Green Meadow Farm, Haydon Wick, Swindon

[toby webb]

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.

[toby webb]

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

[cheryle.f]

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!

Greenmeadow Farm in 1901!!!  I feel like the cat thats got the cream!   Besy Wishes Cheryle

                                                                                   

[cheryle.f]

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

[Immortal Druid]

 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

[karen13]

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:)

[Ewan]

Just wanted to say, what great detective work there Cheryle.  Well done you

[cheryle.f]

Hi Ewan...I know...I know...I missed my vocation in life and should have been a policwoman .   I'll be an ancestor myself before i get to as many stars as you guys at the top!! ,  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....

[toby webb]

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.