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England (Counties as in 1851-1901) => England => Wiltshire => Topic started by: toby webb on Sunday 07 February 10 21:44 GMT (UK)
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I have this photograph which looks as if it might be 100 years old. Is anyone able to confirm the title attached or has anyone any information about who lived there?
Thanks, Toby.
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Sorry but the machine tells me I cannot post "that type of file". I must now discover how to turn Bitmac into Jpeg. Don't hold your breath.
Toby
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Hi Toby...I thought i may be a little rusty as i havent been on for ages but its a little like riding a bike really...you never forget!!...and i didnt really remember how addictive it is...but i think you owe me a drink some time.....
I went looking at some really old maps for Haydon but couldnt see anything the writing was so small....i need better glasses...so i
decided to have a little look through the 1911 manually for Haydon. I came upon a Farm called Brunmeadow Farm which i thought was a little bit of a coincidence as of course Grun is German for Green and wondered if the Brun had been misheard on the day of the census
PARISH OF RODBORNE CHENEY
BRUNMEADOW FARM HAYDON SWINDON
Living on the Farm in 1911 were..William George Sims 42 Farmer Seend Wiltshire
Lydia Sims 47 Atworth ''
William Henry Sims 15 Son helping out on farm Broughton Gifford
Cecelia Helen Sims 14 Dairy Hand Melksham
Edward Harold Sims 12 School Chippenham
Olive Mary Sims 9 '' Rodbourne Cheney
and in doing some back tracking same family living in ...wait for it! :D
Greenmeadow Farm in 1901!!! I feel like the cat thats got the cream! ;D Besy Wishes Cheryle
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Hi Again Toby...The farm house itself could have been there even before 1901. In the 1800s the area is showing a few huge farms of 300/375 acres but as 1891 comes and goes quite a few smaller ones pop up and most are farmed by younger men in their late twentys and thirtys. Not many seem to be passed down from older generations though there is a big Francombe family farming in the area over quite a number of years. It seems that the Farms were rented and managed maybe rather than owned. The larger ones in 1901 there is Haydon Farm, followed by Brook Farm and then Green Meadow and following the names back one can see names possiby being changed by the farmers who then worked the farms, and many dwellings to accomadate the many Farm Labourers also popping up all over. Its fascinating researching all of it ...and a topic quite close to my own as my lot were all Thatchers/Carters from Downton Farming Areas and started out in Days Farm Redlynch so very similar research work...Anyway hope these little bits of info help ....kind regards Cheryle
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There is also now an area of Swindon, known as Greenmeadow, which is just by Haydon Wick. I live fairly nearby so if you want any foot work done please shout, am happy to go see if the farmhouse is still there and get pics if needed :)
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Found this link and the man makes reference to green meadow farm and his family lower down the page
http://www.swindonlink.com/news2002/03/cliffords.html
Karen:)
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Just wanted to say, what great detective work there Cheryle. Well done you :)
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Hi Ewan...I know...I know...I missed my vocation in life and should have been a policwoman :D. I'll be an ancestor myself before i get to as many stars as you guys at the top!! ;D ;D, but when i do have a little look through some nights there are posts that catch my eye....but that in itself is quite dangerous for me...cos i dont like to be defeated and usually i will keep on going until i get a result......trouble is you just dont realise how fast the time goes when your having fun ::) and you know you started at 6ish but you then look up and its two in the morning....!!
Thanks for the encouragement.... :)
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Thanks Karen & for your kind offer Immortal Druid,
It all helps me to get a feel for the topic. I should be interested to know if the farm is still there. Toby.
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Thanks for all the details Cheryle. It actually leaves me wondering for I had always assumed that the photo had come from my mother's family but when I saw Sims, I started to think again for my father's mother was born Sims.
The born in Seend however makes me think this is nothing more than coincidence for his family came from Hannington. More thinking required.
Toby.
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Dear Toby,
I am writing from the local studies collection at Swindon Central Library.
The photo of Green Meadow farm is fantastic. We have never seen it and I do not believe it has ever been published. We certainly do not have anything like it in our collection.
Is there any chance we can tempt you to allow us to host a copy of your scan on our local history gallery?
Link: www.flickr.com/swindonlocal (http://www.flickr.com/swindonlocal)
We would credit the picture as requested and you would be free to add any genealogical info below.
Please let us know if you are interested.
Very best wishes,
Swindon Collection
Central Library
central.library[at]swindon.gov.uk
(01793) 463238
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Hi Toby
Re your post last year about the farm and the old photo. This farm is no longer standing at Haydon Wick. I do know the exact location where it used to be and I also have an old map with it on. It belonged to a man named Alan Trotman's mother - her name was Sims - is this a name that is in your own family? I think her first name could have been Cecilia?
I am writing a book about this area and I will be talking about all the old farms - would you please allow me permission to use this photo in my book? If you do know anything about the Sims family I would be very interested to hear about it.
Let me know if you would like to see the old map with this farm on and also where it would be in today's landscape.
Best wishes
Debra
(Swindon)
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Hi Debra,
I am the great grandson of Edward Harold Sims of Green Meadow Farm. William and Lydia's children all went into agriculture themselves, and there are (i think) 3 wiltshire farms still owned by various descendants of William and Lydia Sims. I know Wiltshire Record Office holds an Auctioneers Property Details for Green Meadow Farm from the time of it's sale (I think 1950s if my memory is correct).
Tom
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Hi Debra & Tom ,
Sorry I have not replied sooner but I have been unwell.You are welcome to use the photo. My Sims were in Hannington, Highworth & Cricklade but I do not know where they came from.John Sims was the potman & parish clerk in Hannington in 1961,whilst his wife Eliza had a sweetshop.
Toby.
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Greenmeadow farm is shown on the 1901 os map. See flickr for more info from swindon library.
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I am the eldest of 4 grandson's of Cecilia Trotman (nee Sims).
I have photos of Green Meadow farmhouse at the time of Cecilia's wedding in the early 1920's and a copy of the sale brochure of the farm in the 1950's.
William George Sims was originally a tenant farmer who purchased the farm from the Arkells (brewery) family in early 1900's. The Arkell's owned Penhill farm and much land in north Swindon/Stratton.
Happy to provide more detail.
Howard
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Hello Debra,
It's me your cousin from across the pond. I want to give you some information. My dad Albert Hugh Edmonds Lloyd was born, December 2, 1917 and passed on September 27, 1985 in Jersey City, New Jersey USA. My mother his wife was Gloria Esther Rosario Lugaro, 1924 - 2016. Children are me, Gloria Esther Lloyd, Winifred Theresa, Myrna Edmee, Albert Jr. I met your brother Kevin and Sue in Boston, I'm sure that he told you. I definitely want to visit you and the other family members.