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Farms and their Occupants
There was a time when Box had a score of farms in the parish. Before Victorian shops arrived in the village, most people lived on their garden-grown vegetables and fruit, some residents reared domestic animals and poultry, and a few people produced enough to sell their surplus to others. These were often known as farms. You can find details of farms recorded on this website by clicking on the blue links below. Right: Ashley Farm during World War 2 (courtesy Sheila Snelgrove) |
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What is a Farm?
Strictly speaking, a farm is an area of land and farm buildings (referred to as a farmstead) used for growing crops and rearing animals. It does not require occupation of the land with a farmhouse (although modern farm tenancies often insist on residence) nor does it require a specific acreage. So, if you use land for husbandry, then you may have a farm, although often we regard areas smaller than fifty acres as smallholdings or, if very small, we call them gardens and orchards.
There is no continuity about the land being a used on a farm, which could be worked by the occupier or let out to neighbouring farmers. It often depended on the wishes of governments and grants available, particularly at times of war when the promotion of domestic agriculture was deemed necessary. Land does not relate to specific ownership titles and often shifts around as some farmers sought to expand their acreage.
This is a summary of land listed as farms based on the censuses (n/k = not identified; - = not named in census). For more details about these farms and their occupants please click blue links.
Strictly speaking, a farm is an area of land and farm buildings (referred to as a farmstead) used for growing crops and rearing animals. It does not require occupation of the land with a farmhouse (although modern farm tenancies often insist on residence) nor does it require a specific acreage. So, if you use land for husbandry, then you may have a farm, although often we regard areas smaller than fifty acres as smallholdings or, if very small, we call them gardens and orchards.
There is no continuity about the land being a used on a farm, which could be worked by the occupier or let out to neighbouring farmers. It often depended on the wishes of governments and grants available, particularly at times of war when the promotion of domestic agriculture was deemed necessary. Land does not relate to specific ownership titles and often shifts around as some farmers sought to expand their acreage.
This is a summary of land listed as farms based on the censuses (n/k = not identified; - = not named in census). For more details about these farms and their occupants please click blue links.
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Name of Farm
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Acreage recorded in census records
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Alcombe Ashley Bayliffe (later called Manor Farm, Wadswick) Blue Vein Boxfield Box Hill Box Quarries Cheney Court Coles Cross Roads Drewetts Folly Grove Hatt Hazelbury Henley Hill House Hulberts Kingsdown (including Closes) Manor Farm, Box (also called Box Farm) Old Jockey Rising Sun (also called Millsplatt) Rudloe (also called Upper Rudloe) South Rudloe (also called Fogham and Lower Rudloe) Salt Box Sheylors Slades Spencers (also called Ashley Village) Wadswick Farm Widdenham Wormwood |
1861
- 87 - n/k 150 24 60 303 140 - 80 - - 184 - n/k 130 21 - 40 100 - 262 - - 168 225 12 338 - n/k |
1871
- 265 n/k - 138 - - 280 120 - - - - 185 1000 150 120 21 60 40 1160 22 280 90 - 150 218 11 - - n/k |
1881
37 281 - n/k n/k 350 67 - - - 194 n/k n/k 125 - 60 44 n/k 22 285 90 - n/k 200 40 165 - - |
1891
n/k n/k - n/k - - - n/k n/k - - - n/k n/k n/k n/k n/k - n/k n/k n/k - n/k n/k - n/k n/k - n/k - n/k |
1901
- n/k - n/k - - - n/k - n/k - n/k n/k n/k n/k n/k n/k n/k n/k n/k n/k - n/k n/k n/k n/k - n/k n/k - |
1911
- n/k - n/k - - - n/k - n/k - n/k n/k n/k n/k - n/k n/k n/k n/k n/k - n/k n/k n/k n/k n/k n/k n/k - n/k |