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.

Hooks Farm Occupiers

Historic Occupiers list:

Note: historically part of Marlow Manor holdings.

1607- Katherine Rance. Occupier.Widow. Jorden family were the owners.

1658 - John Jorden, yeoman. Later in this year owned or leased by John Moore the brewer. Later purchased by the Guise and Etheredge families. 

1687- 1717 (at least) Richard Corby "Corbee" rented arable land at Hooks. Occupied the farm house too by 1689 at which time his holdings at Hooks and nearby amounted to 110 acres.

1783 - stock and implements sold after death of gentleman owner William Clayton of Harleyford. 

1833- John Fenner. Farm owned by the Claytons. 192 acres. John died that year age 87. He seems to have actually lived in Bisham, Berkshire. The Reading Mercury 25th November 1833 [British Library Archives] said John had been "a true specimen of the Old English Farmer, plain in his manners, and dress" not to mention always punctual and honest. John was farming in Marlow in 1821 but I can't say for certain he was at Hooks then. There was a younger John Fenner farmer of Marlow who moved to Stoke Poges and became a beer seller and ultimately went bankrupt in 1853. Presumably a relative.

1843- William and John Hewett or Hewitt. Their lease on Platts Farm Marlow expired late 1839 so they may have come straight to Hooks then.  They were later at Hambledon and at Blounts alias Blunts Farm, Marlow. In 1840 John was considered lucky not to have lost a leg after being run over by a load of hay. In the end he had a toe amputated only. 

1850-60 Thomas Frost. Wife Elizabeth. Thomas sold off his stock and left town 1860. In 1850 Henry Finch was jailed for stealing two bushels of barley from him. [Bucks Chronicle 5th January 1850, British Library Archives].

1861- 81 James Fountain. In 1861 turnips stolen from his field and in 1864 twelve fowls were taken. As was traditional on most farms these were in the care of his wife. Note that their daughter married in a Congregational church so the family as a whole may have been Congregationalists.

1900- Executors of Henry William Cripps who had died the previous year sold off farm stock. He was a lawyer by trade so someone else must have ran the farm for him. Survived by wife Julia.

1901-06 Abraham Newton Pratt. Moved into the farm Autumn 1901 having come from a farm at Swallowfield, Berkshire. Wife Emily. She bred turkeys on the farm, 6 of which were stolen in 1905.

1908 - Francis Warne.

1911- James Fountain mentioned as farming here which is puzzling as Francis Warne seems also to have been there then.

1913- F Warne and Sons

1915 Messrs "Warnes and Sons"

1916- Francis Warne who died suddenly that year. He was originally from Cornwall. See here for his grave and that of other family members and more on them.

* For Hooks farm use during World War 1 see here

To read posts about everyday life in old Marlow, see the post listing here

Farm occupants are found by me by studying property records, censuses, adverts, court cases, letters, trade journals, wills and more.

To seek someone on this blog use the Person Index on the menu. Hundreds of people are referenced on this blog.

To seek other farms use the "Specific Shops, Streets Etc" option on the menu.

©Marlow Ancestors. You are welcome to use this research for family or local history purposes if you credit this blog and link here. Thanks. 

Grave and Research for the Wanes of Red Barn Farm

 

Grave is in the graveyard of the United Reform Church, previously the Congregational Church / Salem Chapel. (Christ Church URC)

Uppermost name on grave is Isaac Wane Senior "late of Pinkney's Green in the county of Berkshire" who died 1853.

Further down I can see "Mary Harriet Wane daughter of Isaac and Eliza Mary Wane of Red Barn Farm Great Marlow who died 1851 aged 3".

 Also of Isaac Wane husband of the above aged 71. I couldn't read his date of death. 

Grave photographed March 2021.

Research Notes

Isaac Wane Senior has a death notice in 1854 in a local paper [not 1853 as per the grave date of death. Perhaps they were a bit late putting it in]. He was "of Red Barn Farm" Great Marlow in that notice but originally of Fairford Gloucestershire as per the census. His son Isaac Junior married in 1847 Eliza Mary Brangwin who is on the grave above. Her family ran Barmoor Farm in Marlow.

Isaac Junior occupied Red Barn by 1851. Both he and his father were still in Fairford in 1841. Isaac Junior was the tenant of Barmoor himself following the death of his father in law George Brangwin. He had previously spent some time managing Barmoor for George. An advert in the local press in 1882 said he was then giving up his tenancy of Red Barn and was selling off some of his farm stock including 5 cart horses. From this advert we can tell that he raised poultry and had crops of hay, rye and wheat there.

Isaac was one of the strongest supporters of his church's minister who faced the wrath of some in the congregation for getting married. Please see our post on Thomas Styles, here for more on this and Isaac's involvement.

In 1862 Isaac and Eliza's housemaid Sarah Ann Shepherd aged 23 was attacked by an older cowman who worked for the Brangwins at Barmoor. This must have been deeply distressing both for Sarah and for the Wane/ Brangwin family.

Less seriously a gun toting poacher was after hares on Isaac's land in 1876 (where exactly isn't clear). The gamekeeper who confronted the poacher was threatened with having his brains blown out by the poacher but managed to have him arrested. That gamekeeper worked for Lady Dashwood who was presumably the landowner with retained shooting rights. 

Another press advert tells us that an Isaac gave up Red Barn Farm on account of his retirement from farming in 1892 and a new tenant was sought. It is described as a small farm in a lovely location that could be used as a "pleasure farm" as well as a serious concern! That Isaac died in 1903. He is presumably a third generation Isaac.

Take a look at the Graves option on the menu for similar posts. You can also choose the Person Index option to search for all mentions of an individual.

Sources:

GRO Marriage Index online.

GRO Death Index online.

Newspapers held at the British Library Archives: South Bucks Standard 30th September 1892. Maidenhead Advertiser 16th August 1882. South Bucks Free Press 12th December 1862. Bucks Gazette 2nd December 1854. Bucks Herald 7th October 1876. All accessed by me via the BNA March 2021.

England and Wales National Census 1841-91. Transcribed from microfilm by me.

©Marlow Ancestors. You are very welcome to reuse this image, grave transcription or research for family or local history purposes if you credit this blog and link here. The link is only required to ensure my listed sources don't lose credit for providing information. Thanks!

Thomas Styles Grave and Research

 

Thomas was the minister of the Congregational Church AKA Salem Chapel or Independent Chapel in Quoiting Square, between 1825 and 1863.

On the 1833 Parochial assessment he is living in Chapel Street, next door to one of his prominent congregation members Samuel Washbourne who had both a house and a manufactory dedicated to baby linen on his own premises. Thomas occupied a house and garden with an assessed annual value of £12. Samuel would move in the next few years to a house right by that church. 

In 1839 the first stone of new church building was laid by Rev John Burnet of Camberwell. Despite atrocious weather, attendance was large. Minister Thomas Styles kicked off the event with a hymn, 3 psalms and a "solemn and impressive prayer", before all decamped to a spacious tent to hear further addresses. The words of Thomas and the Rev. Burnell were, according to contemporary reports, "gladdening and inspiring to a large company" - who were probably a little soggy at this point. 

The new building was ready in 1840. Thomas Styles took out a notice in the Reading Mercury to tell the public that his "neat and commodious place of worship, denominated Salem Chapel, will be opened by Divine permission on Wednesday the 1st July 1840". Three sermons would be preached that day in aid of the building fund. Afterwards there was to be a fundraising dinner at the Town Hall. Price 2s 6d.

In 1854 Thomas married a much younger woman, Eliza Ball. Some of his congregation left because of this, hiring their own building for separate worship having failed in attempts to force him to resign. In 1861 Joseph Wright Morgan went as far as to complete their own meeting room- the so called lecture room in St Peters Street, now the Masonic centre. If you have ever wondered at the buildings quasi chapel like appearance, that is the reason why. (Previously they used the Albion Rooms) How this can have made the minister and his wife feel can only be imagined.  But Thomas had many supporters including ministers of other Independent places of worship locally. The Bucks Chronicle, while noting that the wedding of Thomas had caused "much excitement", was clearly supportive too. They branded those who had left the church as those who would be "more than his master" and said the events had inspired "liberty minded and liberty loving gentleman" of the district to get up a testimonial, in part to make up for a potential reduction in income caused by a diminished congregation.

In 1855 the testimonial to show support and sympathy for Thomas was presented to him in the Sunday schoolroom. They gifted him £30, it  also acting as a wedding present.  When Thomas retired he had an annual income of the same sum so that £30 testimonial was worth a great deal. It was noted that donations were not limited to those attending his chapel.

Prominent congregation member Isaac Wane of Barmoor Farm and Red Barn farms lead support for Thomas. In 1860, things would come to a head again. At this point the Albion Room congregation had at least 50 members according to the numbers attending their Good Friday tea that year. The Rev J Rowland of Henley, accompanied by one of his Deacons, was called to the main chapel in his capacity as member of the Bucks and Berks association of Independent Churches and Ministers. He said their attention had been drawn to rumours that not only did Thomas wish to resign, but that his congregation wished to see him go. Thomas replied that he had no knowledge that his ministry was regarded as unsatisfactory, and he would call a special meeting to get to the bottom of the issue. This followed in September 1860 with Sunday School superintendent Mr Fullicks in the chair. Isaac Wane immediately submitted a resolution that far from wishing Thomas to leave, they would earnestly entreat him to continue his labours. This was rapidly seconded and when put to the meeting as a whole, it was found there was not one voice out of the 100 or so present to dissent. Thomas did resign at last in 1863. 

He continued to live with Eliza in Marlow until his death in 1881 age 83. He was described then in obituaries as a beloved, highly respected and eloquent preacher. He was followed as minister by Andrew Mearns.

Eliza moved back to Burnham in Bucks where her parents came from. But after the loss of these and that of her married sister, Eliza decided to return to Marlow. She initially maintained her own household but then went to lodge with the Death family who ran a bakery in West Street. (Elizabeth and Ernest) She was receiving £15 a year from the Ministers Retiring Fund at this point. In her widowhood Eliza chose to attend the Baptist Chapel in Glade Road rather than her husband's old place of ministry. She was much involved in the Baptist Sunday School there. 

She died in 1895 following years of poor health. As her death was sudden it was the subject of an inquest. At this event it was revealed Eliza did not much like any doctors and certainly would not be treated by any Marlow man. A bran and turpentine poultice on the chest was all she would consent to try to treat her chronic bronchitis.

The death was ruled natural.

For more on fellow congregational minister Andrew Mearns, see here

Please also use the Person Index drop down menu to find people of interest to you.

Post researched and written by Charlotte Day with additional research by Kathryn Day. 

Sources:

1833 Parochial assessment, original handwritten notebooks held by my family and transcribed by me. These are being slowly transcribed onto this blog.

The Congregationist (journal) Volume 10 p891. Digitized by Google. Accessed March 2021. [Andrew Mearns info] 

The following newspaper copies held at the British Library Archives and accessed via the BNA March 2021=

Reading Mercury 6th Jan 1855. [Testimonial info] and 27th June 1840 [Church opening]

South Bucks Standard 9th and 15th February 1895. [Long details about the inquest into Eliza Styles]

Windsor and Eton Express 13th July 1839 [first stone laid], Maidenhead Advertiser 16 March 1881 [Thomas obituary], Bucks Chronicle 25th November 1860 [Resignation sought] South Bucks Free Press 14 April 1860 [public tea]

GRO Marriage Registration Index.

1851-91 Censuses, transcribed by me from microfilm except 1881 which was from Familysearch.org. Accessed February 2020.

A Portrait of Christ Church 1693-2003 by Jean Ashford, 2003. [Info on years of Thomas's ministry]. Thanks to Martin Ashford for a copy of this book.

©Marlow Ancestors. You are very welcome to use this research and image for family or local history purposes. Please credit this blog and link here so that our sources listed above remain credited for the information they provided.

**DO YOU HAVE AN ANCESTRAL CONNECTION TO THIS CHURCH? IF SO, YOU MAY LIKE TO COMMEMORATE YOUR ANCESTOR BY SUPPORTING CHRIST CHURCH PATH OF LIGHT FUNDRAISING EFFORTS - SEE   Here FOR MORE INFORMATION**

A post on Thomas's successor Andrew Mearns is available here

And one on the Morgans here. Other minister biographies and information about other chapels, churches etc can be found in the index here

A post on Issac Wane is available here

Another of the church's Ministers George Edwards had a lot of trouble with his congregation too. You can read about it here