The Heath, Great Livermere

Spinney Lane leading up to Heath Farm Great Livermere.

It is all too easy to overlook the huge amount of effort that has gone into creating our English landscapes.

Many of us today drive down the lanes of East Anglia without giving a second thought for the millions of man hours of back breaking toil that was required to turn the surrounding land into productive farmland.

We are also inclined to believe that our countryside is a never changing place.

Whilst every day we read in our papers and see in our media tales of climate change and food shortages. These fortunately always seem to occur somewhere else.

What however we often overlook is that having a surplus of population, climate change, and famine are not a new phenomenon, but one that has stalked our countryside in times gone by.

We least once before we plundered the fertility of our land to the point where it became desert.

This is the story of one man's efforts to restore the land to fertility, and to grow food in a time of shortage and acute peril. It is a story of enormous effort and an incredible amount of manual work.

And where did this all take place?

In rural Suffolk, at the village of Great Livermere, some five miles north of Bury St. Edmunds.

The following story, is that of my great great great grandfather Joshua Rodwell, a Suffolk farmer.

Loading Hay.

I suppose that like very many other Englishmen starting out on a search into my family history, I expected before I got back very far to find a farm labourer and to become stalled in my research at that point. Imagine my surprise when I found the following report from 1800.

On Clay and Marle. By Mr. JOSIAH RODWELL, of Livermere, near Bury , Suffolk.
 

From the COMMUNICATIONS to the BOARD of AGRICULTURE.
 

The Gold Medal of the Board was voted, to Mr. Rodwell for this Communication.

BEING informed that you have voted to an excellent farmer in Surrey, justly celebrated for his exertions, a mark of your approbation, it has been suggested to me by some neighbours, who have for twenty-eight years viewed what I have done to improve a poor and almost waits tract of land, to send you, an account of my operations, which I have complied with, trusting that this is the most likely method of inducing others to examine well their soils, and whatever may be found beneath : my practice is confined and limited, but your attention can spread any knowledge throughout the kingdom, and render the exertions of an individual beneficial to a whole nation.

I wish at present, to call your notice to the effect of, digging and spreading marle and clay upon poor dry heaths, producing fern and gorse, but chiefly ling; originally of small value, at best yielding but a scanty support to ill-fed- sheep.

The Rev. Mr. Lathbury's father, about fifty years ago, was offered any quantity of this heath. at 4d. Per acre: the farm on which I have been working consists of 1400 acres, 700 of which were of this sort of heath ; it had been occupied by my predecessor, Mr. Garnham, for thirty-fix  years, at the rent of 140l. and never more than 150l. the landlord (Bapt. Lee, Esq.) paying tithe ; nor did Mr. Garnham at that rent do much more than make a living in it.  In 1771 it was valued for raising the rent, and 350l. a year demanded, not tithe-free, at which rent  Mr. Garnham refused it, as did several other farmers,  who examined the land ; and when I engaged  at that rent I was pronounced a ruined man by most of my acquaintance who knew the farm. I had a lease of thirteen years.

My operations at first were to inclose with thorn hedges, marle or clay, and break up 300 acres of the heath; and in the first seven years of the lease I finished what I meant to improve in that term; I marled or clayed 600 acres, at 70 loads an acre, being 42,000 large tumbril loads.  In this work I employed three teams, two of my own, and one I hired for several years.  It is severe work; and the -second year I lost nine horses, attributed to feeding on pea-straw from the new broken heath, a circumstance that deserves the attention of improvers.

In the eleventh year of my lease I applied to my landlord for a renewal; on which the farm was valued again by Mr. Hare, the surveyor at Peterborough, and I took a fresh lease of fifteen years, to commence at the termination of my old one, at the rent of 400l.
 

I immediately clayed and broke up 200 acres more, at 100 loads an acre, 40 bushels per load, inclosing all with quick hedges, and ditches 5 feet wide, and 4 deep ; after this, I improved 100 acres more in the same manner.
 

In the two leases of twenty-eight years, I clayed or marled 820 acres ; and I have clayed or marled so much over the second time, at 70 loads an acre, that the quantity I have carried in all is very little short of 140,000 loads.

Upon taking a third lease, I was, in 1798—9, particularly steady to this work, and, in forty- nine weeks and three days, carried 11,275 cubical yards, paying by measure of pits, and not by loads, which were filled and spread by 'four men and a boy, and carted by fix horses and two tumbrils.

In this business of carrying clay or marle I have practised handbarrowing; the men can make good earnings at 10d. a yard, wheeling it thirty rod; and down to 7d. a yard at shorter distances; and I am much inclined to think, .that if we had workmen used to the operation,, and handy at it, like those employed in navigations, that this method would be of all others the cheapest, especially on heavier soils. But by far the greatest part I have done by tumbrils, the expence of which put out is 5d. a yard for team, and a 2¼d. a yard for labour, and paying for laying picks, wedges, &c. also for stones that rise, increase the whole expence to 8 d. per yard, which is at least  ½d. per yard cheaper than I can do it with my own teams: the reason of which is, that the man who contracts with me drives his own horses, and looks after them; at 8 ½d. per yard, 140,000 yards have cost me £4958 excepting the small proportion hired at ½ d. a yard lower.

I come now to mention a few circumstances which I hope may tend to render this paper useful to others,, not having the experience which I have acquired, : I shall use but few words, but  they shall be founded on positive experiment, or  attentive observation.

Clay is much to be preferred to marle on these sandy soils, some of which are loose, poor, and even a black sand. By clay is to be understood a grey clayey loam, some of it brick earth, and all has with vinegar a small effervescence. Marle is & a white, greasy, chalky, substance, that effervesces strongly with acids: I make a universal rule, on a second improvement, to lay clay on the fields marled before, sometimes marle where clay was spread before ; but this not general, as clay answers best on the whole.

In the tillage of improved lands, I am attentive never to over-crop. My usual rotation has been,

1. Turnips.

2. Barley.

3. Clover, rye-grass, and trefoil, one or two years.

4. Peas.

 5. Wheat.

On some I have sown oats on the layer, and omitted peas and wheat, which is more favourable to the land; and I should with longer leases have done more so. Peas, it is true, are an improving crop, but the two coming together are perhaps working the marle too quickly. I have broken some heaths up; and sown oats, and even wheat, designing to improve on the stubble ; but sowing four bushels of oats I have gained but ten, and of wheat not more than three coombs at first breaking.

The coomb is 1/2 a quarter.  My crops, by managing attentively, have been good; I have had 11½ coombs of barley an acre, and even 14, and these over large fields ; I have had seven coombs an acre of peas over six score acres, and fine wheat after them.

On 90 acres, clayed 100 loads an acre, I have had after two crops, the one turnips, the other barley, cole-feed, and sold it on the ground for 1000 guineas; then turnips, a famous crop, followed by barley, on 75 acres, 16 coombs an acre; and by bats on 15 acres (poorer land)  10 coombs an acre. These crops are for the soil great; but in general my products have been highly to my satisfaction.

In regard to other manures, my farm has had the fold of from 40 to 48 score sheep; they manure, one year with another, 150 acres; and I am never without bullocks for increasing. the farm-yard dung. I top fold wheat from the beginning of November till Christmas, and even till February, and venture it on clayed land at the hazards of frosts at sun-rife, which sometimes injures it much, but the effect in general is great.

Of all mucking, that for turnips pays me best, particularly on clayed land : I know many farmers in Norfolk prefer laying it on for wheat, the turnips to have it at second ; but I prefer the other method.. And let me note, that I use long muck to choose, which I think far better than turning, mixing, and rotting muck; here also are different opinions; I speak only from my own experience. Wheat stubble, I think, should always be whelmed in for turnips.

I once ploughed in a fine crop of buck-wheat for turnips, and the crop was so much worse than the rest of the field, that they .were not penned regularly for the sheep ; yet, with this disadvantage, the barley, following was better than where the turnips were much superior.

I have dibbled largely, and with good success, and think it the best method; and I approve much of the drill roller as the next best.

In tilling these improved lands, it is a common observation in Norfolk, that shallow ploughing is necessary to preserve the pan: I have not found this the case here ; but, on the contrary, that the clay and marle works the better the more soil it has to incorporate with.

Having thus stated, shortly, the general managements of my improvements, I now come, with your permission, to the general result. Rent will speak this:

It is stated, that, twenty-eight years ago, the rent of farm was £150 a year, tithe free, and that it was then raised to £350 a year, tithe payable.  I may venture to assert, that, at that rent, without  improvement, it might have so stood on my landlord's rent-roll till doomsday, for a mere living could only be made on it even in good times. But upon my taking the third lease, commencing 1799, it was raised to £600 a year, at the same time that to the full value of £100 a year was taken from it; in other words, the present rent is £700 a year. Thus, while, with the blessing of God, I have done well in the farm, and have put five children into the world out of twelve living, I have added £350 a year to the value of the estate, which, at thirty years purchase, is 10,500; and, relative to the public at large, I may venture to assert, that these 1400 Acres have, in the last twenty-eight years, yielded £30,000 worth more of corn, meat, and wool, than they did in the twenty-eight preceding.  A fact which tends strongly to shew the national importance of improvements in agriculture, and also the wisdom of establishing a public board for promoting and encouraging such exertions as may be deemed laudable.

                                                I have the honour to be,

                                                                My Lords and Gentlemen,

                                                                Your most obedient servant,

Livermere, near Bury, Suffolk,                                                   Josiah Rodwell

                Nove. 18^th, 1799.

(The Gold Medal of the Board was voted to Mr. Rodwell for this communication.)

140,000 cart loads is an awful lot of digging. Carts were much smaller in those days than our current trailers, but must have each carried at least a tonne at a time. Marl weighs about 2.2tonnes per cubic metres, which meant that there has to be a considerable number of holes at Great Livermere to find.

This proved to be the case when I made a visit out to the farm about a decade ago. They show up even more clearly in aerial photos, with the photos made by the RAF at the end of World War II being particularly clear.

1945 Aerial photographs showing the dark oval patches caused

by excavation of marl. [photo courtesy of Google Earth.] 

Spinney Lane is the diagonal lane running from NW to SE across the photo.

Indeed the pits in Spring of 1944 were sufficiently deep to be able to provide crews of Churchill AVRE tanks preparing to land in Normandy with valuable training in how to cross major craters. [1] 

Heath Farm in 1999 still showing clear traces of the Marl Pits.

The pits are still visible in the fields in 2012, although I have noticed that even over the past decade since I first visited the site that they are being lost very fast as tractors and ploughs have become very much more powerful in recent years.

One of the former marl pits, can be seen in the foreground, as the crops dip down.

Josiah was married to Elizabeth Medows.  Elizabeth Medows who had been born on March 13^th 1751, and she was eventually to die on February 18^th 1838 aged 87 at Livermere.

Josiah Rodwell appears to have been a considerable sheep farmer, before he commenced his arable activities at Livermere. He knew and co-operated with Arthur Young the agricultural journalist, who had been born in 1741 Bradfield in Suffolk.  Josiah was five years younger than Young having been born in 1746.

Josiah Rodwell had been born on the 5^th of October 1746, probably at Mendlesham, where his parents John and Catherine Rodwell lived. His parents seem to have also been substantial tenant farmers, so that it is probable that they had moved in much the same circles as Arthur Young.

Josiah had started out as a sheep farmer, however the pressures of falling prices drove him eventually to change over to arable farming.

 

WOOL

BURY, Feb. 14, 1787

At a Meeting of some of the principle Wool Growers near Bury, held this day at the BELL INN, to take into consideration the bill now depending in parliament, relating to wool.

I.       Resolved, That we consider many of the clauses of the said bill, as injurious and oppressive to the growers of wool.  That it needlessly and wantonly multiplies restrictions, fines, forfeitures, and punishments.  Is entirely adapted to lower the price of wool; but not at all calculated for its pretended purpose, that of preventing the practise of smuggling.

II.    Resolved, That we do earnestly request the wool-growers in other parts of the country, to unite with us in our endeavours to oppose a measure that would be so generally detrimental; and we hope for the support of all land owners and others in opposing the bill, to procure a county meeting for rendering such an opposition regular and effective.

III. Resolved, That another meeting be held at the Angel Inn at Bury, on Wednesday the 21^st day of this instant February, at Four o’clock in the afternoon, on the said day.

WILLIAM MACRO,	JOHN CANHAM,
EDWARD PUGH,	JAMES DEEKS,
WILLIAM STUTTER,	JOH NUNN,
J. PYTCHES, Jun.	JOSEPH PAWSEY,
WILLIAM ADAMS, Sen.	JOHN SIMPSON,
JOHN STUTTER,	ROBERT HOWLETT,
JOHN STUTTER, Jun.	JAMES CLIFT,
THOMAS COCKSEDGE,	THOMAS HARVEY,
W.ADAMS, Jun.	LEO BIDWELL,
GEORGE WYARD,	WILLIAM KEMBALL,
ROBERT ROPER,	WILLIAM BROOKS,
JOSIAH RODWELL,	J PYTCHES,
JOHN HARVEY,	G, CORNELL,
ROB. LANCHESTER,	JEREMIAH PAINE,
JONA. COOPER,	JOHN WORLLEDGE,
WILLIAM CORNELL,	MICHEAL HOUGHTON,
JOHN FILBY,	JOHN SPARHAM,
JOHN WHISTLER,	R. KEDINGTON.

Josiah was active in the Suffolk farming community, and corresponded with Arthur Young. Several of his comments appear as footnotes in Young's General View of the Agriculture of the County of Suffolk.

"The importance of this subject cannot be too much enforced; and it were an object worthy of the Board of Agriculture, to obtain a Bill from Parliament, permitting a general inclosure throughout the whole county, of waste lands.  Where the common consist of good lands, the advantages of converting them to private property, would be prodigious; and the poorest, by being so converted, would, I am persuaded, produce double their present value; whereas, at present, the profit is extremely small indeed.  And whenever a landlord lets a farm with a common right, which is valued with the rest of his premises, I believe every good farmer who makes use of it, would be a loser instead of a gainer." [3]

He went on to write:

"The importance of inclosing waste lands, is evident too from another consideration, supposing an equal profit only would be the result: the men who usually reside near a common, are the depredators of the neighbourhood: smugglers, sheep-stealers, horse-jockies, and jobbers of every denomination, here find their abode."

A Rodwell family tree drawn up in about 1845.  

[Please click on the image for a larger version.] 

 

 

 

The farm house at Heath Farm, which we believe Josiah Rodwell built.

Josiah appears to have been very interested in trees. The garden at Heath Farm contains a number of very large trees including Copper Beech, Wellingtonia and other fir trees, and he planted the magnificent lime avenue that leads up to the farm.

 

 

The trees in Heath Farm gardens.

 

The Lime Avenue at Great Livermere.

 

Josiah was an extremely effective tenant farmer, who was extremely fortunate that his career in farming coincided with the French Revolutionary Wars, resulting in a number of years of excellent prices for his crops.  He believed that he had made £30,000 in 13 years, which was more than most of the local landowners would have expected to have made in rents.

He went on to bring up a large family, of whom several of the boys were able to be sent to Cambridge University, which must have been unusual for this period.

 

Josiah was also widely employed to value and to sell farms over much of Suffolk, as well as serving on Grand Juries at the nearby Bury Assizes.

 “In his 56^th year, Mr. Josiah Rodwell, an opulent farmer at Little Livermere, and highly distinguished for his agricultural knowledge.  He was at Woolpit fair the preceding evening; and, on the morning of his death, was as well as usual.”

Josiah Rodwell had died on the 21^st of September 1802, which was the day after the Fair that was run annually at Woolpit. I hope that he had had a really good time at market.  He was buried at Livermere. [4]

His memorial was described in 1827 as being at the church at Livermere on the south side.

“Also a flat stone to Josiah Rodwell late of Livermere Parva who died Sept 21 1802."

However time seems to have removed the gravestone as despite extensive searches it is nowhere to be seen today, unlike this mans magnificent trees.

If I could leave a legacy in 200 or more years like the trees that Josiah Rodwell planted, I would be a die a very happy man. You cannot believe the thrill that I felt when I found them.  Much as I enjoy written archives, trees and holes in the ground are also an extremely powerful way to leave ones mark.

I would very much like the opportunity to visit and photograph Heath Farm one day. I have been unable to find out who owns the house at present.  If you live there and are prepared to let me visit the house and gardens, I would love to hear from you. I can be contacted at balmer.nicholas@gmail.com

[1] http://www.bbc.co.uk/history/ww2peopleswar/stories/28/a2690228.shtml

[2] Davy’s Suffolk Collections LXXI, page 80 onwards. Davy, David Elisha (ca.1840) Suffolk Collections.  British Library Add. MSS. 19147. Davy lived from 1769 to 1851 and was both a botanist and antiquarian.

[3] Young's General View of the Agriculture of the County of Suffolk. Page 167.

[4] A concise description of Bury St. Edmund's, and its environs, within the Distance of Ten Miles. Published 1827, page 242.

Suffolk law before the police, and the Barking Association

The Fox, Barking Suffolk 

Most of us if we go back far enough into our family history expect to find a farming ancestor sooner or later,  and it is often at this point that we get stuck without being able to find out anything further about their ancestors.

In the case of my Suffolk Moore ancestors this had occurred when I got back to my  paternal 5 x great grandfather James Moore (1765 to 1831), and until recently, I had assumed that this would be as far as I would be able to get.  I thought that he was probably a peasant who had spent his days trudging along in the mud behind a plough, leaving little if any further trace of his life.

 

Recently I have been really surprised to find him turning up in the scanned local newspapers held on the British Library website. 

 

What has been great fun to find is that he and most of his closest friends seem to have all been members of the Barking Association that met at the Fox pub in Barking in Suffolk.  

James Moore rented and ran the water mill at Badley for many years.  He had become the tenant in about 1797, and to have been an active member of the local community, joining the Barking Association.

This association was one of a very large number of similar associations set up across the country formed by farmers and larger householders and small tradesmen in villages, primarily to raise rewards for information on, or for the capture of thieves, or rick burners.

In those days there was no police force and such justice as there was, was in the hands of the local Justices of the Peace and of the village Constables. The Constables were ordinary villagers chosen annually, often selected unwillingly, by the parish vestry to try to enforce justice and to apprehend thieves or criminals. They also were expected to collect taxes and were therefore often unpopular with the other villagers and little supported.

The farmers were generally the richest people living in the villages, with the landlords often living in London, or many miles away.  The farmers often felt themselves to have been under siege from the villagers, and local town poor, as their fields, full of valuable animals including horses attracted the frequent attention of ill disposed, and often semi starving villagers or passing thieves.  The only solution was for the farmers and other members of the community, at this period before the police force had been invented was to club together to offer rewards for the apprehension of thieves and other malcontents.

 

An advertisement for the half yearly meeting of the Barking Association.

The Ipswich Journal, January 30th 1796.

 

 

All to soon James himself would need to call on the services of the association.

 

 

 

BARKING ASSOCIATION. WHEREAS some time in the Night of the 18th inst. the Home Barn of Mr, JAMES MOORE, of Badley, was broken into, and a quantity of dressed WHEAT was feloniously stolen from the heap. Any person who shall apprehend, or give information of the offender or offender, so as he or they may be lawfully convicted of the said robbery, will be intitled to and paid the sum of 2£. 10s. out of the public stock of the said Association, by applying to Mr. Sam. Harwood the Treasurer.  And the said James Moore hereby offers a further reward of 20£. to be paid on conviction as aforesaid. 21st Dec. 1801.

[1]

It hasn't been possible to find out if anybody was caught stealing the wheat.



The Association would continue to meet at the Fox Inn at Barking for many more years to come, and as the following advertisement from the Ipswich Journal dated Saturday 28^th June 1824 shows, both my great great great great grandfather James Moore of Badley, and his sons, James Medows Moore of Darmsden, and John Kirby Moore, of Combs were regular attendees at these dinners at the Fox Inn.

 

 

J.W. Pennington of Combs listed above was Joseph Pennington, a gifted land surveyor, land agent and steward since 1772 for Lord Ashburnham. [2]  He was living at Holly Oak Farm at Combs, and it appears that John Kirby Moore was living at the farm, possibly learning to farm.  In 1831, John married Joseph Pennington's daughter Henrietta. He was later to become steward for Lord Ashburnham.

 

With the aid of the newspapers, and also records in the Ipswich Records office, I have been able to fill in the backgrounds to many of the other farmers listed above, and they will feature in many forthcoming posts.

 

 

I find myself imagining them all carousing into the evening around a roaring fire, and although the Fox is nowadays a Chinese restaurant, I hope one day to be able to visit it during opening hours.

 

 

 

[1] The Ipswich Journal - Saturday 26 December 1801

[2] The Journal of John Kirby Moore of Badley.  Edited by Michael Durrant, published by the Suffolk Family History Society, August 2001.



Kirkby Thore, Bridge End Farm.

Bridge End Farm, Kirkby Thore [1]

For most of us who are researching our family history, if we go far enough back there is likely to be a farm at the end of the trail.

Bridge End Farm at Kirkby Thore in the former county of Westmoreland is one of these farms in my case.

It appears to have been the childhood home of my great great great grandfather William Nicholson (1780 - 1859). William was the sixth of eight children of John Nicholson of Southwaite and Ann Graham. [2] Together with his elder brother John Nicholson (1774-1863) he would go down to London to found J&W Nicholson, Gin Distillers.

The farm passed to the eldest brother, James Nicholson (1773-1827), however it is clear that William remained interested in events at his childhood home long into his adulthood as the following letters will demonstrate.

These letters come from a collection that has passed down to me through the maternal lines, with each generation passing it to another chosen lady, Nicholson, Greatrex, Hancock, Balmer until in my generation, we are only boys.

The earliest letter to survive was written on the 20th September 1816, from Kirkby Thore and appears to have been written by John Nicholson, the son of William Nicholson (1780-1859) to his Grandmother Mrs. Pane.  Mrs. Pane whose name was usually spelt Payne, was the daughter of Richard Payne "of Rochester."

Kirkbythore.

20th. Sept-. 1816.

 Dear Grandmother.

I take the present Opportunity of addressing you, to let you see a Specimen of my writing, which, I know will give you great Pleasure. I am a great deal taller since I. came to Kirkbythore and am so much improved in my look that I think you would scarcely know me.

My Brother William and I like this Country very well and are very content.

Give my kind love to my Mother and Sisters, and accept the same yourself, together with my best thanks 

for all your kind Presents.

I remain, Dear Grandma',

yours affectionately,

John Nicholson.

 Mrs. Pane.

at J. and W. Nicholsons, Distillers,

Woodbridge Street, Clerkenwell,

London.

That the connection remained strong is demonstrated by the following letter from John Nicholson, (son of Thomas Nicholson (1777-1841), to his Uncle William Nicholson. Thomas was the second son of John and Ann Nicholson, who had inherited the farm when the eldest son James Nicholson had died on the 9th of May 1827.

 Kirkbythore Bridge End,

                                                         Sepr. 18^th 1845.

                My Dear Uncle,

                                                I take up my pen to write a few lines to you, in answer to the queries of your letter of the 23^rd. of Aug. in respect of the crops.  At the same time I hope it will find you and all my friends in London enjoying good health as it leaves us all the same.  And that the heifers have arrived safe at Highgate.

                We got the Wheat Crop all under Cover on Saturday last.  In the slack places where it was so much laid there will be little or nothing in it, but upon the hills it will be beyond an average of the county.  In point of bulk of straw we never cut such a large crop within my 

recollection.  There was above seventy stooks per acre, which would have produced in a good year 7 qrts. Per acre, but I don’t think we shall have above 4 in the very best part of a field, and I don’t expect above one qr. In per acre in the slacks.  We have a splendid crop of Barley and Oats, I expect that we shall be able to deliver to the Brewers not much short of 200 qrs. Of Barley of 31 acres of land, and the Oats are beyond average.  We shall finish cutting corn this week but we have got nothing in up to this time except Wheat.  We have had 3 weeks of very fine weather up to yesterday when the weather broke down with rain and it continues showery today, with every appearance of more bad weather, and the Barometer is very low.

                

Our neighbour Mr. Crosby is busy cutting a noble crop of Oats on Brampton Moor, but has not got anything housed as yet.

                Your nephew James Atkinson got a Son and heir a fortnight gone Tuesday.  I saw him a few days ago and told him about the Wheat, and he said that he had not given you any information on the important subject, which I thought was very remiss on his part.  I told him that I was going to write to you and I would tell him what had happened, but you will have heard ere this though some other channel.  And all that I can say is that Mrs. Atkinson and her infant are doing as well as her friends could wish.

                I will be much obliged to you to give me intelligence how the price of Barley is likely to be this year.

                My kind love to Aunt and Cousins, and accept the same yourself,

                                From Your Affectionate Nephew,

                                                              John Nicholson

                                            I hope you will excuse my scrawl as it was done in a very

                                         Great hurry. J.N.

Wm. Nicholson.                                  

Distillers.                                            

114 St. John Street.                                         

Smithfield.

                                         

William's nephew James Atkinson mentioned is the son of William's elder sister Sarah Nicholson (1772- who had married Richard Atkinson on 18th April 1799 at Kirkby Thore.

There are many mentions of this family in the Kendal Mercury. My great great great great grandmother, Ann Nicholson, nee Graham death was noted as follows..

"At Kirkby Thore, the 5th inst., Mrs. Ann Nicholson, late Kirkby Thore Bridge End, aged 88 years—highly respected."

Kendal Mercury - Saturday 10 October 1835.[3]

Unfortunately in 1846 John Nicholson would misjudge the amount of barley he was able to offer for sale incorrectly and this would land him in court.  Thomas, his father would die on the 25th October 1847, and he may have already been ill, leaving his relatively inexperienced son in difficulty.

"COUNTY COURT, PENRITH. Monday. (Before T. H. Ingham, Esq., Judge.) There was this day a very extraordinary number of trifling cases, which were soon despatched. The court was crowded from an early hour, as several very interesting trials were anticipated. We shall notice the most important.  

New Brewery, Penrith, v. Mr. Nicholson, of Kirkby Thore. This was an action brought to recover £20 damages, for an alleged breach of bargain. Mr Wm. Blaymire appeared for plaintiffs, and Mr Jameson for defendant. John Harvey, agent to the New Brewery Company, said that in September, 1846, he bought all the barley Mr Nicholson had at 13s. 6d. per bushel. That Mr Nicholson had supplied to the New Brewery Co. 150 bushels only new and old, though he had that year 30 acres which, on average, would yield 300 bushels. Walter Wilson, maltster at the New Brewery, remembered Nicholson delivering the last 50 bushels of barley, and saying that he had other 50 ready for coming. Edward Robson, formerly brewer to the Company, remembered Thomas Nicholson coming to the Brewery and asking for empty sacks. He (Robson) told him of a party with whom the New Brewery Company had agreed to take the whole of his barley; but the party question, in consequence of the advance in the price, had refused to bring any more. Nicholson repudiated the selfishness of the individual, and said that Mr Harvey had bought all his barley, and he would deliver it, and he would have delivered it at whatever price he had bargained for. Other witnesses were called, the tendency of whose evidence was to prove that the defendant, after the advance in price, had refused to supply the barley according to bargain. Mr Jameson rose to reply for the defendant, and said that the evidence which he would bring forward would entirely contradict the evidence to which they had been listening. The plain bargain was, that Mr Harvey was to have all the new barley the defendant could spare. Mr Nicholson had about 100 head of cattle in 1846-the potato crop was a failure, as was the turnip crop to a considerable extent, and was it likely, with the fact of the failure before him, that Mr Nicholson would make a bargain as foolish as that which had been stated the plaintiffs? Was it likely that Mr Nicholson would sell the whole of his barley, and reserve none for the consumption of his family and cattle? Thomas Nicholson said that he never agreed to sell the whole of his barley, but merely what he had to spare. Other witnesses made similar statements. The Judge, in summing up to the jury, said if they believed Mr Harvey's statement of the bargain which Mr Nicholson had made, however foolish, he was bound to stand to it; but if, on the other hand, they believed Mr Nicholson, the case was widely different. These points he left for their consideration. Verdict for the plaintiffs,-- damages, £20. Mr Jameson moved for a new trial, as he said the jury had given their verdict contrary to evidence."

Kendal Mercury - Saturday 08 April 1848 [4]

I would be fascinated to learn more about Bridge Farm and the other people mentioned in these letters, and I would be very pleased to hear from you if you know anything more about their lives.

[1] Photo from Google Streetview.

[2] Rev'd Nigel Nicholson, Nicholson, being a compilation of family trees, published 1996.
[3] & [4] British Library Newspaper Archive.