BRIDGE END FARM : HORBLING : CO. LINCOLN NORTH END FARM : SWATON : CO. LINCOLN

FR LIN5

1911-1956

The donor's grandfather, W.D.C. Owen, entered the drapery and grocery trade in Sleaford in 1844. He died in 1879, leaving the sum of £12,000 to be divided between his sons. Two of the sons emigrated. The eldest son (the donor's father) took over the drapery business. The donor (himself an eldest son) became first an engineer and subsequently a trade journalist at Nottingham. On giving up this occupation, he became a farm pupil to T. Roberts of Frithville, near Boston. In 1912 he emigrated to Western Australia, where cheap land was available. On the outbreak of the first world war he had cleared 200 acres of a 1000-acre farm. During his military service he gained book-keeping experience as an orderly room staff sergeant at Cairo. After the armistice he decided to return to England and took Bridge End Farm in 1919 with saved capital of £600 and an overdraft of £300 guaranteed by his father. He survived the depression although most other farmers in the area gave up farming. In 1937 he left Bridge End Farm and took possession of North End Farm. He attributes his success partly to hard work, partly to his accounting system which gave early warning of future financial difficulties and partly to several legacies which gave welcome assistance in times of great difficulty Farm size etc. Bridge End Farm : 120 acres of which 95 were arable; `skirt' soils; tenant to the Commissioners of Crown hands; North End Farm : 292 acres; tenant to the Commissioners of Crown Lands

Records relating to Bridge End farm, Horbling, Co Lincoln and North End Farm, Swaton, Co Lincoln

7 Series

fonds

Horbling Bridge End Farm, Lincolnshire, Swaton North End Farm, Lincolnshire

Horbling, Swaton, Agriculture

1 CORRESPONDENCE 2 BOOKS OF ACCOUNT 3 CATALOGUES 4 DIARIES 5 LEASES 6 VALUATIONS 7 SUNDRY PAPERS