Stoke St Gregory - Years of History BACK to Main Site
1881 - Some Stoke Farms
In the 1881 Census 52 people gave their occupation as ‘Farmer’, a figure repeated in the 1952 list of Stoke St Gregory farms - see HERE. The majority of farms were 60 acres or less, with some farmers only having ten or twelve acres. These small farms were original encroachments of Woodhill common before Woodhill Road was there to define their boundaries. The Huntham farms were larger. Robert Barrington farmed 120 acres in Huntham Road, along with William Hembrow with 150 acres. William Rowsell was at Huntham Farm, 160 acres. By far the largest was Slough Farm, pictured below, with 307 acres farmed by Thomas Hembrow.
From Stathe to Woodhill was almost the monopoly of the House family. At River Farm, Stathe, 38 year old Charles House farmed 136 acres and employed 3 men and 2 boys. Sarah Langford, a 15 year old servant, also lived with Charles & Ellen’s three children. Elsewhere in Stathe, 33 year old Frank House farmed 60 acres. His 73 year old mother, Elizabeth, owned the farm and they employed 2 men, 1 boy, and a live in domestic servant, caroline Hembrow (age 15). Along the road at Stathe Farm, Richard House (age 50) and his wife Jane (age 54) farmed 30 acres. Stathe Farm is pictured below at a slightly later date.
At Stathe Court, pictured below, we find 33 year old William House farming 145 acres and employing 4 men and 2 boys. Although their 3 children were born in the village, his wife Jane originated from Somerton.
Almost opposite, at Walkers Farm, 45 year old John House and his 37 year old wife Eliza farmed 160 acres and employed 4 labourers. At Bull Place, Frank, age 25 and his new wife 21 year old Harriett farmed 40 acres and employed 1 labourer. Over the railway at Churley, 70 year old widower William House, who had been born near Martock, employed 3 men and 2 boys to farm 121 acres; and just along the road at Parsonage, pictured below during the annual Stoke Club Day celebrations, 67 year old James House and Ann his 61 year old wife farmed 40 acres employing 1 man and 1 boy.
Finally, at Dykes in Slough Lane, pictured below at an earlier date, we find 26 year old Thomas House employing 2 boys to help run the 82 acre holding. Living with him is his 15 year old sister Rosie, still studying at school, and Emily Winchester, an 18 year old domestic servant.
