Ruggles Farmers

The period between 1741 and 1865 the manor of Belchamp Walter was held Thomas Ruggles. The agricultural land and the farming of that land was under Ruggles control.

The administration of the manor was also under the justisdiction of the Ruggles family and manoral proceedings were overseen by Ruggles.

While not much seems to be recorded for this period of time there are a few clues to what actually went on. There is a conveyance of a lease involving the name of Firmin in 1834.

1834 is a date in the middle of the Ruggles years at Belchamp Walter. There seems to be a Firmin at Eyston hall who was manager. The Farmer's Strike of 1893 reports that a Mr. Firmin at Eyston Hall along with Stunt at Monks Farm, Mr. Deeks at Fish Farm, Mr. Brand at Clark's and Mr. Prigg at Crows Farm.

Mr. Prigg was also the farm manager for the Rev.St Clare Raymond, of Belchamp Hall and Mr. Hustler of White's Farm.

The Farms and Farmers

There were a number of working farms in Belchamp Walter and those farms were managed by farmers that presumably reported to Ruggles. Whether they paid rent or had a lease on the farms it is not clear.

Most of the farms that were ran as farms in the 19th and early 20th centuries are now private dwellings and/or have businesses other than farms run from their locations.

In the 21st century only Clarks Farm and The Munt Farm are working agricultural entities and the farmland appears to be split between these two. Other farms, such as Waits Farm, also retain ownership of farmland but this is now farmed under contract to a number of other farmers.

This website and this page is not meant as a comment on the present situation on farming but an account of what went on in earlier centuries.

The Farmers

These could be:

• Robert Wright Stunt d. 1890 - Grave in North graveyard - Farm manager at Munt Farm (then possibly Monks Farm)
• Prigg - Crows Farm
• Firmin - Eyston Farm