film noir. The owner of the farm is unknown to me but he was an owner occupier and advised on the accuracy of scenes of thatching shot on the farm. 

1939 - W Thomas. Later that year Watton Aviation Limited have the farm and it is to become part of the future Booker Airfield.

Compiled by Charlotte Day from research by both Charlotte and Kathryn Day.

Selected Sources=

William Page (ed). 1925. A History of Buckinghamshire (Victoria County History) Volume III. Volume 3. p74.

Census of England and Wales 1841-1901 transcribed from microfilm by Charlotte Day and Jane Pullinger.

The Aeroplane. (1939). United Kingdom: Temple Press.

Canadian Moving Picture Digest. Volume 30 (1938). Canada.

https://m.imdb.com/title/tt0031464/ 

Shire Horse Stud Book. United Kingdom, n.p, 1932. English Cart Horse Society.

International Directory of Pedigree Stock Breeders. (1928). United Kingdom: Tillotsons Publishing Company.

Marlow Directory 1891 

Kelly's Directory of Buckinghamshire etc 1899 and 1939 editions published by Kelly's Directories Limited.

Duttons Directory of Buckinghamshire etc 1868.

May 28th 1937 edition of the Bucks Advertiser (sale of Barmoor).

Barmoor sale catalogue=

https://testslbuckinghamshire.spydus.co.uk/cgi-bin/spydus.exe/ENQ/WPAC/BIBENQ?SETLVL=&BRN=558967

Country Life, 26th June 1937. 

Maidenhead Advertiser 27th October 1886 (mushroom theft problem).

Parish surveyors notebooks for 1833 and 1834 in my possession.

GRO death and marriage registrations online

Private letters.

©Marlow Ancestors. You are welcome to use our research for family or local history purposes with credit to this blog.

Will of Andrew Medwin of Little Marlow 1753

 Yeoman.  WILL WRITTEN IN 1749, PROVED 1753.

Weak in body but of sound and disposing mind, memory and understanding.

Commends soul to God and asks for a decent internment by his executors.

Loving wife Mary and sons Aaron and Thomas all messuages[houses], cottages, lands, tenements, and hereditaments as tenants in common. Subject to the payment of all legacies in the will.

Daughters Mary and Ann £150 each.

Daughter Elizabeth £150 at the age of 21 with the interest that accrues on it until then.

Residual money, stock, goods, chattels and anything else to wife Mary and sons Thomas and Aaron equally. They to pay his debts and the legacies to his daughters. Mary his wife and his sons Aaron and Thomas all joint executors of the will.

If Mary remarried she is no longer to be an executor of the will or have interest in his estate [this would be because otherwise her new husband would become legally possessed of her property upon their marriage]. If Mary remarries she is to receive a £10 annuity for life paid for out of his estate.

A deduction from Thomas's inheritance is to be made for his board, maintenance and education.

Witnessed by John Clark, Joseph Meaks, and Zach. Allnutt [Zachary Allnutt, a Marlow attorney].

Note: Andrew does not mention his son Luke (who was living) in his will. 

Andrew was first married to a Judith and then as a widower married Mary Keene of Great Marlow at Hughenden in 1716. 

The will of Andrew's brother Moses is summarized on the blog here.

Andrew was the executor of the will of his uncle another Moses Medwin in 1701.

More on Aaron, Luke and Thomas sons of Andrew here. 

Transcribed from an original will held at the National Archives and then summarized here by me Charlotte Day. 

Please see the Will Transcriptions index here for more posts like this. More Little Marlow content can be found on the Nearby Places menu.

©Marlow Ancestors. You are very welcome to use this will transcription summary for family or local history purposes with credit to this blog.

Will Summary William Cabburn 1793

William Cabburn of Great Marlow, gentleman. Will written and proved 1793. 

Says he sick and weak but of sound mind and perfect memory.

Son William £1000 of stock investments when he turns 21. Until then gets £20 a year to clothe, educate and "put him out" [set him up in the world is meant, not send him away!].

Daughter Ann Catherine £200 in stock investments at age 21.

To each of his other children [not named] living at time of his decease £20 at age 21.

If Ann Catherine or William die before 21 their legacies to be equally divided between the other children then living.

To brother George and sister Catherine £10 each.

To servant Jane East 3 guineas to buy mourning clothes.

To Thomas Oxlade of Widmere in Great Marlow, yeoman and John Broome of Westhorpe in Little Marlow [unreadable occupation] £10 each and they to be the executors.

Wife Ann Catherine gets all household goods, furniture, plate, china, bills, bonds, mortgages, securities for money and any other remaining items oh his personal estate.

Witnessed by William Medwin surgeon and Robert Goldsmith attorney at law both of Great Marlow.

See the Will Transcriptions option here for similar posts. For every mention of a person on this blog use the Person Index.

©Marlow Ancestors. You are welcome to reuse my transcription summary for family or local history purposes if you credit this blog.

You can obtain a copy of the will from the National Archives.

Will Summary Ann Dolben of Great Marlow 1783

 Ann Dolben, widow. Will written 1780 and proved 1783.

Ann says she is in health and of sound mind.

 Two properties St Peter's Street also known as Duck Lane in Great Marlow in trust to her friends Buckle Hawes and Joseph White who are both drapers of Great Marlow. They are to give the rents and profits of these properties twice a year to her daughter Jane Medwin, wife of Luke Medwin. Any husband of Jane's is not to have any claim on it [This was a common clause attached to women's legacies to protect them however Luke faced bankruptcy in 1781 suggesting Ann had good reason to be cautious]. The yards, backsides, gardens, stables, wells, ways, rights, waters, outhouses etc that go with these properties similarly willed. Ann herself at time of will writing occupied one of them. The other is occupied by Thomas Rolls. Previously these properties were occupied by William Hayward and Jeremiah Hollis. Before that she says they were occupied by William Harman and Thomas Rawlins.

After Jane's death Jane's son and daughter James Medwin of Little Marlow a husbandman and Patty Medwin to get the rent and profits instead.

All Ann's ready money to be added to money raised by selling all other possessions she has to pay any debts and funeral expenses. Whatever remains to be invested for the profit of Jane and after her death for the profit of James and Patty.

Witnessed by: Elizabeth Price, Henrietta B....,  John Marshall of Beaconsfield.

The will was proved by Buckle Hawes only as Joseph White had died.

Patty Medwin looks to have been by marriage Patty Morris.

Transcription by Charlotte Day

You can find a copy of the original PCC will at the National Archives, Kew.

To find other wills on this blog see the Wills option on the menu.

©Marlow Ancestors. Please feel free to use my transcription summary if you need to for family or local history reasons, with credit to this blog.

Will Summary Moses Medwin And Family Notes

 Moses Medwin of Great Marlow. Yeonan. Will proved 1762, written 1760.

Says he in good health, sound mind and memory.

To be decently buried at discretion of his executor.

Nephew Aaron Medwin of Little Marlow sole executor and main legatee.

Inherits all freehold messuages, cottages, land, tenements, woods and woodgrounds with appurtenances in Great Marlow. Also all copyhold messuages, cottages, wood ground and their appurtenances in West Wycombe, Bucks. From these properties he must pay an annuity of  £25 to testator's widow "my loving wife" Mary. Payments to be due quarterly. If any payment is over 40 days late she can enter into the properties until her annuity installment is paid.

Aaron also gets all bonds, debts, securities, mortgages, goods and chattels except those household goods that testator's wife brought into the marriage, which are given to her. To pay funeral expenses and all other legacies.

********

Legacies to following nephews and nieces:

Nephew Luke Medwin draper of Marlow £150 and Luke's brother Thomas, broker of Little Marlow £150.

Offspring of brother Thomas Medwin= Elizabeth wife of Henry Lawe of Wooburn, bargeman £100.

Offspring of brother Richard Medwin=  Matthew Medwin of Chepping Wycombe [High Wycombe] carrier £80, Richard Medwin £30, Elizabeth née Medwin wife of William Fields £20.

Offspring of dead sister Ann Childs: William Childs labourer of West Wycombe £20.

********

Legacies to people whose relationship to testator is not specified: To Moses and Mary ..?er children of James ..?er £10 each.

******

Witnessed by William Hoare, Henry Newell, William Deeley.

Notes : William Deeley was an attorney.

Possible marriage for Moses and his wife Mary = Moses Midwyn to Mary Fryer both of Hitchenden at Hughenden (not Hitchenden) Bucks in 1726 https://www.findmypast.co.uk/transcript?id=GBPRS%2FBUCKINGHAMSHIRE%2FMAR%2F000244079%2F1

More on Aaron and Luke Medwin the nephews of Moses here

Aaron, Thomas and Luke Medwin were sons of Andrew Medwin of Little Marlow. His will is available on the blog here. Andrew was the brother of Moses, and they the sons of Mathias and Mary Medwin of Marlow. The brother of Mathias Medwin was another Moses Medwin of Little Marlow who left his nephews Moses and Andrew Medwin property in his 1701 will. Andrew was also the executor of that will.

To find all mentions of someone on the blog see the A-Z Person Index. Thousands of people are mentioned.

More posts like this are under Will Transcriptions on the menu.

©Marlow Ancestors. Use this transcription summary for family or local history purposes with credit to this blog.