|
Bolehill Farm: Some Notes
Occupants
Note: date ranges are those of records consulted, not necessarily the whole period of occupancy. Up to 1920 the land was owned by the Hunloke family.
- Jesse Rutherford, farmer and stone merchant. 1819-1857. Born at Bonsall, died at Worksop 30 April 1858 aged 65, buried at Wingerworth; wife Ann died 8 September 1850 aged 55. Managed the quarries at Bole Hill and Stone Edge, as well as one at Little Eaton (north of Derby), and established the stone sawmill on Pearce Lane in or before 1829. Contracts included supply of stone for Trinity Church in Chesterfield, St Thomas's Church in Brampton, Salem Chapel in Wingerworth, Primrose Hill railway tunnel in north London and possibly Birmingham Town Hall, as well as civil engineering for the 2-mile Beighton section of the North Midland Railway. In the 1851 census the others in his household were his son William aged 27, daughter Hannah aged 25 (both single) and a servant girl, besides whom he employed five labourers (presumably this number does not include his quarry workers).
- William Rutherford (son of Jesse), farmer and stone merchant. 1861-1871. Born 1823/4 in Wingerworth. Took over management of the farm, quarries and sawmill from his father. Moved out of the parish some time after 1871; subsequent whereabouts and date of death not yet established. Still single in the 1861 census, with sister Hannah keeping house, but married by 1864, when his first child was baptised; wife Mary was a native of Rossington (near Doncaster).
- James Margereson, farmer and stone merchant. 1880-1884. Born 1850/1 in Brampton, evidently one of the "sons" in the quarrying firm of Francis Margereson & Sons (who also operated quarries at Ashover, Freebirch in Brampton, and elsewhere, as well as Bole Hill, and had a brickworks at Cannock). In the 1881 census he was married with two young children. Stone Edge quarry may have already passed into the Turner family's hands by that date.
- Booth Waddington, farmer and stone merchant. 1891-1908 (but living in Wingerworth since at least 1881, when he occupied Hockley House). Apparently related by marriage to James Margereson (his brother-in-law?). Died 16 October 1908 and buried at Old Brampton with his wife Mary Ann (a native of Brampton; died 13 July 1886 aged 41). In the 1891 census, living at Bolehill Farm with three daughters (two of them twins; all born in Brampton), a son Wilfred Francis (born in Ashover), a middle-aged housekeeper and a farm-hand. Operated quarries at Alton and Tansley, besides that at Bole Hill, and the sawmill.
- Wilfred Francis Waddington (son of Booth). 1912. Born 5 August 1880, died 13 June 1954 at Woodthorpe House (Old Tupton), buried at Wingerworth with his wife Catherine (5.3.1884-23.3.1912). Co-founder with E.A. Parke of Service Motors, Chesterfield. No record of any involvement with stone-working.
- Brailsford Blythe, farmer and sub-postmaster. 1916-1932. Born 3 July 1877 in Sheffield died 15 July 1933 and buried at Wingerworth with his wife Mabel Elizabeth (11.4.1880-8.6.1928). Evidently had no connection with stone-working (note that the Pearce Lane sawmill was already disused when the Hunloke estate was sold in 1920, and shortly afterwards Bole Hill quarry became the property of the Gregory family). Secretary of the local lodge of the Manchester Unity of Oddfellows, Clerk to Wingerworth Parish Council and to the School Managers, and Rating Officer. Son of German Blythe (died 1918), the village blacksmith, who had also been sub-postmaster (at Hill Houses). Had one daughter. Purchased Bolehill Farm at the sale of the Hunloke estate for an undisclosed sum (at 30 years' purchase, it would have been about £2500). In the 1925 electoral register, an Alfred and Emma Hardwick are also recorded as occupants of the house.
- Cyril Redfern, farmer. 1932-1950 (and beyond?). Did he and Brailsford Blythe both live at the farm for a short time until the latter's death? In the 1950 electoral register, both Cyril Redfern and William Halford are listed as occupants.
Farm size, rental and land use
The areas recorded for Bolehill Farm at various dates are as follows:
Year Acres Year Acres Year Acres
1819 15* 1861 120 1881 83
1843 57* 1864 137 1920 69
1851 130 1871 150
* Area in Wingerworth only; the farm possibly extended into other parishes, as it did in at least 1864, when it included 17 acres in Ashover and 9 acres in Hasland.
The annual rent in 1864 was £332.50 (which presumably included the rental of the quarries and sawmill). In 1920 it was £85.50.
Land use is recorded as follows (acres):
Year Arable Meadow Pasture Average field size No. of fields
1843 33 4 18 2.8 20
1920 15 - 52 3.7 18
David Edwards, November 1999
|
