Stocken Farm
From Lacey Green History
STOCKEN FARM researched and written by Joan West
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.
1831 STOCKEN FARM SOLD
In 1831 Stocken Farm, 121 acres,was purchased by Charles Brown from Lord George Henry Cavendish.
1851 census. Charles Brown, 55, farmer, 347 acres, including some rented land. 18 labourers.
1861 census. Charles Brown, 65, farmer, 210 acres. 6 men 4 boys
1877 STOCKEN FARM TO BE LET
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 15th 1877.
SALE ADVERTISEMENT from the Bucks Herald
1877 AUCTION to be held October 15th 1877 at Stocken Farm, Lacey
Green, by direction of C. Brown Esq
The whole of LIVE and DEAD FARMING STOCK
6Horses, 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.
NOTE Ed. It is possible to deduce the type of farming being done at this time from the contents of this sale
1878 STOCKEN FARM STILL TO LET. From the Bucks Herald
September 21st 1878 Advertisement
STOCKINGS (STOCKEN) FARM, LACEY GREEN. TO BE LET and may be entered on immediately. It comprises about 170 acres of good stock land.
1878 STOCKEN FARM SOLD
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.
DEVELOPMENTS
1. 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.
2. 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.
FARM BAILIFFS
John Forrest had three farms, but his farm bailiffs lived at Stocken Farm
1903 Farm bailiff John Crook, farm bailiff
1907 Farm bailiff William Redding, farm bailiff
1911 Farm bailiff James Fletcher, farm bailiff to executors of John Forrest.
.PROGRAMME OF FESTIVITIES HELD IN HOME FIELD AT STOCKEN FARM LACEY GREEN
To commemorate THE CORONATION OF KING GEORGE V - 22ND JUNE 1911
For details of the celebration go to Social Snapshots1910s . 1911 Coronation Festivities
1911 STOCKEN FARM SOLD
September 1911. Conveyance. William Saunders purchased Stocken Farm, now including ‘Graham’ Cottages, for £3,400, from the executors of John Forrest.
P.S. (Ed. In 1878 John Forrest had paid £8,250 for Stocken Farm, added 2 houses, and sold losing £4850, 33 yrs later)
LAND ADDED
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.
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.
1934 FETE (Gala Fete Day) with permission of the executors of William Saunders
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 west of Goodacres Lane was sold off separately. William Saunders had built a house there called Hillcrest
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.
NOTE (Ed. 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 were added.
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.
1. The farmhouse and some fields were connected to mains water, just newly brought to the village. This enabled milking cows to be kept.
2. A building was converted into a cowshed
3. In the house a bedroom was converted into a bathroom.
4. 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 6th 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
SEE under Properties. Click Walters Ash Farm
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.
| Stocken Farm | |
|---|---|
| Construction Era | |
| Type of Property | House, Farm, Land, Wood |
| Use of Property | Business |
| Locations | Lacey Green |