Difference between revisions of "Stocken Farm"

Latest revision as of 13:51, 11 November 2025

click Richard West reports Stocken Farm News from May 1919

click The Maize Maze 2003-2011 for this

click The Lords of the Manor of Princes Risborough for details.

click Manor Documents for list

click Farms for a list of other local farms

click Stocken Wood for history of this wood

click Farming pre 1823 for this era

click 1899 Modern transcript of 2 fields for the purchase of 'Hillocks' and a pasture field by William Saunders.

Research by Joan West taken from the deeds.

The History

click 1066-1827 Stocken Farm under the Lords of the Manor and Lord Cavendish.

click 1621 Lease of Stocken Farm giving details of lease from the Lord of the Manor to Henry Lacey.

click 1631 Lease of Stocken Farm a

click 1632 Stocken Farm and 1632 Stocken Farm Summary

click 1649 Stocken Farm and

click 8 December 1658 Stocken Farm

click 1658 Summary of 8 December 1658 Stocken Farm

click 1683 Stocken Farm Lease giving details of lease from the Lord of the Manor to William Lacey

click 1735 Stocken Farm. Lease from Henry Penton (Lord of the Manor) to Samuel Wade of Culverton.

click 1735 Stocken Farm Summary of lease to Samuel Wade

click 1827-1910 Stocken Farm with Charles Brown and John Forrest. Charles Brown lived at & farmed Stocken, John Forrest lived at Grymsdyke.

click 1911-1934 William Saunders - farmer giving details of farming and family

click 1934-1948 Stocken Farm with landlord Ernest Smith and tenants Dick& Hilda West

click Stocken Farm with Dick & Hilda West for the history of the farm from 1948 to 1960

click Stocken Farm with R M West & Son from 1960 to

The articles called 'Stocken Farm Diary' were all printed in Hallmark - as follows :-

Stocken Farm Diary Part 1 from July 1976 to May1986

Stocken Farm Diary Part 2 from Sept 1986 to Oct 1996

Stocken Farm Diary Part 3 from Jan 1997 to June 2007

Stocken Farm Diary Part 4 from July 2007 to Oct 2017

Individual records not recorded above are as follows -

click 1911 Coronation Celebrations for programme of celebrations for King George V, 22nd June 1911 in Stocken Farm meadow

click 1914 Royal Engineers at Stocken Farm for more details of WW1 training taking place

click 1915 Philip & Alice Pitcher for wedding photos taken at Stocken Farm

click 1916 Horses taken by the Army by Mabel Janes. Horses taken from a loaded wagon on its way to London

click 1917 Plane Lands in Stocken Farm Front Meadow. The military seized the infant classroom from which to guard the aeroplane

click 1919 Wedding of Daisy Saunders & Ernest Smith.

click 1931 Douglas Brett in Lacey Green in which Douglas mentions catching mice to let loose at school

click 1931 Fete at Stocken Farm for a report of the occasion

click 1944 Stocken Farm Airfield by Doug Tilbury with photos

click 1944 Lacey Green Airfield by Doug Tilbury for more details of this airfield on Stocken Farm

click The Cricket Club for 1946 Air Ministry Letter to The Cricket Club renting land of Stocken Farm following WW2.

click Stocken Farmhouse. John and Joan west, with three young children moved in in 1970. They modernised & part restored the old house.

Stocken Farm circa 1911

@@ Line 1: / Line 1: @@
-[[File:Stocken Farm circa 1900.jpg|thumb|Stocken Farm circa 1911]]
+click '''Richard West reports''' [[Stocken Farm News]] from May 1919
-[[File:Stocken_Farm.jpg|alt=|frameless|300x300px]]
-'''STOCKEN  FARM       ''' researched and written by Joan West
+click [[The Maize Maze]] 2003-2011 for this
+click [[The Lords of the Manor of Princes Risborough]] for details.
-'''By 1831 Stocken Farm no longer belonged to the Manor of Princes Risborough.   See under 'Properties'  Stocken Farm  Part of he Manor of Princes Risborough.   Lord George Henry Cavendish had purchased it in 1813 and continued to let it until 1831.'''
+click [[Manor Documents]] for list
-'''1831 STOCKEN FARM SOLD'''
+click [[Farms]] for a list of other local farms
-In 1831 Stocken Farm, 121 acres,was purchased by [[Charles Brown]] from [[Lord George Henry Cavendish]].
+click [[Stocken Wood]] for history of this wood
-'''1851 census.'''   Charles Brown, 55, farmer, 347 acres, including some rented land.   18 labourers.
+click [[Farming pre 1823]] for this era
-'''1861 census.'''   Charles Brown, 65, farmer, 210 acres.   6 men 4 boys
+click 1899 [[Modern transcript of 2 fields]] for the purchase of 'Hillocks' and a pasture field by William Saunders.
-'''1877 STOCKEN FARM TO BE LET'''
+Research by Joan West taken from the deeds.
-In 1877, Charles Brown, aged 81, decided to retire.   He advertised the farm to let with a sale of the live and deadstock to be held on October 15<sup>th</sup> 1877.
+'''The History'''
-'''SALE ADVERTISEMENT  ''' from the Bucks Herald
+click [[1066-1827 Stocken Farm under the Lords of the Manor and Lord Cavendish]].
-  AUCTION to be held October 15<sup>th</sup> 1877 at Stocken Farm, Lacey
+click [[1621 Lease of Stocken Farm]] giving details of lease from the Lord of the Manor to Henry Lacey.
-Green, by direction of C. Brown Esq
+click [[1631 Lease of Stocken Farm]] a
-'''The whole of LIVE and DEAD FARMING STOCK'''
+click [[1632 Stocken Farm]] and [[1632 Stocken Farm Summary]]
-Horses, 4 Cows, a 2 year old Bull, 60 sheep, 2 pigs, 3 Wagons, 3 carts, 3 Iron Ploughs, Iron Harrows, Scarifiers, Rolls, Horse Hoes, Corn Drills, Turnip Drill, 4–horse Power Gear Work, Threshing Machine by Ransome & Sims, Chaff and Winnowing Machines, Weighing Machines, Turnip Cutters, Sheep Cribs and Troughs, Cow Cribs, Ladders, Cart and Plough Harnesses, Tools of husbandry, Barn Tackle and effects.
+click [[1649 Stocken Farm]] and
-'''''NOTE''''' ''  Ed.  It is possible to deduce the type of farming being done at this time from the contents of this sale''
+click [[8 December 1658 Stocken Farm]]
-'''1878 STOCKEN FARM STILL TO LET.  '''From the Bucks Herald
+click [[1658 Summary of 8 December 1658 Stocken Farm]]
-September 21<sup>st</sup> 1878 Advertisement
+click [[1683 Stocken Farm Lease]]  giving details of lease from the Lord of the Manor to William Lacey
-STOCKINGS (STOCKEN) FARM, LACEY GREEN.  TO BE LET and may be entered on immediately.  It comprises about 170 acres of good stock land.
+click [[1735 Stocken Farm]].  Lease from Henry Penton (Lord of the Manor) to Samuel Wade of Culverton.
-'''1878 STOCKEN FARM SOLD'''
+click [[1735 Stocken Farm Summary of lease to Samuel Wade]]
-The farm not having been let, Charles Brown agreed to sell for £8,250, to [[John Forrest]], who fifteen years earlier had purchased the [[Grymsdyke Estate]].  The house then called Grymsdyke Lodge.
+click [[1827-1910 Stocken Farm with Charles Brown and John Forrest]]. Charles Brown lived at & farmed Stocken, John Forrest lived at [[Grymsdyke]].
-'''DEVELOPMENTS'''
+click [[1911-1934 William Saunders - farmer]] giving details of farming and family
-.      Stocken Farm had the six underground water tanks, collecting rainwater from the roofs.  John Forrest had them connected to tanks at Grymsdyke to take any overflow.
+click [[1934-1948 Stocken Farm with landlord Ernest Smith and tenants Dick & Hilda West|1934-1948 Stocken Farm with landlord Ernest Smith and tenants Dick& Hilda West]]
-.      In 1885 John Forrest built a pair of semi-detached houses in the front meadow of Stocken Farm.   They were back to back, sideways on to the [[Main Road]].   They were called [[Graham Cottages]].
+click [[Stocken Farm with Dick & Hilda West]] for the history of the farm from 1948 to 1960
-'''FARM BAILIFFS'''
+click [[Stocken Farm with R M West & Son]] from 1960 to
-John Forrest had three farms, but his farm bailiffs lived at Stocken Farm
+'''The articles called 'Stocken Farm Diary' were all printed in Hallmark - as follows :-'''
-  Farm bailiff John Crook, farm bailiff
+[[Stocken Farm Diary Part 1]] from July 1976 to May1986
- Farm bailiff William Redding, farm bailiff
+[[Stocken Farm Diary Part 2]] from Sept 1986 to Oct 1996
-  Farm bailiff James Fletcher, farm bailiff to executors of John Forrest.
+[[Stocken Farm Diary Part 3]] from Jan 1997 to June 2007
-'''.PROGRAMME  OF  FESTIVITIES  HELD  IN HOME  FIELD AT STOCKEN  FARM  LACEY  GREEN'''
+[[Stocken Farm Diary Part 4]] from July 2007 to Oct 2017
-To  commemorate  THE  CORONATION  OF  KING GEORGE V -  22<sup>ND</sup> JUNE 1911
+Individual records not recorded above are as follows -
-For details of the celebration go to Social Snapshots1910s .  [[1911 Coronation Festivities]]
+click [[1911 Coronation Celebrations]] for programme of celebrations for King George V, 22nd June 1911 in Stocken Farm meadow
-'''1911 STOCKEN FARM SOLD'''[[File:Stocken Farm circa 1900.jpg|thumb|Stocken Farm circa 1911]]
+click [[1914 Royal Engineers at Stocken Farm]] for more details of WW1 training taking place
-September 1911.   Conveyance.   [[William Saunders]] purchased Stocken Farm, now including ‘Graham’ Cottages, for £3,400, from the executors of John Forrest.
+click 1915 [[Philip & Alice Pitcher]] for wedding photos taken at Stocken Farm
-'''''P.S.   ('''Ed. In 1878 John Forrest had paid £8,250 for Stocken Farm, added 2 houses, and sold losing £4850, 33 yrs later)''
+click [[1916 Horses taken by the Army]] by Mabel Janes.   Horses taken from a loaded wagon on its way to London
-'''LAND ADDED'''
+click 1917 Plane Lands in [[Stocken Farm]] Front Meadow.  The military seized the infant classroom from which to guard the aeroplane
-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]] on the west and straight ahead to a field called ‘Hillocks’.   From 1911 they became part of Stocken Farm.
+click [[1919 Wedding of Daisy Saunders & Ernest Smith]].
-'''WWI'''
+click [[1931 Douglas Brett in Lacey Green]] in which Douglas mentions catching mice to let loose at school
-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.
+click [[1931 Fete at Stocken Farm]] for a report of the occasion
-'''1934 STOCKEN FARM SOLD BY AUCTION.'''
+click [[1944 Stocken Farm Airfield]] by Doug Tilbury with photos
-.   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 west of Goodacres Lane was sold off separately.   William Saunders had built a house there called [[Hillcrest]]
+click 1944 [[Lacey Green Airfield]] by Doug Tilbury for more details of this airfield on Stocken Farm
-'''''P.S'''.  (Ed. In 1911 William Saunders had paid £3,400 for Stocken Farm.  He had added the large field ‘Hillocks’.''  '' It'' ''sold, losing £175, 23 years later.''
+click [[The Cricket Club]] for 1946 Air Ministry Letter to The Cricket Club renting land of Stocken Farm following WW2.
-'''''NOTE''''' ''  (Ed.   Using Stocken Farm as an example, the following figures show what a difficult times these were for farming.''
+click [[Stocken Farmhouse]]. John and Joan west, with three young children moved in in 1970.  They modernised & part restored the old house.
-''1878  sold for £8,250.   1934 sold for £3225.   Losing £5,025, even though 2 houses and a large field were added.''
+[[File:Stocken_Farm.jpg|alt=|thumb]]
+[[File:Stocken Farm circa 1900.jpg|thumb|Stocken Farm circa 1911|alt=]]
-'''STOCKEN FARM IS LET'''
-Ernest Smith had his own business to run, so he let Stocken Farm to Richard, known as [[Dick West]] and his wife  Hilda..   A guarantor was necessary to secure the rent as so many were defaulting in these depressed times.
-'''LANDLORD’S IMPROVEMENTS'''
-Over the past years the farm had had little or nothing spent on it, and had become somewhat run down.   The landlord now made useful improvements.
-.      The farmhouse and some fields were connected to mains water, just newly brought to the village.   This enabled milking cows to be kept.
-.      A building was converted into a cowshed
-.      In the house a bedroom was converted into a bathroom.
-.     Three years later in 1937, two cottages were built for farm staff in [[Kiln Lane]].   They were called 2 & 1 [[Coronation Cottages]].   This was later changed to 1 & 2 [[Stocken Cottages]].
-'''WW2 AIRFIELD, STOCKEN FARM   reported by [[Doug Tilbury]]'''
-On Saturday June 6<sup>th</sup> 1944 at 6 pm, bulldozers arrived to make an airfield for Air Chief Marshall ‘[[Bomber’ Harris]], of [[Bomber Command]], [[Walters Ash]].   45 acres of the flat grazing land of the farm were to be taken. The first plane took off three mornings later.   Two clumps of horse-chestnut trees and a clump of lime trees had been felled and [[Nanny Coopers pond]] was filled in.   A blister hanger was erected to house the planes.
-The next year they took a further 21acres, which this time, included the [[Sports field]], which was being leased from Dick West.   The farm had to reduce their breeding ewes and rent more land at Waldridge Farm.
-'''1948 LANDLORD OFFERS TO SELL'''
-In 1948 The Landlord offered Stocken Farm, now 190 acres, including ‘Hillocks’ to Dick and Hilda West.   They were encouraged to buy, by [[Harry Floyd]], who was the grandson of William Saunders and been brought up in the house.   He had his own [[Floyds Farm]] but had been lodging with Dick and Hilda.   He lent them money, telling them it was an opportunity they must not miss.
-'''DICK & HILDA WEST'''
-Dick and Hilda West bought Stocken Farm in 1948.   WW2 had brought improved farming conditions and gradually they paid off their loan from Harry Floyd.   They were the owners of Stocken Farm
-In 1958, on leaving Harper Adams Agricultural College, Dick and Hilda's son John came home to join them
-'''1958 EXTRA LAND LEASED'''
-'''R.M.WEST and SON'''
-In 1960 a new partnership was formed, called ‘[[R. M. West and Son]]’.
-The name remained the same when John’s wife Joan joined the partnership.
-The name remained the same when John and Joan’s son, Richard joined the partnership in 1991.
-The name remained the same when Richard’s wife Maxine joined the partnership.
-'''DICK WEST DOES NOT RETIRE'''
-In 1970 a new bungalow was built in Kiln Lane for Dick and Hilda.   John and Joan, who had been living in no 2 Coronation Cottages in Kiln Lane, needed a bigger house for their growing family.   It would also be much better for Hilda, who had a weak heart.   Dick, Hilda, Harry and Hilda’s father moved into the bungalow. John, Joan and their children Patricia, Caroline and Richard moved into Stocken Farmhouse.   Dick had not retired and still came every day to the farm.
-'''JOHN WEST DOES NOT RETIRE'''
-In 2005 it became obvious that Richard and Maxine, with two children, needed more bedrooms than the ’Cowshed’ could provide.   Application was made and passed for a new house to be built on the [[Main Road]] for John and Joan.   They moved out of the farmhouse in February 2006, and Richard and Maxine moved into the farmhouse.   Maxine’s parents, Liz and Ed Phillips, moved into the ‘Cowshed’.   John did not retire and still came every day to the farm.
-'''DEATH OF JOHN WEST'''
-John West died in July 2010.   The partnership, R. M. West and Son, continues with Richard, Maxine and Joan.{{Property
-|Type of Property=House, Farm, Land, Wood
-|Use of Property=Business
-|Village=Lacey Green
-}}

Difference between revisions of "Stocken Farm"

From Lacey Green History

Latest revision as of 13:51, 11 November 2025