1911-1934 William Saunders - farmer

click Farms for other local farms

Research by Joan West

click Stocken Farm for other records of the Farm ......continued from 1827-1910 Stocken Farm with Charles Brown and John Forrest.

Note 1899. William Saunders already owned 2 fields in Lacey Green which had bought in 1899. He added these to Stocken Farm which he bought in 1911. For details of these 'Hillocks' and a pasture field click Modern Transcript of 2 fields.

September 1911.   Conveyance.   William Saunders purchased Stocken Farm, including the semi detached 'Graham Cottages‘ built by John Forrest for £3,400, from the executors of John Forrest. click William Saunders & Bethia Janes for more about the life of William.

Research Note. In 1878 John Forrest had paid £8,250 for Stocken Farm, added 2 houses, and sold losing £4850, 33 yrs later.

William Saunders

William Saunders already owned two fields in Lacey Green, which he had bought from Josephine Irving mortgagee of land, part of Princes Risborough Common.   They were at the bottom of Goodacres Lane one of them on the north side and one straight ahead to a field called 'Hillocks'. click Modern Transcript of 2 fields for maps and details.   From 1911 they became part of Stocken Farm.

WWI

During WWI the Royal Engineers were billeted in the village.   The horses were stabled at Stocken Farm and exercises done in ‘Home Field’.   They also took the smaller schoolroom.   Mabel Janes said the farm dining room was an army hospital and the old grain store their blacksmith’s shop.

Douglas Brett, schoolboy from 1923-1931 wrote the following in his autobiography - " Mice For the Classroom. Harvest time was a source of great excitement for the boys when the corn was cut and brought to the farm for thrashing.   Stocken Farm, above the school, was a favourite haunt and we would stand round in a circle with sticks and as the sheaves of corn were pitch-forked onto the thrashing machine out would tumble numerous rats and mice.  These we attacked with great gusto.   Sometimes we went in the dinner hour and put a few live mice in our pockets – these we took back to school to release in the classroom in mid–afternoon, to the consternation of teacher and the girls who stood squealing on their seats."

Click 1931 Douglas Brett in Lacey Green for more tales from Douglas.

William Saunders died in 1934.

1934 FETE (1934 Gala Fete Day) with permission of the executors of William Saunders

1934 Stocken Farm was put up for sale by the executors of William Saunders

1934 Details of Stocken Farm taken from the Sale Catalogue, as follows: --

A Decidedly Attractive, and for its situation, Particularly Well Watered and Choice Pastured FREEHOLD HILL HOLDING with Farmhouse and ample Buildings. known as Stocken Farm, Lacey Green, Bucks, In the centre of the village, and extending to an area of about 165a ; 2r : 37p. as set out in the following schedule: --

Ord.no 1921 Ed.....Description . . . Acres

293 Farmhouse, Buildings, Yards . 1.578.

290 Pasture . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ..2.957

291 Pasture . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. .973

294 Pasture . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8.549.

295 Pasture . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15.104

332 Arable . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . .11.437

331 Arable and Pasture . . . . . . . . 23.433

363 Arable . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10.803

330 Arable and Pasture . . . . . . . .23.954

Pt.125 Pasture . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . .33.671

126 Pasture . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .16.716

Pt. 127 Pasture . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .16.559

TOTAL . . . . .. . . . . . . . . .. . . . . .. 165. 734

The Brick built, Stucco and Tiled Farmhouse contains: --

Entrance Lobby, Dining and Drawing Rooms, both 14 feet square. Kitchen with Gradient range, sink, rain-water pump and dresser, back Hall, Dairy with slate and marble slabs and tiled floor, lobby and passage. Underground cellar.

Outside: -- Woodhouse and Washhouse with pump, sink, two coppers, baking oven and range.

On the first floor: -- Landing, two bedrooms, 14 feet square, Two Single Bedrooms and hanging cupboard.

On the second floor: -- Landing and Two Bedrooms

The Farm Building Comprise

Range of Brick, Flint and Slated Buildings consisting of Nag Stable, Coach-House, Cart Horse Stable with stone and drained floor, Cart Shed, Cattle Shed with stone and drained floors; Brick, Flint and Galvanised 4-bay Wagon Shed; detached range of 4 Brick built and Slated Pig-styes; Range of Two brick foundation, boarded and tiled and slated Barns and two sheds with stone floors and mangers, and Fodder House; Cattle Yard with three open sheds and mangers and large iron water trough; Calving Box; Granary on staddles; Boarded and Slated Fowl-house.

In the Rickyard: A 4-Bay Dutch Barn, 20 yds x 8 yds., boarded and galvanised Implement Shed. Shed with Manger with access to Ord No.127.

Notes. Certain fields on the farm possess long frontages to the hard road, which, in this lovely and unspoilt countryside, remote from the hustle of present-day conditions, and yet within easy distance of High Wycombe by bus service, must have a PROSPECTIVE BUILDING VALUE.

The growing timber will be included in the sale

Electricity is available. Water from Underground Storage Tanks

Main water is now being brought to Lacey Green and will shortly be available.

No charge will be made for Unexhausted Manurial Values, but the purchaser will be required to pay for Beneficial Cultivations (if any) on the Arable Land in addition to the purchase money

Land Tax £5 2s 5d.

1934 STOCKEN FARM SOLD BY AUCTION.

1934.   Conveyance. Ernest Smith, son in law of William Saunders, purchased Stocken Farm for £3,225.   It still included the large field ‘Hillocks, but the smaller field to the north of Goodacres Lane was sold off separately.  (Purchased by George Hawes of Woodbyne Farm), William Saunders had built a house there, also sold separately, called Hillcrest. For more on Ernest Smith go to 1919 Wedding of Daisy Saunders & Ernest Smith

Research Notes. In 1911 William Saunders had paid £3,400 for Stocken Farm.  He had added the large Field called Hillocks It sold in 1934 for £3225, losing £175, 23 years later.

Using Stocken Farm as an example, the following figures show what a difficult times these were for farming.

1878  sold for £8,250.   1934 sold for £3225.   Losing £5,025, even though 2 houses and a large field had been added.

click 1934-1948 Stocken Farm with landlord Ernest Smith and tenants Dick & Hilda West to continue the history of Stocken Farm.