Village Web Site Forum

Denis Marshall Pickles
Norfolk
Sunday, December 6, 2009 22:03
Farms in Sutton.
On Tuesday 7th November 1911, a huge sale of freehold farms, accommodation land, building land, allotment gardens and other premises in Sutton and Glusburn was held at the Temperence Hall, North Street, Keighley. I have a tattered copy of the plans, particulars and conditions of sale which I pulled out today to check on the extent of the land which went with Wood Vale Farm [see reference to Wood Vale Farm in the topic on 'The Big Rock in Ravenstones wood] which was at that time, occupied by my grandfather, William Pickles. The Vendor of this large tract of Sutton was Miss Emma Hartley of Sutton Hall who was selling the property as 'tenant for life'. This must have been the start ot the break up of the estate accumulated by John William Hartley of Sutton, though not all of John William Harley's holdings were offered for sale on that day. The Hall was obviously sold some years later.
I think grandad must have bought the farm at that sale. It was only a small unit comprising a farm house, farm buildings and a cottage with pasture and meadow land amounting to 20 acres - 3 roods - 21 perches. [You had to be clever at arithmetic in those days!] This was insufficient to provide the income needed to keep the family and my grandad used to work as a stonemason to supplement the income from the farm.
The Particulars of Sale provide an interesting insight into the names of those farming in Sutton a hundred years ago. Greenwood Dickinson was at Low Crag Farm, Duckett Taylor farmed one of the larger holdings at Stubbin Hill, John Pullan at Bank Foot, Herbert Wells at Clough Head, W Clayton at Dobby Hall Farm [only a smidgin over 5 acres! He must have had another string to his bow], Knoll Court Farm was occupied by Albert Spencer [I think Frank Spencer still lived there in the 70's?] There's much more to interest a local historian but I don't want to bore everybody. Besides, it's bedtime!


Michael Geoffrey Towers
Longton, Preston, Lancashire
Sunday, November 2, 2014 16:05
Denis,

Only just found this entry and I'm particularly interested in Dobby Hall Farm.

Sometime between 1920 and 1934, my great grandparents John Thomas and Mary Ann Towers farmed Dobby Hall from where he delivered milk in Sutton whilst also working at the Gasworks at Kildwick - another string to his bow! They left c1934 following Mary having fallen down the steep outside steps at the side of the house severely damaging her right hip forcing them to give up the farm and move to 12 Main Street. She died in June 1935 and is buried in the family grave at St. Thomas' Church.

Do your papers give any information on my great grandparents, please?
Denis Marshall Pickles
Norfolk
Saturday, December 13, 2014 15:51
My apologies for not having responded to your query before now. Sadly, I have no information re your gret grandparents time at Dobby Hall. The documents I have relate only to the time of the sale in 1911. Sorry.



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