Pawdy Farm.
Key Dates related to the farm on Pawdy Lane. Focusing on the people recorded as living on the farm.
* Taken from the Electoral Roll, Directories and the Census.
2005 Adrian P HANCOCK and Amanda V SEDDON.
1998 John and Patricia WRIGHT.
1988 John, Patricia, David and Julie WRIGHT.
1978 John and Patricia WRIGHT.
1973 John Henry THORNEWELL died aged 58.
1968 John Henry and Freda Annie THORNEWELL.
1958 John Henry and Freda Annie THORNEWELL.
1948 William R, Adelaide and John Henry THORNEWELL.
1944 Caroline THORNEWELL, retired farmer, died aged 87.
1941 William Robert THORNEWELL, a farmer of 150 + acres.
1938 William, Adelaide, Caroline, John and Norah THORNEWELL.
1936 William Robert THORNEWELL, a farmer of 150 + acres.
1935 Harriet and Thomas HAMES, who lived at Pawdy farm in 1911 died. Harriet died in March aged 81 leaving effects valued at £510. Thomas died in December aged 87 leaving effects valued at £1166 16s 5d. Probate for both of them was granted to William Marriott a hosiery foreman printer.
1928 William, Adelaide and Caroline THORNEWELL.
1922 William THORNEWELL, farmer. He must have just bought the farm that he had previously farmed as a tenant.
1921 Pawdy Farm was for sale on 24 March. It was described as “a useful mixed farm.” The tenant at the time was W. THORNEWELL.
1918 Norah Adeline THORNEWELL was born to William Robert and Adelaide THORNEWELL.
1915 John Henry THORNEWELL was born to William Robert and Adelaide THORNEWELL.
1914 William R THORNWELL (sic) was married to Adelaide TODD in Nottingham.
1911 Thomas and Harriet HAMES. Thomas was 62, born in Barrow, a farmer and employer. His wife Harriet HAMES nee FERN was 58, born in Whitwick, and they had been married 38 years. Living with them was their son Arthur 25, and his wife Marnie who was born in the USA. They had been married less than a year. Also living on the farm were James BUTT a waggoner on the farm and William BUTT a cowman on the farm.
1904 Thomas HAMES, farmer.
1901 Paudy Farm was in the hands of Thomas HAMES and his wife Harriet. At this time the only other occupants were 3 domestic servants.
1898 Thomas HAMES , farmer, and his family had moved to Paudy Farm, Barrow from The Rookery, Walton on the Wolds. Before that in 1881 Thomas HAMES was a coal merchant living in Barrow Rd. Sileby with his wife Harriet and son Daniel, 7.
1891 The name of the farm was recorded as Porday Lodge and the farmer was George Arthur CROSS. His wife was Jane from Donnington le Heath and living with them was son George.
1881 Porday Lodge. George Arthur CROSS was the farmer of 241 acres, employing 3 men and 3 boys. Also living there were his wife Jane and son George, 15.
1871 Paudy Lodge. George CROSS, farmer was living there with his wife Jane and son George, 4. Also living there was a general servant, a stable boy and a cow boy.
1867 UK Civil Divorce Records show that Jane CROSS petitioned for a judicial separation from George Arthur CROSS on the grounds of cruelty. Among other acts he had broken her nose causing her great pain, pushed her violently out of bed, refused to allow her to see her parents or read their letters and tried to persuade her to procure an abortion. She was pregnant with son George at the time.
1865 George Arthur CROSS married Jane STONE on 28 Dec.
1861 Paudy Fields. George CROSS ,57, was a farmer of 145 acres employing 4 labourers and 2 boys. These included a carter, a cow boy, a plough lad and a dairymaid. Also living there were his wife Catherine and 3 children, including George Arthur CROSS aged 19.
1854 George CROSS farmer and grazier.
1851 Paudy Farm. George CROSS, 49, was a farmer of 210 acres employing 5 labourers, including 3 living on the farm. He and his wife Catherine had 4 children living with them including George Arthur CROSS.
1849 George CROSS farmer and grazier, Paudy Farm.
1841 George CROSS, 35, farmer, with Catherine, Elizabeth, Catherine and George Arthur – 3 months old. Also living there are 2 male and 2 female servants, probably working on the farm.
Interview with Freda Thornewell.
John Thornwell's father became tenant of Paudy Farm in 1915. The family ran it for the Babington Charities. John and Freda were married in 1953 and took over the running of the farm at that time. The farm consisted of 187 acres. They were requested to buy the farm early in the 1960's thus giving monies towards the running of the Old Men's and Old Women's hospitals in the village. These buildings still stand in the village. The Old Men's hospital is facing the Holy Trinity Church in Church Street and the Old Women's on North Street facing Thirlmere Road.Both buildings now house flats.
In the early days the Thornewells had a dairy herd and the milk was taken down by horse cart to the Barrow Station house cow and was also kept to supply milk for use by the kennels. At that time the kennels were across the road from the farm. The dairy herd finished in the 1930s. They then bred Lincoln Red Cattle and also pigs, sheep and poultry and they also grew corn.
It was always a very early start for the family usually at around 6am. The building of a cottage for use by an agricultural worker was started before WWII, and although all other building work was suspended during the war the cottage was considered exempt from this ruling because agriculture was necessary for the war effort.
At the start of the farm, horses were used for ploughing, binding etc. Tractors were introduced in the 1940s. The farm was lucky that early foot and mouth outbreaks never affected it. Mrs Thornewell also remembered that the family were also responsible for keeping the edges cut and tidy. Over the years several other people bought parts of the farm and the Thornewells moved out in 1973.
