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THORNSGREESE
FARM
HIGHER
INCHFIELD
WALSDEN |
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Thornsgreese
is situated high above the western side of the Walden valley on
Inchfield Moor. It is part of a small community of farms in the
area, lying on a rough track that links the farms along the plateau
of the moor with the valley below. This area of higher Inchfield
was once known as Scotland and was a wild outlying region of Walsden.
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Thornsgreese
apparently means, "A long stepped, steep pathway bordered
by thorn trees". It is barely accessible these days, so in
centuries gone by, a visitor would be a rare thing.
The
picture is of the long, stepped, steep pathway leading up to the
farm from Ragby Clough and beyond, with the thorn trees in full
blossom
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In
1792, John Haigh of nearby Pastureside Farm leased the area round
this community from the Rev. George Travis for 37 years for the
purpose of opening a coalmine. These were shallow drift mines, dug
in to the hillsides. This encouraged the Jackson family to move
to the higher parts of Inchfield and obtain work at the mine. The
Jacksons settled at various farms and cottages on the plateau, and
one of them, Robert Jackson, married the daughter of the farmer
at Thornsgreese. She was Mary Howarth, daughter of Zachariah. Robert
and Mary lived with Zachariah at the farm. |
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By 1808, Zachariah was
an old man of 70, and from a date stone over the barn entrance at the back of the farmhouse, it appears
that Robert and Mary took over the farm and rebuilt it. The
date stone reads RJM 1808 and can be seen on the stonework above the present glass door.
Zachariah Howarth died in 1809.
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Thornsgreese
in 2005 |
Robert
later became known as Old Schemer. For several years after he married
there were no children, which he admitted made him very unhappy,
but after 4 years the children came along...one after the other,
after the other, 10 in all. Robert then complained he couldn't afford
all these children! They were all born at Thornsgreese. |
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| Robert
supplemented his income from his farm by working in the coalmines
nearby and in time he was able to buy the farm and land.
His
beloved wife died in 1823 and he then married a twice-wed widow,
Mally, the daughter of John Fielden of Bottomley. She brought a
further 9 of her own children and 8 stepchildren to the family,
although most were adults by this time. Mally died in 1837 and Robert,
who enjoyed the company of a good woman, married for a third time
at the tender age of 75.
Thornsgreese
and neighbouring Brownroads
from the meadows behind
This
time Robert chose badly. She was Betty Greenwood and it is reported
that they did not get on at all well. There were frequent arguments.
She had 3 previous husbands and one of these was her favourite to
the extent she kept mentioning his name all the time. One day, in
pure frustration, Robert agreed with her and said " yes, he
was a good man alright and he has surely gone to heaven if there
is such a place, and it would be a welcome place of rest, but he
made one mistake." When she asked what this mistake was, he
replied: "He didn't take you with him."
Despite
this, Robert and Betty paddled on at Thornsgreese for a considerable
number of years, both living to a great age. Robert died there aged
91 and is buried at St. Mary's with his first wife and mother of
all his children. |
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In
1825, a chapel and Sunday school was formed at Thornsgreese by the
United Free Methodists, instigated by a break away group of teachers
from Frieldhurst in Cornholme. They used one room at the end of
the house. The chapel closed its doors to worshippers by 1891 and
the faithful moved down the hill to Inchfield Bottom. The chapel
was sited at the far left of the building. |
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were 4 cottages at the farm in addition to the chapel. Old Schemer
and his wife had one from where he farmed his land. Three of his
sons and their families occupied the remaining 3 cottages and worked
as labourers and carters. Between the brothers there were at least
25 children, so plenty of scholars for the Sunday school.
Following
Robert's death, his son Zachariah and wife Martha took over the
farm, by which time was 12 acres. They continued until Zachariah
died 27 years later. Martha plodded on at the farm another 13 years,
helped by her son Zachariah and his wife Sarah.
By
1891, the farm had been in the hands of one family for over 100
years. Throughout this period various members of the family occupied
the cottages. |
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One 20th Century occupant was George Mitchell, married to Christiana Pilkington. They moved to Thornsgreese from Stonehouse with their children. This photo, kindly sent in by their great grandson Chris Wadsworth, shows the family outside Thornsgreese. They moved from there in 1935 when George bought Naze Farm. The farm is now a large private house overlooking
magnificent scenery.
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THORNSGREESE
LINKS
COMPLETE
CENSUS TRANSCRIPTIONS FROM 1841 TO 1901
THE
JACKSON FAMILY
BACK
TO TOP |
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