Smalldean Farm
From Lacey Green History
click Farms for a list of other local farms
click Farming pre 1823 for this era
Research by Joan West
Smalldean can not truly be classed as a hamlet. It originally consisted of a farmhouse and buildings on the southside of Smalldean Lane in the parish of Bradenham
A new farmhouse was built the north side of Smalldean Lane, which was not in Bradenham parish. The original farmhouse became a farm worker's cottage.
1861 Census. Smalldean Farmhouse.
Thomas Randell 62 farmer of 260 acres born Iver, Elizabeth wife 65 born Mddx.
grandson John Oliff 4 at school born Little Missenden
live-in family. All field workers William Jefkiss 45 born Lewknor, Ann Jefkiss 48 born Christmas Common, Richard Jefkiss 11 born Lewknor, George Jefkiss 7 born Lewknor
1861 Census Smalldean Cottage
John Stallwood 76 agricultural labourer born Smalldean, Ann wife 75 lacemaker.
-
-
Hallmark October 1883 research by Miles Marshall. If you take the footpath (No.6) from Loosley Row, over the style opposite the top of Foundry Lane, cross the fields and through the wood, you soon are rewarded with a lovely prospect of rolling arable farmland a in every direction and an unexpected view of Lacey Green on your left, the western face of the ridge which is not visible from any roadway.
Ahead the fields fall gently away to Small Dean and then rise more steeply to the hanging beechwoods of Bradenham, whilst away to the right is Bledlow Ridge.
The footpath, following the edge of the field in a gentle curve, reveals an ever changing perspective of the attractive cluster of buildings, shown in the drawing, as you approach the farm.
Small Dean Farm is part of the Bradenham Manor Estate now owned by the National Trust who let the farmland with the Manor Farm. The farmhouse itself, which is the handsome Victorian brick and flint building in the centre of the drawing, was built in the late middle of the 19th Century by the then Squire of Bradenham, a Mr. Graves who took his wife's family name of Tempest by deed poll. They were a family of Yorkshire landowners.
It is notable that this farmhouse stands on the opposite side of the lane to all the other farm buildings and at the time it was built stood in Risborough Parish. It is said that when Squire Tempest realised that he was erecting his new farmhouse outside his own parish of Bradenham, he would have had it all pulled down but the work had gone too far.
The much older building behind and on the extreme left of the picture looks very much like a farmhouse, which it originally was, though for many years it was divided into two farm cottages and like the new farmhouse it is now let by the Trust as one private residence. The original farm cottages which were beyond the barns, like the old granary, have long been demolished.
The National Trust, which retains part of the farm buildings as a workshop, has recently stripped and re-roofed some of the barns with splendid real clay tiles, rather a rarety for such a purpose today. They stand out rather brightly in the landscape at present but will eventually mellow beautifully in keeping with their surroundings. It is to be hoped that the Trust will eventually get rid of the corrugated iron on the remaining roofs.
The first tenant of Squire Tempest's new farmhouse was a gentleman farmer named Poulton who did not find the soil to his liking and soon went elsewhere. The second tenant was William Saunders (1851 to 1933) who now lies in St. John's Churchyard, Lacey Green. click William Saunders & Bethia Janes for the life story of this couple.
He was the father of a large family, he and his wife raising seven out of eight children born to them and he is the ancestor of a number of families still living in the district. His son Harry was the last of the family to live at Small Dean and farm it. After this there were two brief tenancies followed by Mr. Pitcher who remained for some years until the Trust took it over.
For much of what follows I am indebted to one of William Saunders’ daughters, Mrs. Ernest (Daisy) Smith, who was born at Small Dean Farm soon after her father moved there. (click Ernest & Daisy Smith for more about Daisy)
William Saunders was the son of another William, of Speen Farm, now the Home of Rest for Horses, whilst he was still working there for his father, young William demonstrated his initiative by driving a team of horses to London with a wagonload of hay which he quickly sold to the occupant of one of’ the large private houses which then stood in Piccadilly. It was good quality hay at a fair price so that he soon developed a lucrative trade with the London Gentry.
When he was first married he took over the Rose and Crown public house at Saunderton for a short time before moving to Small Dean.to farm on his own account. Meanwhile he continued to develop his London hay trade and would make a regular monthly trip by train to collect his accounts which were mostly settled in golden sovereigns in those days. This was before Saunderton station was built so that he had a lonely walk back to the Rose and Crown from Risborough station and on one such evening walk he was set upon by two footpads and robbed.