Blandfords Farm
Blandford’s Farm is situated in West Street. It was not part of the Glyn Estate but when it was built and by who is not recorded nor is the acreage.
The Chick family records reveal that Thomas Chick moved to a cottage in Parsonage Street and was joined by his son William (1830-1906) in the1850s. William married Sarah Pike who was working at Springhead where he was apprenticed. Of their 10 children, Thomas, the third child, (1857-1940) took the tenancy of Blandford’s Farm, married Sarah Anne Clyst (Nancy) and produced four children.
Detailed farm accounts reflect the activities of their farm from
Blandfords Farmhouse former front door
January 1910 to 1914 and resumed after the war in 1921. Benjamin George Chick (1896-1968) and his sister Pattie, are first mentioned as needing boots, boot repair, a new bicycle and music lessons, and eventually wages for Ben are listed.
Blandfords Farm, Ben and Ruth Chick
The farm must have had working horses as horse corn, harness repair and shoeing are listed expenses. Cattle were kept for milk with occasional sales of named-cows’ calves to either private buyers or at market. Market takings are not itemized but potatoes, mangold and turnip seed is purchased. Pigs were slaughtered and sold. Wages were paid out for help with cultivating, grass cutting and hay making but straw was a purchase. Hens produced eggs for sale. Names of villagers who were supplied with goods and services are numerous. Petrol and paraffin were purchased after the 1914-18 war when we can assume the mechanization of farm work started then. Coal and wood were used as fuel.
Charges for services provided include thatching for which spars were bought, hauling various goods (timber, dung and stone), taxi service on occasion and whitewashing. Entries end in 1939 with mention of blackout material.
Ben married Rita Burden and they played an important part in
Cart at Blandfords Farm
the village where he lived and worked for 34 years and their 4 children have many records of the Chick family. Their daughter Anne (Locke), now deceased, made a substantial contribution to the archives in 1997, giving us many documents and photos, including the detailed farm accounts from 1910 to 1939.
Author: Judy Westgate
