Farming in the Parish
by SLHS on
Wednesday 13 July 2016
Until the industrialisation of the parish began in the late 17th and early 18th centuries, farming would have been the main activity. The name “Somercotes” is believed to have derived from the tradition of grazing animals on the common during the summer months. Agriculture was the dominant occupation and many farms were established throughout the area.
As mining and ironworking spread through the district and the population of the villages expanded, the farms began slowly to diminish. After the closure of the local collieries and the ironworks, the rise of the industrial estates would eat evermore into the agricultural landscape. By the beginning of the 21st century, there were relatively few farms left within the parish of Somercotes, the farmland having given way to housing estates and industrial development.
Although in the early years many farmers were listed, they did not all farm their own land. Much of the land within the parish was owned by very few people, and the majority of the farmers listed below would have rented the land and the farmhouse.
| FARMERS LISTED IN 1849: | |
| BOWERING, John | Somercotes with Birchwood |
| BROWN, Thomas | Sleetmoor (Actually listed as the wife of Thomas Brown) |
| BULLOCK, Henry | Sleetmoor |
| BULLOCK, Thomas | Somercotes with Birchwood Common |
| COOPER, John | Somercotes with Birchwood Common |
| CUTLER, Thomas | Somercotes with Birchwood |
| DANNAH, Hannah | Birchwood |
| GOODWIN, William | Birchwood (William was also listed as a coal-master, and was the son of Humphrey Goodwin, of Shady Colliery) |
| HARDSTAFF, John | Lower Somercotes (John was also the landlord of the Black Horse Inn) |
| LANGTON, Edward | Somercotes with Birchwood |
| MARPLE, James | Cotes Park |
| MARTIN, Christopher | Somercotes with Birchwood Common |
| MARTIN, Thomas | Cotes Park |
| MOSS, Joseph | Somercotes with Birchwood |
| NAYLOR, Charles | Birchwood |
| OLDFIELD, William | Sleetmoor |
| SADLER, William | Pennytown |
| SMEDLEY, Joseph | Birchwood |
| WALLWIN, Joseph | Birchwood |
| WILBRAHAM, Charles | Pennytown |
| FARMERS LISTED IN 1857: | |
| BAGULEY, John | Somercotes |
| BANKS, George | Pennytown |
| BROWN, Charles | Birchwood |
| BRAMLEY, John | Somercotes |
| COOPER, John | Somercotes |
| CUTTS, James | Pye Bridge |
| HARDSTAFF, John | Lower Somercotes (John was also the landlord of the Black Horse Inn) |
| HERROD, John | Somercotes |
| LANGTON, Edward | Somercotes |
| MARPLE, James | Outseats (In 1849 James was listed as a farmer at Cotes Park. Almost certainly he was still farming the same land and this seems to have been Outseats Farm). |
| MOSS, Joseph | Somercotes |
| NAYLOR, Charles | Birchwood |
| RHODES, George | Pye Bridge |
| RICHARDSON, Hannah | Somercotes |
| SMEDLEY, Joseph | Pennytown |
| WILBRAHAM, George | Pennytown |
| WILBRAHAM, Matthew | Pennytown |
| FARMERS LISTED IN 1876: | |
| BANKS, George | Birchwood |
| BLAND, John | Somercotes |
| BRADSHAW, Joseph | Pye Bridge |
| BROWN, Charles | Birchwood (Also listed as a butcher) |
| HERROD, Edmund | Somercotes |
| PARKIN, John | Greenhill Lane (John was listed as a "cow keeper") |
| STANLEY, Robert | Somercotes |
| STEVENS, John | Somercotes (John was listed as a "cow keeper") |
| FARMERS LISTED IN 1895: | |
| ARGYLE, William | Sleetmoor Lane |
| ARMSTRONG, George | Somercotes |
| BOWN, Joseph | Somercotes Hill (Joseph was a JP, farmer and landowner, chairman of Alfreton District Council and Guardian & Overseer of the Poor). |
| BURTON, John | Somercotes Hill (John lived at Pear Tree Cottage) |
| COBHAM, Walter | Lower Somercotes (Walter was the farmer at Cottage Farm. He was also listed as a commercial traveller and brewers agent). |
| DAVIES, Edmund | Lower Birchwood |
| DAYKIN, Walter | Lower Birchwood |
| GADSBY,Henry | Sleetmoor Lane |
| MASSEY, John | Sleetmoor Lane |
| PARKIN, Robert | Lower Birchwood (Robert was the farmer at Nether Farm and was also listed as a blacksmith) |
| TAYLOR, George | Sleetmoor Lane |
| FARMERS LISTED IN 1899: | |
| ARMSTRONG, George | Somercotes |
| BOWN, Joseph | Somercotes Hill (Joseph was a JP, farmer and landowner, chairman of Alfreton District Council and Guardian & Overseer of the Poor). |
| BURTON, John | Somercotes Hill (John lived at Pear Tree Cottage and in 1899 was also listed as a cab proprietor). |
| CHAMBERLAIN, William | Pye Bridge (William is believed to have been the tennant farmer at Home Farm, owned by James Oakes) |
| COBHAM, Walter | Lower Somercotes (Walter was the farmer at Cottage Farm. He was also listed as a commercial traveller and brewers agent). |
| PARKIN, Joseph | Birchwood (Joseph is also listed as a butcher). |
| STEVENSON, Elizabeth | Somercotes (Elizabeth is listed as a "cow kepper"). |
| WILBRAHAM, Charles | Birchwood (Charles is also listed as a butcher). |
PHOTO: Pennytown Farm Traction Engine, early 1900s
| FARMERS LISTED IN 1908: | |
| ATKINS, Henry | Leabrooks |
| BRIDDON, John | Greenhill Lane |
| DAWES, Edmund | Somercotes |
| EARDLEY, John | Somercotes |
| GADSBY, Henry | Sleetmoor Lane |
| NAYLOR, Jesse | Birchwood Lane |
| PARKIN, Joseph | Birchwood |
| STEEPLE, William | Somercotes |
| STEVENS, William | Somercotes |
| FARMERS LISTED IN 1916: | |
| ARMSTRONG, George | Somercotes |
| ATKINS, Henry | Leabrooks |
| BALL, John | Sleetmoor Lane |
| DAWES, Edmund | Lower Birchwood |
| GADSBY, Henry | Lower Birchwood |
| HILL, Sarah | Pennytown |
| NAYLOR, Wilfred | Lower Birchwood |
| PURDY, Edwin | Quarry Road (Edwin was a smallholder on Quarry Road) |
| ROWE, Alan | Somercotes (Alan is listed was a "cow keeper") |
| SIMPSON, Benjamin | Somercotes |
| TOMLINSON, Isaac | Somercotes (Isaac was listed as a "cow keeper") |
PHOTO: Hay Making, Chamberlain's Farm, (the photograph is believed to have been taken at Lower Somercotes)
| FARMERS LISTED IN 1925: | |
| ARMSTRONG, George | Somercotes |
| ATKINS, Henry | Leabrooks |
| BALL, John | Sleetmoor Lane |
| BEACH, George | Somercotes |
| BURTON, John | Pye Bridge (John was the farmer at Crimea Farm) |
| BURTON, John | Somercotes (Pear Tree Cottage) |
| DAWES, Edmund | Birchwood Lane |
| GADSBY, Henry | Lower Somercotes - Henry was the famer at Shady Farm, Lower Birchwood in 1924). |
| HILL, Sarah | Pennytown |
| NAYLOR, Wilfred | Lower Birchwood |
| PURDY, Edwin | Quarry Road (Edwin was a smallholder on Quarry Road) |
| ROWE, AlLen | Somercotes (Alan was listed as a "cow keeper") |
| SIMPSON, Benjamin | Somercotes |
| TOMLINSOM, Isaac | Somercotes (Isaac was listed as a "cow keeper") |
| FARMERS LISTED IN 1932: | |
| ARMSTRONG, Walter | Somercotes |
| ATKINS, Henry | Leabrooks |
| BRYAN, Joseph J | Lower Birchwood (Joseph was the farmer at Shady Farm) |
| BURT, Wilfred | Lower Birchwood (Wilfred was the farmer at Brook Farm) |
| BURTON, John | Somercotes Hill (John was the farmer at Pear Tree Cottage) |
| CHAMBERLAIN, John | Pye Bridge |
| DAWES, Edmund | Lower Birchwood |
| NAYLOR, Wilfred | Lower Birchwood |
| PARKES, William J | Sleetmoor Lane |
| PURDY, Edwin | Quarry Road (Edwin was a smallholder on Quarry Road) |
| ROWE, Allen | Somercotes (Allen was listed as a "cow keeper") |
| TAYLOR, Alfred | Sleetmoor Lane (Alfred if the farmer at Chestnut Farm) |
| WATSON, Thomas H | Birchwood Lane (Thomas was the farmer at Nether Farm) |
| FARMERS LISTED IN 1941: | |
| AMES, Frank | Somercotes Hill (Frank was a poultry farmer at Springfield Farm, after which Springfield Crescent is named) |
| ARMSTRONG. Walter | Somercotes (the farm was listed as being on Nottingham Road) |
| BRYAN, Roger | Sleetmoor Lane (Roger was the farmer at Birdswood Farm) |
| BURT, Wilfred | Birchwood Lane (Wilfred was the farmer at Brook Farm) |
| HARRISON, William | Pye Bridge (William was the farmer at Crimea Farm) |
| NAYLOR, Wilfred | Birchwood Lane (Wilfred was the farmer at Birchwood Farm) |
| PARKES, William J. | Sleetmoor Lane (William was the farmer at Sleetmoor Farm) |
| PURDY, Edwin | Quarry Road (Edwin was a smallholder on Quarry Road) |
| ROWE, Frank | Birchwood Lane |
| SAINT, Mellor John | Lower Birchwood (John was the farmer at Shady Farm) |
| SMITH, Charles | Birchwood Lane |
| TOPHAM, William | Lower Birchwood |
| WATSON, Thomas H | Birchwood Lane (Thomas was the farmer at Nether Farm) |
PHOTO: Hay Making, Chamberlain's Farm, (the photograph is believed to have been taken at Lower Somercotes)