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Farming in Fairlight The Field Family
Members of the Field family either worked as farm labourers or were tenant farmers.
The landowners in Fairlight were the Lucas Shadwell family
There are a cluster of 4 farms
· Wakehams Farm, Pett Level Road, Fairlight, East Sussex Still run as a farm and farm shop toay http://www.wakehamsfarm.co.uk/
· Stoney link Farm
· Cherry Tree farm
· Chisholm farm
James Field was born in Fairlight on 18th January 1759
His children are the first of the Field family recorded in the census
James Field born 1790 became a farmer while his older brother Samuel Field born 1786 remained an agricultural labourer. The other decendents of James Field born 1759 did not live in Fairlight.
In 1841 Samuel Field was an Agricultural labourer age 55 working at Lower Winterslow Farm Guestling
His eldest son Thomas Standen Field moved away and worked as a miller in Benenden Kent. He may have worked or learnt his skills form his father’s brother, Thomas 18.04.1789 who was a Miller in Northiam Kent
In the same 1841 census, James Field his brother( b1790) is recorded as a farmer at Lower Stone Link Farm, Fairlight, Hastings, East Sussex. In 1851 the farm has 160 acres and James is employing 5 labourers.By 1861 Lower Stone Link Farm, has reduced to 116 acres, employing 3 men and in 1871 Lower Stone Link Farm, Fairlight, Hastings, East Sussex is a farm of 50 acres, employing 3 men and 1 boy.
The farm was taken over by James’s 1790 son Thomas Field b 1830
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In 1891 Thomas Field is a Farmer at Lower stone clink farm 17 Rosemary lane
The Farm was taken on by his daughter Rose Field who continued with the farm until 1911 running it as a dairy farm
·Alfred Field 68, another son of James b 1790 is recorded in 1861 as living at Fairlight Head working as an agricultural labourer .By 1891 he has become a Farmer at Cherry Gardens farm Fairlight, Sussex, England
His grown up children lived in the same house and worked on the farm: John 26, Albert 22, Charles, age 30 and married widowed daughter Honor. Another son James was also recorded at the farm in his own household :
1891 Son James and wife Rose and young children living
and working at the farm.
By 1901 James Age: 49 has become a tenant farmer at Wakehams farm near Rosemary lane Fairlight, Sussex, England, 2 farms away from Thomas field b 1830
and wife Mary
His son James b 1880 took over the farm and also worked Chisholm farm. In 1911 at the age of 31 he is a tenant farmer at both Wakehams and Chisholm farm (kelly directory 1911) and 1911 cesnsus (2 adults 3 chilren)He was a farmer there until 1918 ( 69 acres ).
