Marsh Farm, Great Linford
The former Marsh Farm, now a private house.
Marsh Farm must have been one of the last farmsteads to be constructed in Great Linford, as it does not appear on the 1840 tithe map (Buckinghamshire Archives Tithe/255) of the parish, created to ascertain the taxable values of land and property. The meaning of the name Marsh Farm may connect it to land once known as, “The common sward of Marsh”, which appears on an estate map produced in 1641. This apparently is also the origin of the name given to the modern-day road Marsh Drive, which seems plausible, as the 1840 tithe map includes a field called "Great Marsh" numbered 131 on the extract below. However, the field on which Marsh Farm would be built is the adjacent number 127, called "The Seeds." This field was then occupied by a William Rivett, a builder in the village, but owned by the Reverend Thomas Palmer Bull. The same arrangement existed for the field number 126, named "Eastward Great Marsh."
1840 tithe map of Great Linford (Tithe/255) showing the land later associated with Marsh Farm. From the collections of Buckinghamshire Archives and reproduced with permission.
The Reverend Thomas Palmer Bull was a Protestant Dissenting Minister whose ministry was in nearby Newport Pagnell, but the ownership of land by a member of the clergy seems fairly normal, given that three adjacent fields, including the aforementioned Great Marsh (#31) was also owned by a clergyman, in this case, a Reverend Richard Cautley. That the land destined to be the plot upon which Marsh Farm was to be built was in the occupancy of a builder does however raise the intriguing question, was it William Rivett who built the farmhouse? Such speculations aside, the farmhouse has survived as a private dwelling, situated on land that backs on to the modern-day industrial estate of Blakelands, a short distance from the corner of Brickhill Street and the Wolverton Road; this area was then part of the historic parish of Great Linford.
The Sapwells
Since the farm is named on the 1861 census, we can reasonably narrow the construction date down to a period of no more than two decades, and with some confidence refine it down it even further by tracing the family that were very likely its first tenant farmers, the Sapwells. There is evidence that three generations of the Sapwell family were tenants at Marsh Farm, beginning with a William Sapwell, born 1797 at Newport Pagnell.
William and his extended family were in Newport Pagnell at the time of the 1841 census. Present in the household were 44-year-old William and his wife Hannah, nee Eakins, along with their son George and his wife Amelia, plus three grandchildren. At the time, George was a butcher, and William a fishmonger, but the next census of 1851 reveals both father and son at Great Linford with their families, residing in adjacent households on the Stratford Road (AKA The Wolverton Road) and now described as “farmers.” Though the farm is unnamed, the census provides figures for the acreage each man was tending to; George’s land is clearly written as six acres, but the figure of 32 acres given for William is somewhat less certain. The enumerator’s handwriting gives pause for thought, and it might be that the figure is 22. If so, the total of 28 acres is very close to the 26 acres owned by the reverend Bull.
The 1853 Musson & Craven’s trade directory entry makes no mention of William Sapwell, but does see fit to include George, who is described as a market gardener. This generally denotes someone who was growing fruit and vegetables on a small scale for direct sale to the public, while a farmer would typically be overseeing a much larger enterprise, growing cereal crops and raising livestock. George’s six acres would certainly seem to fit with the definition of a market gardener.
The 1861 census records William as a retired farmer, living with his wife Hannah in a dwelling adjacent to their son George, who is residing at “Marsh Farm, Newport Road”, so significantly we have the name of the farm recorded for the first time. No acreage was recorded on this census, but George is described as a “Farmer Market Gardener.” This is a slightly convoluted description, given one might generally expect George to be one thing or the other, either a farmer, or a market gardener, but if as seems likely father and son had combined their land into a single enterprise, the description makes more sense.
Another piece of the jigsaw is provided by the 1871 census, which places George on the Wolverton Road, where he is described as a “farmer of 22 acres employing 2 labourers.” It will be recalled that a figure of 32 or 22 acres (depending on interpretation) was to be found on the 1851 census. Hence, putting aside the tenuous grasp of respondents and census enumerators alike as to the name of the road that the farmstead abutted, the relative consistency of the reported acreage under cultivation does seem to provide a convincing trail of evidence that puts William and George at the Marsh Farm from circa 1851 through to 1871.
Hannah Sapwell passed away in 1871, aged 80, and was buried in St. Andrew’s churchyard on April 17th. William followed in 1878 at the age of 83, his burial occurring on June 18th. Turning now in more detail to their son George, he had married Amelia Tame on June 22, 1836, at Newport Pagnell, therefore predating their arrival in Great Linford. This is useful, as we can see that their first six children were all born in Newport Pagnell, with Thomas Ekins Sapwell the last to be born there in 1848. As least as far as George and his family are concerned, we can be fairly sure then that their arrival at Great Linford was between 1848 and 1851, when we first found them in the parish on a census record. This in turn may narrow the construction date of the farmstead to this same period.
Though only mentioned in passing, we do have some evidence that George had additional farming interests elsewhere in the county. A court case reported in the Buckingham Advertiser and Free Press of May 6th, 1876, recounts the details of a case concerning the theft of hay, which had allegedly been carried out by a John Castledine, a farmer at Thornborough, and a George Keech, a carter in John’s employ. The case is a fairly typical one to which George Sapwell was called as a witness, informing the court that John Castledine was his son-in-law, (John had married Maria Sapwell in 1876) and that furthermore, George was a part tenant of the farm at Thornborough.
The 1881 census places George and his wife on the "Newport Road" where he is described as a farmer. The only other person in the household is a lodger, 54-year-old George Kemp, whose occupation is described as a groom. The year 1881 also provides us with the first 25 inch to the mile map of the parish from the Ordnance Survey, but though it offers an outline of the Marsh Farm farmstead, it is not labelled as such, though other farms in the parish are. Click here to view the farmstead on the 1881 O.S map.
Why the farm’s name should be omitted in this case cannot be readily explained, though it is notable that after the aforementioned Musson & Craven’s trade directory of 1853, the directories issued by Kellys in 1854, 1864 and 1869 make no reference to the Sapwells, even though we can be entirely certain of their presence in the parish. However, a directory issued by Harrod and Co in 1876 lists George Sapwell in an alphabetised list of “Farmers.” Perhaps during this period, the Kelly’s directory was more circumspect as regards who it deemed worthy of inclusion, and even when in 1877 it did deign to include George, it was as a gardener, a description that was repeated again in 1883.
It might also be that some confusion was arising as to George’s occupation, due to his part tenancy of the farm at Thornborough. It is also not entirely clear how trade directories were compiled; Kelly’s directories appeared to rely in part on local “clergymen, magistrates’ clerks, registrars, and other gentlemen”, so it might be that George was never actually asked personally to provide his occupation.
George and Amelia had had a further five children after their arrival at Great Linford, bringing the total to 11, the last born in 1859. We can find some interesting and rather contradictory stories concerning George in local newspapers. As was a quite common appointment for farmers, George was sworn onto a Grand Jury at the Bucks Michaelmas Quarter Sessions in October 1874, joining two of his fellow Great Linford farmers in the deliberations. That he was then convicted of drunkenness in 1877 perhaps calls into question the wisdom of placing him such a position of responsibility, especially as the account given of the offence paints a far from flattering portrait of his judgement and character. It should be noted however that appointment to a jury had little to do with a person's perceived competencies and much more to do with their income. The Bucks Herald of January 13th carried the following report on the case.
William and his extended family were in Newport Pagnell at the time of the 1841 census. Present in the household were 44-year-old William and his wife Hannah, nee Eakins, along with their son George and his wife Amelia, plus three grandchildren. At the time, George was a butcher, and William a fishmonger, but the next census of 1851 reveals both father and son at Great Linford with their families, residing in adjacent households on the Stratford Road (AKA The Wolverton Road) and now described as “farmers.” Though the farm is unnamed, the census provides figures for the acreage each man was tending to; George’s land is clearly written as six acres, but the figure of 32 acres given for William is somewhat less certain. The enumerator’s handwriting gives pause for thought, and it might be that the figure is 22. If so, the total of 28 acres is very close to the 26 acres owned by the reverend Bull.
The 1853 Musson & Craven’s trade directory entry makes no mention of William Sapwell, but does see fit to include George, who is described as a market gardener. This generally denotes someone who was growing fruit and vegetables on a small scale for direct sale to the public, while a farmer would typically be overseeing a much larger enterprise, growing cereal crops and raising livestock. George’s six acres would certainly seem to fit with the definition of a market gardener.
The 1861 census records William as a retired farmer, living with his wife Hannah in a dwelling adjacent to their son George, who is residing at “Marsh Farm, Newport Road”, so significantly we have the name of the farm recorded for the first time. No acreage was recorded on this census, but George is described as a “Farmer Market Gardener.” This is a slightly convoluted description, given one might generally expect George to be one thing or the other, either a farmer, or a market gardener, but if as seems likely father and son had combined their land into a single enterprise, the description makes more sense.
Another piece of the jigsaw is provided by the 1871 census, which places George on the Wolverton Road, where he is described as a “farmer of 22 acres employing 2 labourers.” It will be recalled that a figure of 32 or 22 acres (depending on interpretation) was to be found on the 1851 census. Hence, putting aside the tenuous grasp of respondents and census enumerators alike as to the name of the road that the farmstead abutted, the relative consistency of the reported acreage under cultivation does seem to provide a convincing trail of evidence that puts William and George at the Marsh Farm from circa 1851 through to 1871.
Hannah Sapwell passed away in 1871, aged 80, and was buried in St. Andrew’s churchyard on April 17th. William followed in 1878 at the age of 83, his burial occurring on June 18th. Turning now in more detail to their son George, he had married Amelia Tame on June 22, 1836, at Newport Pagnell, therefore predating their arrival in Great Linford. This is useful, as we can see that their first six children were all born in Newport Pagnell, with Thomas Ekins Sapwell the last to be born there in 1848. As least as far as George and his family are concerned, we can be fairly sure then that their arrival at Great Linford was between 1848 and 1851, when we first found them in the parish on a census record. This in turn may narrow the construction date of the farmstead to this same period.
Though only mentioned in passing, we do have some evidence that George had additional farming interests elsewhere in the county. A court case reported in the Buckingham Advertiser and Free Press of May 6th, 1876, recounts the details of a case concerning the theft of hay, which had allegedly been carried out by a John Castledine, a farmer at Thornborough, and a George Keech, a carter in John’s employ. The case is a fairly typical one to which George Sapwell was called as a witness, informing the court that John Castledine was his son-in-law, (John had married Maria Sapwell in 1876) and that furthermore, George was a part tenant of the farm at Thornborough.
The 1881 census places George and his wife on the "Newport Road" where he is described as a farmer. The only other person in the household is a lodger, 54-year-old George Kemp, whose occupation is described as a groom. The year 1881 also provides us with the first 25 inch to the mile map of the parish from the Ordnance Survey, but though it offers an outline of the Marsh Farm farmstead, it is not labelled as such, though other farms in the parish are. Click here to view the farmstead on the 1881 O.S map.
Why the farm’s name should be omitted in this case cannot be readily explained, though it is notable that after the aforementioned Musson & Craven’s trade directory of 1853, the directories issued by Kellys in 1854, 1864 and 1869 make no reference to the Sapwells, even though we can be entirely certain of their presence in the parish. However, a directory issued by Harrod and Co in 1876 lists George Sapwell in an alphabetised list of “Farmers.” Perhaps during this period, the Kelly’s directory was more circumspect as regards who it deemed worthy of inclusion, and even when in 1877 it did deign to include George, it was as a gardener, a description that was repeated again in 1883.
It might also be that some confusion was arising as to George’s occupation, due to his part tenancy of the farm at Thornborough. It is also not entirely clear how trade directories were compiled; Kelly’s directories appeared to rely in part on local “clergymen, magistrates’ clerks, registrars, and other gentlemen”, so it might be that George was never actually asked personally to provide his occupation.
George and Amelia had had a further five children after their arrival at Great Linford, bringing the total to 11, the last born in 1859. We can find some interesting and rather contradictory stories concerning George in local newspapers. As was a quite common appointment for farmers, George was sworn onto a Grand Jury at the Bucks Michaelmas Quarter Sessions in October 1874, joining two of his fellow Great Linford farmers in the deliberations. That he was then convicted of drunkenness in 1877 perhaps calls into question the wisdom of placing him such a position of responsibility, especially as the account given of the offence paints a far from flattering portrait of his judgement and character. It should be noted however that appointment to a jury had little to do with a person's perceived competencies and much more to do with their income. The Bucks Herald of January 13th carried the following report on the case.
Drunk and Disorderly. George Sapwell, of Great Linford, was taken into custody by Inspector Webb, who stated—About three o'clock yesterday (Thursday) afternoon, I came by train to Wolverton. I came into the Stratford-road and turned up by Lepper's corner, into Church-street. As I was going up the street I saw the defendant riding in cart, drawn by a pony, coming along the road. When he got opposite me I saw him swaying about and he pulled the pony almost on to the pavement. When he got near the corner he pulled the pony round again on to the pavement, which is eight or nine inches high. The force with which the cart came into contact with the pavement stopped the pony, but by giving a strong pull it got the cart up on to the footway. The cart was afterwards standing on the pavement or footway against the North Western hotel. I went into the hotel, where the defendant was, and asked him if it was his cart. He said "Yes." I told him the cart must be taken away. He said, "Yes, I will take it." I told him I could not allow him to do so. I then took hold of it and after pulling some time got it away from him. A person named Wrighton, of Newport, offered to take charge of the pony, which defendant agreed to. He was very abusive, I might say violent, and used the most disgusting language I ever heard. After a great deal of trouble I got him to the police station. —P.C. Massey corroborated the above evidence, and said he assisted Inspector Webb to bring the prisoner to the station —he was very drunk and abusive. —Fined, in penalty and costs, 40s.
We have speculated previously as to what kind of farmer George was. As a market gardener, we might not necessarily expect him to have livestock of any great number, but he clearly had at least some cattle, perhaps for milk, as the Bucks Herald of October 27th, 1883, includes George in a long list of persons whose land had been afflicted by a Foot and Mouth outbreak.
Upon the death of George in 1885 (he was buried March 28th), it was his wife Amelia who took on the responsibility of running the business; though the Kelly's directory of 1887 persisted in using the term “gardener” to describe her activities. While her address is unremarked upon, it must surely still be Marsh Farm, but though she was still alive in 1891 when the next edition of the Kelly’s directory was published, it is now Amelia’s son Edwin who is listed, but described as a fully-fledged farmer at Marsh Farm.
Edwin was George and Hannah’s youngest son, born 1857 at Great Linford. He was married to Elizabeth Rebecca Ekins at St. Andrew’s Church on August 19th, 1880, and the couple are to be found in the village on the 1881 census, though the location is uncertain. Edwin is described as a labourer, but it seems logical to assume that upon the death of his father, he had moved back home to live with his widowed mother and assist with the farm. This is borne out by the 1891 census, which typically gives no address other than the Newport Road, but does show the extended family together in the same household, including two children for Edwin and Elizabeth, Edith born 1882 and Harry born 1885. In addition to his widowed mother is a cousin, George Kemp, also a widow and described as a farm servant. Edwin himself is described as a farmer. Of incidental interest, Elizabeth’s maiden name of Ekins surely implies a connection to the Hannah Eakins who had married William Sapwell.
Amelia Sapwell passed away in 1893 at the age of 83 and was buried in St. Andrew’s churchyard on May 24th, but her son would continue at Marsh Farm for many more years. In 1900, a new Ordnance Survey map was published, which clearly labels the farmstead as Marsh Farm, and the following year the 1901 census shows Edwin, his wife and two children at the residents. The entry immediately prior to Edwin’s is for a “Newport Road Cottage”, at which we find living Edwin’s older brother Charles Price Sapwell, born Newport Pagnell in 1843.
It does not seem unreasonable to surmise that the “Newport Road Cottage” had a connection to Marsh Farm and that Edwin was working alongside, or for, his brother, though it does seem passing strange that Edwin had leapfrogged his elder brother to run the farm. However, we can suppose that living side by side there was no acrimony to the relationship. Charles is described as an “Ordinary farm labourer” and is married to a Fanny Maria Rattlidge; two of their grown-up children and a grandchild are also present in the household.
Edwin appears in a succession of Kelly’s trade directories in 1903 and 1907, where he is acknowledged as a farmer rather than a market gardener, though he is still operating what we might loosely define as a smallholding, a fact confirmed by the Valuation Office Survey map drawn up for taxation purposes in 1910 (Buckinghamshire Archives DVD/2/X/5.) This places Edwin at Marsh Farm, ascribing him 24 acres of land, and marks out it’s extent. However, in typically exasperating fashion, the address has changed yet again, to Linford Road. The tax map also confirms that the farm is owned by William Uthwatt, so while we still do not know who built the farmstead, we do know that the Lords of the Manor had it in their property portfolio by this date.
Upon the death of George in 1885 (he was buried March 28th), it was his wife Amelia who took on the responsibility of running the business; though the Kelly's directory of 1887 persisted in using the term “gardener” to describe her activities. While her address is unremarked upon, it must surely still be Marsh Farm, but though she was still alive in 1891 when the next edition of the Kelly’s directory was published, it is now Amelia’s son Edwin who is listed, but described as a fully-fledged farmer at Marsh Farm.
Edwin was George and Hannah’s youngest son, born 1857 at Great Linford. He was married to Elizabeth Rebecca Ekins at St. Andrew’s Church on August 19th, 1880, and the couple are to be found in the village on the 1881 census, though the location is uncertain. Edwin is described as a labourer, but it seems logical to assume that upon the death of his father, he had moved back home to live with his widowed mother and assist with the farm. This is borne out by the 1891 census, which typically gives no address other than the Newport Road, but does show the extended family together in the same household, including two children for Edwin and Elizabeth, Edith born 1882 and Harry born 1885. In addition to his widowed mother is a cousin, George Kemp, also a widow and described as a farm servant. Edwin himself is described as a farmer. Of incidental interest, Elizabeth’s maiden name of Ekins surely implies a connection to the Hannah Eakins who had married William Sapwell.
Amelia Sapwell passed away in 1893 at the age of 83 and was buried in St. Andrew’s churchyard on May 24th, but her son would continue at Marsh Farm for many more years. In 1900, a new Ordnance Survey map was published, which clearly labels the farmstead as Marsh Farm, and the following year the 1901 census shows Edwin, his wife and two children at the residents. The entry immediately prior to Edwin’s is for a “Newport Road Cottage”, at which we find living Edwin’s older brother Charles Price Sapwell, born Newport Pagnell in 1843.
It does not seem unreasonable to surmise that the “Newport Road Cottage” had a connection to Marsh Farm and that Edwin was working alongside, or for, his brother, though it does seem passing strange that Edwin had leapfrogged his elder brother to run the farm. However, we can suppose that living side by side there was no acrimony to the relationship. Charles is described as an “Ordinary farm labourer” and is married to a Fanny Maria Rattlidge; two of their grown-up children and a grandchild are also present in the household.
Edwin appears in a succession of Kelly’s trade directories in 1903 and 1907, where he is acknowledged as a farmer rather than a market gardener, though he is still operating what we might loosely define as a smallholding, a fact confirmed by the Valuation Office Survey map drawn up for taxation purposes in 1910 (Buckinghamshire Archives DVD/2/X/5.) This places Edwin at Marsh Farm, ascribing him 24 acres of land, and marks out it’s extent. However, in typically exasperating fashion, the address has changed yet again, to Linford Road. The tax map also confirms that the farm is owned by William Uthwatt, so while we still do not know who built the farmstead, we do know that the Lords of the Manor had it in their property portfolio by this date.
Valuation Office Survey map 1910 (DVD/2/X/5) showing Marsh Farm, labelled #35. From the collection of Buckinghamshire Archives and reproduced with permission.
The last two pieces of documentary evidence placing Edwin and his family at Marsh farm are the 1911 census and the Kelly’s directory also published that same year. Both are explicit in placing the Sapwells at Marsh Farm, but in an indication of what might represent a move up in the world, when next we encounter Edwin, he has moved elsewhere in the parish, to Elms Farm, the location of which has yet to be positively identified. The 1918 electoral also give us a new occupant at Marsh Farm, Abel Austin.
Before we move on to Abel’s story, it is worth noting that the Sapwells are rather unique in the parish, having clung on to their tenancy across no less than three generations, spanning something in the region of 60 years; an impressive achievement. We can also add a little something to Edwin’s life story, as several newspaper articles make mention that he was the parish constable for Great Linford circa 1902-1905. The Wolverton Express of June 16th, 1905, relates one story pertaining to his duties, when he gave evidence against a John Brown, who was found guilty of being in charge of a horse and van while drunk.
However, though Edwin and his wife had relocated, the electoral rolls offer the strong indication that members of the Sapwell family continued to live in the vicinity of Marsh Farm, and perhaps continued to work there. The 1918 electoral rolls record that Charles Price Sapwell and his wife Fanny Maria are still living on the Newport Road, very likely in the same cottage they were occupying in 1901. But Charles and his wife are not the only persons to be found on the Newport Road; the 1918 electoral rolls also record the presence of a Herbert John French and a family headed by Arthur Francis Willett. Several other families are recorded on the Newport Road in subsequent years, but the electoral rolls offer no firm evidence as to where exactly they were living or if they had any connection to Marsh Farm.
Before we move on to Abel’s story, it is worth noting that the Sapwells are rather unique in the parish, having clung on to their tenancy across no less than three generations, spanning something in the region of 60 years; an impressive achievement. We can also add a little something to Edwin’s life story, as several newspaper articles make mention that he was the parish constable for Great Linford circa 1902-1905. The Wolverton Express of June 16th, 1905, relates one story pertaining to his duties, when he gave evidence against a John Brown, who was found guilty of being in charge of a horse and van while drunk.
However, though Edwin and his wife had relocated, the electoral rolls offer the strong indication that members of the Sapwell family continued to live in the vicinity of Marsh Farm, and perhaps continued to work there. The 1918 electoral rolls record that Charles Price Sapwell and his wife Fanny Maria are still living on the Newport Road, very likely in the same cottage they were occupying in 1901. But Charles and his wife are not the only persons to be found on the Newport Road; the 1918 electoral rolls also record the presence of a Herbert John French and a family headed by Arthur Francis Willett. Several other families are recorded on the Newport Road in subsequent years, but the electoral rolls offer no firm evidence as to where exactly they were living or if they had any connection to Marsh Farm.
Abel Austin
Abel Austin was born in North Crawley, Buckinghamshire, circa 1860, to an Abel and Elizabeth Austin. His father was an agricultural labourer, but we find Abel Jnr at Great Linford on the 1891 census, where is working as a “groom and gardener.” He had married Zillah Feazey at the Congregational Chapel on the High Street, on September 4th, 1888, so both were non-conformists.
By the time of the 1891 census, the couple were living in Rivett’s Yard, which was reached from the drive between the Salt Box and number 27 on the High Street. It is likely that the dwellings in Rivett’s Yard would have been extremely rustic and have long since been demolished. The first of their two children, Elizabeth Grace Feazey Austin had been born in 1889, with a son, Levi Joseph Feazey Austin to follow in 1896. In 1904, a death notice in Croydon's Weekly Standard of December 24th, records the passing of Abel’s father at Great Linford, aged 81. Perhaps he had been in ill health and had moved in to spend his final days with his son.
The family’s circumstances remain unchanged in 1901, but in 1911, they had moved to Sherrington, where Abel is now employed as a dairyman and cowkeeper. Perhaps with some farming knowledge in hand, he saw an opportunity to improve his and his family’s circumstances, and indeed, a move to Marsh Farm, especially having lived at Rivett’s Yard, must have felt like a significant advancement for the family. The 1921 census, which seldom provides addresses, does not record them at Marsh Farm, but they were undoubtedly there, as the electoral roll for the same year confirms. The census does record that Abel is a farmer, on his own account, so working for himself. As an interesting aside, in 1914 their daughter Elizabeth married William John Short Jnr, of Church Farm on the High Street, uniting two local farming families.
The last we see of Abel and Zillah at Marsh Farm is in 1925, on the electoral roll, but where they went thereafter is uncertain, though when their son Levi married at Birmingham in 1926, he described his father on the marriage record as retired. Both Abel and Zillah died in Buckinghamshire, Abel in 1939, and Zillah a decade later in 1949.
By the time of the 1891 census, the couple were living in Rivett’s Yard, which was reached from the drive between the Salt Box and number 27 on the High Street. It is likely that the dwellings in Rivett’s Yard would have been extremely rustic and have long since been demolished. The first of their two children, Elizabeth Grace Feazey Austin had been born in 1889, with a son, Levi Joseph Feazey Austin to follow in 1896. In 1904, a death notice in Croydon's Weekly Standard of December 24th, records the passing of Abel’s father at Great Linford, aged 81. Perhaps he had been in ill health and had moved in to spend his final days with his son.
The family’s circumstances remain unchanged in 1901, but in 1911, they had moved to Sherrington, where Abel is now employed as a dairyman and cowkeeper. Perhaps with some farming knowledge in hand, he saw an opportunity to improve his and his family’s circumstances, and indeed, a move to Marsh Farm, especially having lived at Rivett’s Yard, must have felt like a significant advancement for the family. The 1921 census, which seldom provides addresses, does not record them at Marsh Farm, but they were undoubtedly there, as the electoral roll for the same year confirms. The census does record that Abel is a farmer, on his own account, so working for himself. As an interesting aside, in 1914 their daughter Elizabeth married William John Short Jnr, of Church Farm on the High Street, uniting two local farming families.
The last we see of Abel and Zillah at Marsh Farm is in 1925, on the electoral roll, but where they went thereafter is uncertain, though when their son Levi married at Birmingham in 1926, he described his father on the marriage record as retired. Both Abel and Zillah died in Buckinghamshire, Abel in 1939, and Zillah a decade later in 1949.
Cyril Frederick Mills
We pick up the next occupant of Marsh Farm from the 1927 electoral rolls, a Cyril Frederick Mills. The rolls initially offer only that he is the sole registered elector of that surname on the Newport Road, but in 1929 he is joined by his sister Ivy Gladys. Later electoral rolls continue to show Marsh Farm as Cyril's residence, as does the Kelly’s trade directory of 1939.
1939 was also the year a register was compiled of the entire population of the country, a mini census of sorts that amongst other uses, allowed the government to issue ration cards. The register places Cyril at “Marsh Farm House”, alongside his wife Christina, nee Griffith, and seven year old son David. Two other records are redacted for privacy reasons, one of which is likely to be David’s twin sister Diane, the other is as yet unidentified. As the 1939 register gives us dates of birth, thus allows us to fill in some further blanks on the Mills, that Cyril was born June 1st, 1897, at Newport Pagnell, and his wife Christina on December 25th, 1905, at Chester.
You will recall that the electoral records between 1918 and 1931 revealed several persons and families occupying unidentified dwellings on the Newport Road, and that in 1901 we found Charles Price Sapwell residing at a “Newport Road Cottage.” The presumption was that at least one of these dwellings was in some way associated with Marsh Farm, and the 1939 register provides some confirmation of this theory. On the same page that records Cyril and his wife at “Marsh Farm House”, we also find a “Marsh Farm Cottage”, occupied by a Cyril Brock, a farmworker, plus his wife and son.
Equally interesting, a very familiar surname makes an reappearance. George W. Sapwell, his wife Amy and son Lawrence are recorded on the same page, living on the Newport Road, which suggests a second dwelling. George, born 1867, was the son of Charles Price Sapwell, so counting Lawrence, we can now tentatively connect four generations of Sapwells with Marsh Farm, extending the family’s association to something in the region of 100 years, though it must have been chagrining for later generations of the Sapwells to know that their forebears had once occupied the farmhouse.
1939 was also the year a register was compiled of the entire population of the country, a mini census of sorts that amongst other uses, allowed the government to issue ration cards. The register places Cyril at “Marsh Farm House”, alongside his wife Christina, nee Griffith, and seven year old son David. Two other records are redacted for privacy reasons, one of which is likely to be David’s twin sister Diane, the other is as yet unidentified. As the 1939 register gives us dates of birth, thus allows us to fill in some further blanks on the Mills, that Cyril was born June 1st, 1897, at Newport Pagnell, and his wife Christina on December 25th, 1905, at Chester.
You will recall that the electoral records between 1918 and 1931 revealed several persons and families occupying unidentified dwellings on the Newport Road, and that in 1901 we found Charles Price Sapwell residing at a “Newport Road Cottage.” The presumption was that at least one of these dwellings was in some way associated with Marsh Farm, and the 1939 register provides some confirmation of this theory. On the same page that records Cyril and his wife at “Marsh Farm House”, we also find a “Marsh Farm Cottage”, occupied by a Cyril Brock, a farmworker, plus his wife and son.
Equally interesting, a very familiar surname makes an reappearance. George W. Sapwell, his wife Amy and son Lawrence are recorded on the same page, living on the Newport Road, which suggests a second dwelling. George, born 1867, was the son of Charles Price Sapwell, so counting Lawrence, we can now tentatively connect four generations of Sapwells with Marsh Farm, extending the family’s association to something in the region of 100 years, though it must have been chagrining for later generations of the Sapwells to know that their forebears had once occupied the farmhouse.
The end of the farm
If there was a fifth generation of Sapwells, we do not yet know, but our last reference to the Mills at Marsh Farm comes from an engagement notice in the Wolverton Express dated December 10th, 1954, announcing the betrothal of Diane Mills and Anthony John Beckett. The marriage took place in 1955, but this is not quite the end of the story for Marsh Farm. Several bundles of documents held at the Buckinghamshire Archives take us to the very last days of the farm in the early 1970s, when the Milton Keynes Development Corporation were planning the compulsory purchase of land to accommodate the V10 road.
The farm was then in the ownership of a Mr John Delahooke and his wife Maureen (Buckinghamshire Archives D-MKDC/11/1/1/72) though the property and land was owned by a firm named Borough Farms Limited, in which the Delahookes had a vested interest. Negotiations were long and protracted, complicated by the somewhat complex ownership, uncertainty as to the proposed route of the V10, and a proposal that the house and part of the land be utilised as a riding school. It is as yet unclear if the riding school was ever established. Certainly some of the original surrounding fields to the rear of the property survive to this very day, but the purchase was completed on February 23rd, 1973, so drawing to a close for now the story of Marsh Farm.
The farm was then in the ownership of a Mr John Delahooke and his wife Maureen (Buckinghamshire Archives D-MKDC/11/1/1/72) though the property and land was owned by a firm named Borough Farms Limited, in which the Delahookes had a vested interest. Negotiations were long and protracted, complicated by the somewhat complex ownership, uncertainty as to the proposed route of the V10, and a proposal that the house and part of the land be utilised as a riding school. It is as yet unclear if the riding school was ever established. Certainly some of the original surrounding fields to the rear of the property survive to this very day, but the purchase was completed on February 23rd, 1973, so drawing to a close for now the story of Marsh Farm.
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