52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks: Week 37. On the farm.

 On the Farm 

 

Hadlow Castle and Tower

www.thehadlowtower.co.uk

Most of the castle was demolished in the 1950's for building materials 

The tower remains and has been renovated and converted to accomodation.

There are so many stories I could write under this heading. Like most people, I have a number of Agricultural Labourers within my ancestry. Some have won prizes at local Agricultural Shows for ploughing matches and others have been rewarded for having the 'largest family in the area who have not relied on Parish relief.

A large number of my Pye ancestors have been 'gentleman farmers. A daughter of these 'Gentleman farmers' married Henry Seymour Tett, head of a Kent company that made farming implements including threshing and hop washing machines. There are also links between the Pyes and the Avelings. Thomas Aveling alongside Richard Thomas Porter, went into partnership and developed a steam engine, developing an agricultural locomotive engine for threshing, ploughing and general traction purposes. Aveling and Porter were the largest manufacturer of steam rollers in the 1900's. Both Tett and Aveling made large contributions in changing the face of farming.

But for this weeks post, having drawn from a number of names in a hat, I am writing about James Pye of Hadlow and Marden, Kent, 1830-1874, his journey to becoming a farmer and what happened to his farm and family after his death. 

JAMES PYE 1830-1874

James was the second son of James Pye and Frances nee Knell, born in Bredgar Kent in 1830. He was baptised at St John the Baptist Church, Bredgar on 12th Sept 1830.
The Pye's liked their naming patterns and therefore at times it can be difficult to differenciate between various families but it appears that at the time of the 1841 census it is likely that James was at school, either in Milton, Kent or Strood in Kent. His father James Sr having died in 1837.
By the 1851 census James had joined the Vane family as their lodger.  Thomas Vane, the head of the household was a journeyman miller, his son, Thomas junior and James were both also working as journeyman millers. There appear to have been 2 mills in East Malling, whilst one, Middle Mill made paper, whilst Weir Mill was a water corn mill, with a 12 foot waterwheel driving 2 pairs of stones.

Weir Mill East Malling onthemarket.com

In 1854 James, still working as a miller, married Louisa Martin, the daughter of Isaac and Mary Martin, at St Mary's church Hadlow on May 24th. The church had undergone refurbishment in 1852.

Kentish Gazette 6 Jun 1854

www.kentchurches.info/church.asp?p=Hadlow

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Their first child Annie Louisa Pye was born in 1855, James Isaac Pye in 1856 and Henry Thomas Pye in 1859.

By the 1861 census, James and his family are now living at Castle Farm House, in Hadlow, James was now working as a Farm Bailiff.

Wikipedia cites:- 

Farm bailiff: 

Farm bailiffs exist on landed estated. The farm bailiff is employed by the proprietor and his managerial duties can include collecting rent, taxes and supervising both farm operations and labourers. Historically the estate would typically include a hall ot manor house, a home farm managed by the bailiff, several smaller farms occupied by tenants and possibly a tiny village ( a collection of small cottages) in which the farm labourers lived.

The cover photograph to this post is of Hadlow Castle and Tower, it is likely that Castle Farm was part of this estate, there are also Castle Farm Cottages listed within the census, as bailiff perhaps it was James' job to oversee this estate. I have previously written about various members of the Pye family and it is possible as part of this family that James was able to secure this position.

In the following 5 years, there were further children born in Hadlow, Frances Martin Pye in 1862, William James in 1863 and George Martin Pye in 1864. Sadly James and Louisa's eldest son James Isaac died in 1863.

During the mid 1860's the family moved to Marden in Kent, Mary Ann Martin Pye was born in 1866, Frederick Martin Pye in 1868 and Minnie Martin Pye in 1870. The 1871 census show the family now residing at Gate House Farm in Marden, approx 10 miles from Hadlow. Gate House Farm had approx 200 acres and James employed 9 men and 3 boys. 

 Modern day Gate House Farm Marden

                               www.themovemarket.com

In 1866 a rather odd newspaper article titled 'The dressmaker and the toilet' reported a court case whereby a dressmaker, Miss Crundell of Hadlow, employed to make a dress for 'Mrs Pye' Louisa with provision for travel costs took James and Louisa to court for 4sh 6d for non payment. The judge found for Miss Crundell for immediate payment in full.

Kentish Mercury 23 November 1866

In 1871, James and Louisa's last child was born, Emma Martin but she only survived for 1 year, dying in 1872.

Unfortunately life was about to wield another body blow and James died on the 18th April 1874. His probate record shows that his estate was valued at less than £1500, equivalent of approx £174,000 today.

Later that year advertisements for an auction on the 6th October 1874, of farm stock and house furniture belonging to James Pye and family began to appear in the local press.

Kent & Sussex Courier 23 September 1874

The farm stock included:- 5 young cart horses, 3 cart colts, 7 cows/calves, 28 ewes/lambs, 8 pigs, geese, chickens and ducks.

Equipment included:- 3 horsepower threshing machine, wagons, root pulpers, chaff cutting machines and corn cleaning machines. Alongside such equipment as ploughs, harrows, troughs, gates, saddle and bridles.

House furniture:- Piano, mahogony sideboard, sofa and chairs, thermometer, barometer, engravings and pictures. Writing desk, bedsteads, washstands, kitchen and dairy utensils. Double and single barrel guns.

From further newspaper articles it would appear that Louisa and her family moved back to Hadlow, although continued to farm.

On 10th Sept 1878 the Sussex Advertiser reported:-

Alleged Embezzlement

Thos. Elcombe, a labourer, was charged with embezzling 10s, received by him, for and on account of his mistress, Louisa Pye, at Hadlow 27th ult.

Henry Thomas Pye said he managed his mother's farm. He sold some chaff to Mr E Palmer last week at which time the prisoner was in his employ. He had not accounted to him any money received from Palmer.

Mr Palmer said he had paid the prisoner 10s.

Sergeant Marsh deposed to apprehending the prisoner at West Peckham. The prisoner said that he had spent some of the money and given the rest to his wife.

Supt. Kewell said there was a long list of previous convictions against the prisoner.

The bench committed the prisoner, who pleaded not guilty, to trial at sessions.

On the 25th October 1878, the Kent and Sussex Courier reported:

HADLOW

The Embezzlement Case - On Friday last at the West Kent Quarter Sessions, Thomas Elcombe, 34, labourer, pleaded guilty at the indictment charging him with embezzling 10s, the money of Louisa Pye, his mistress, at Hadlow on 27th August. Mr M Smith prosecuted. Supt. Kerwell gave prisoner a very bad character, and the court sentenced him to 18 months hard labour.

Things don't seem to have got much better for the Pye family farm as on the 28th February 1879 an article in the Kent and Sussex Courier. Louisa was seeking to restrain  a chemical manure merchant, Mr Charles Frederick Jones, from taking any further proceedings against her debts to him.

A week later in the same publication an advertisement appearred in relation to an Auction later in month, indicating that the farm was now 'in liquidation'.

Kent & Sussex Courier 07 March 1879

Two years later, at the time of the 1881 census, Louisa and her family had moved to 37 Tindal St, Camberwell, London. Annie is working as a dressmaker, Henry Thomas, a poulterer and Frances, a Carvers Waiter. Of interest is the remark in the final column:- Franc(i)s M Pye, Nervous Debility, ? Made/Unable or Unsafe to Work. Was this a consequence of her father dying and the loss of the farms and a known way of life?

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This appears to be an unusual assertion. Looking at Frances' occupation of 'carvers waiter' indicates that knives may have been involved, if mentally unwell at the time of the census, this may not have been the best job for Frances to be employed in. A modern description of this job, indicates as expected that the work is to carve meat often to a set number of servings and waiting may be involved when serving to the public. 

Meanwhile Louisa's son William, had moved to Chatham to work as a pawnbrokers assistant, where he remained living and working, marrying Annie Bonny (another family that links with various members of the Pye family.)

Perhaps it is fortunate that by the 1891 census Frances' occupation is that of 'House Help (Dom)' whether this is within the family home or at some other property I cannot say. However the family have now moved to 14 Cottage Grove in Lambeth, London. Louisa remains head of the house, Ann is still employed as a dressmaker as are Mary Ann and Minnie, George is now working as a Cheesemonger Assistant, Frederick is employed as a Pawnbrokers Assistant. Henry no longer appears to be with the family. There is the possibility he may have emigrated to Canada but that needs further investigation. However the 1911 census regarding children living = 10/children died = 4, may equally suggest he may have died.

Again more sorrow was to befall the Pye family with the death of Frances in 1895. She is shown to have been buried in Camberwell on 8th Mar 1895. A year later, Minnie married on 17th October 1896 to Edgar Charles Wallis, a clerk.

 On the 29th Dec 1900 George Martin Pye married Elizabeth Penny, the daughter of a tailor at St Giles in the Fields, London. George is now working as a valet.

By the 1901 census only Louisa's 2 unmarried daughters. Annie and Mary Ann, both working as dressmakers and Frederick, now working as a furniture salesman, remain living with her. The family had once again moved to 56 Clapham Rd, Kennington. However the household was to become smaller again when Frederick married Laura May Harvey in West Ham. Leaving just Annie and Mary Ann living with Louisa  at the time of the 1911 census, again they have moved to 1230 South Lambeth Rd.

Louisa died in 1917. After her death it appears that the 2 spinster sisters continued to live together and continue with their dressmaking work. Annie died on 16th July 1938, the address given on her probate record is 74 Ellington Rd, Ramsgate, which is the same address that the 1939 register shows Mary Ann living in. Mary Ann died in 1951, she was the last of James and Louisa's children to do so. At the time of her death she was living at Bradstowe Lodge, Victoria Parade, Broadstairs, a care facility at the time, a branch of the Kent Old People's Housing Society and remains a care home today. 

It is ironic that these unmarried sisters relied on 'dressmaking' to earn their living, when we remember that in 1866 a somewhat more affluent James and Louisa were taken to court for non payment to a young dressmaker, Miss Crundle, bringing this post full circle.