Local Parishes
Fence
The name of Fence is believed derived from Fence Farm, since this was constructed in the form of a fortified (or fenced) farmstead and is dated around 1660 when it was perhaps the only building in the village.
It has been suggested that possibly the 'fence' or palisade was erected by Nostell Priory to protect their property at the nearby Canonthorpe.
This map shows Fence, in 1855 part of the parish of Aston-cum-Aughton
Fence Colliery
Horatio Sorby of Fence Farm was owner of Fence Coal Company and Lionel Bates was Manager
In 1862 Thomas Lofthouse was recorded as agent for Fence Coal Company, Midland Depot, Saville St, Sheffield.
Rother Vale Collieries Limited was set up in 1875 after a resolution was passed authorising the Directors of the Fence Colliery Company Limited to lease land in the area from the Duke of Norfolk. The Fence Colliery Company Limited was renamed Rother Vale Collieries Limited and owned Orgreave, Fence and Treeton collieries. The Company later became a branch of the United Steels Companies Ltd.
In November 1864 an explosion at the colliery claimed 4 lives, George Ward, age 19 and 3 members of the Goodall family.
Fence Colliery worked the Barnsley, Swallow Wood and Parkgate seams. The mine was sunk in 1862 and closed in 1902.
The Board Schools
Fence mixed Board School with Masters house was erected at a cost of £3300. Joseph Sanderson from Bolsterstone, was master in 1881.
Miss Annie Hessey was mistress of Fence Infants Board School
Fence Wesleyan Methodist Chapel
Records show that a Rev William Atkinson Wasney was living in Fence in 1841.
It was in 1864 that the Methodist Chapel was built by the Colliery Company at a cost of £400. At this time the church had 27 members and 57 Sunday School pupils. Lionel Bates, the Colliery Manager along with his daughter, held the Sunday School in the joiner's shop at the colliery. After hearing of this, one of the colliery directors went along and as a result it was not long after his visit that the new chapel was under construction.
In the early days the church was Congregational, but when Mr. Bates left the district, it changed to Wesleyan and joined the Rotherham Circuit enabling a preacher to be available each Sunday. Mr. Bates had personally been responsible for obtaining the services of a preacher.
Pioneers of the church were:
- Mr. G. Crossland
- Mr. Hewitt
- Mr. I. Liversedge
- Mr. and Mrs. Hutchinson
- The Sprigg family
Lionel Bates
He was born in Northumberland in about 1822 and lived with his wife Suzanne also from Northumberland, at Fence Cottage. Children living at the time of the 1871 census were, L. E. Bates, a daughter aged 17; Thomas L. aged 16; and Frederick C. Bates, aged 11. All the children were born in Derby.
Horatio Sorby
As previously mentioned Horatio Sorby of Fence Farm was owner of Fence Coal Company. In the 1871 census, his widower Mary, aged 74 was living at West Park Cottage, Swallownest, a farm with 350 acres. Her son also Horatio aged 51 ran the farm along with 3 boys, His wife was Martha aged 51 from Laughton; they had two children still living on the farm, Bruce aged 22 and Alice, both born at Aston. (It is noted that Wilfred R. Sorby, aged 30, was farming at Aughton Hall a farm of 129 acres)
Fence Farm and The Siddall Family
The stone used to build Fence Farm was from the local quarry at Handsworth.
Farming at this 92 acre farm in 1871 was Thomas Hopwood aged 56, originally from Wakefield; his wife Mary, 57 from Holbeck, Leeds. Also living here was their son Rev. Herbert J Hopwood a Clergyman Curate, aged 28 and daughter Mary Lawrence aged 29, a widower.
The sketch of Fence Farm, locates the ornate garden at the right and to the rear of the main farmhouse.
At some stage in the early 1900's Catherine Siddall from nearby Manor Farm at Woodhouse, moved to Fence with her son John Henry.
Catherine had married John Siddall, born 1852 at Curbar Derbyshire. In 1881 they were living at 9 Rhodes St Sheffield, where John was a Cow Keeper, employing 2 boys. At this time they had 3 children all born at Sheffield: William, born 1877, Mary born 1878, and Charles born in 1880. John Henry was born soon after.It is not known when daughters Edith and Kate were born.
As a young man, John Henry did odd jobs at Fence Farm, evenings, weekends and holidays, hoping to purchase a farm of his own.
On his first visit to Fence Farm looking for work, there were goats roaming the stone roofs of the outbuildings !
When the tenant farmer Samuel Tym from Edale, Derbyshire, eventually decided to leave Fence Farm, he offered John Henry the lease. Catherine was involved in the financial aspects of this move. The asking price was the farm, which included its historic main house, a walled garden, cottage and numerous out buildings, was the sum of £65.00 John and his mother were unable to pay for the farm outright. Negotiations took place and yearly payments were made which continued right up to the 1950s.
The Farm is shown on the 1850s map of Fence, the layout is much as it is today, including the pond on the lane leading from the main Sheffield Worksop Road. Marshall Wood shown on the enlarged map, was once a favourite family walk and picnic area, but later spoiled by open-cast coal mining prior to World War II.
The River Rother was about 200 yds from the property until it was diverted for the sluice gates at Woodhouse Mill. There used to be a track down from the farm to Woodhouse on the old Roman road which crossed the Rother.
In 1906, the marriage of John Henry to Beatrice Agnes Moorwood, brought together two well known families: The Siddalls of Curbar, Derbyshire, and The Morewoods of The Oaks, Bradfield and Alfreton. From an early period the Morewoods ranked among the principal gentry of the district who married into influental families such as Stafford, Eyre, Gill, Spencer, and Saunderson.
John Henry Siddall married Beatrice Agnes Moorwood, daughter of Arthur Moorwood, a pawnbroker from Woodhouse.
They married at the Independent Church, Woodhouse on 12 September, 1906.
The photograph shows John and Beatrice on the steps of the rear garden door of the farm, with family members.
In 2003 Kenneth Siddall of Fence Farm, a greatgrandson of John Siddall, located and restored the old overgrown well at Curbar, still referred to by locals as "Siddall's Well", he placed a carved stone plaque in commemoration.
The Siddall's still farm at Fence.
Falconer Farm
In 1871 June Thompson, a widow aged 64, is recorded as living at Faulkner House with her son Jonathan age 21 and 2 servants where they farmed 100 acres. The Turner's resided at Falconer farm in the late 1890s.
Living at Falcolners Farm in 1881 and farming 100 Acres ( Employing 2 Men) was Jonathon Thompson age 31 , born 1850 at Aughton, his wife Keziah age 25 born Beauchief, Sheffield. Children all born Aughton:
- John age 7
- Frank age 4
- Colin age 3
- Leonard age 2
- Janet THOMPSON age 2 weeks
The Turner's resided at Falconer farm in the late 1890s.
Park Hill Farm
In 1881 Park Hill farm covered 200 Acres, Thomas CURTIS, from Haxley, Lincoln lived here with his wife Mary E. from Belton, Lincoln. Thomas employed 2 men and boys.
At some stage, William Wood aged 55 from Finningley,farmed 270 acres with help from three men and three boys he employed. His wife Jane, 45, was from Retford. They had a daughter Suzanna aged 8, born in Aston.
Smallage Farm
Near Smallage House are the ages-old woodlands, Falconer Wood, Treeton Wood and Hail Mary Wood. The principal roadway westward from Aughton was Smallage Lane, which leads past Smallage House and down the hill to Woodhouse Hill station of the Great Central Railway and the North Midland Line which roads traverse the Rother Valley.
Situated midway between Aughton and Fence is Smallage House, with footpaths, at either side. John Mellors was a farmer at Smallage House in 1879. By 1881 John James Berry, born 1842 at Sheffield, age 39 was farming 80 Acres at Smallage Farm, he was also an Umbrella Maker employing 1 Man & 2 Boys. His wife Mary aged 27 was from Dronfield, Derbys. Children:
- Louie BERRY age 3 born Woodseats, Derbys
- Mary W. BERRY (Daur) Female 1 Dronfield,Derbys
They employed a general servant, Florence Kirkham born at Haigh Tree Hall.
Also listed as living at Smallage was William Robinson, aged 27 from Ordsall, Nottingham, he was an Agricultural labourer, so presume he was living in a cottage on the farm, with his wife Lucy Ann aged 24 from North Wheatley, Nottingham, and their son George H. age 2 born North Wheatley.
Smallage Farm, also known as Scholey’s Copse was the property of the Scholey family for many years
John Scholey Sr. second marriage was in 1660 with Isabelle Hancock, daughter of Robert, of the parish of Sheffield. "John sonne of John’ Scholey,was born Oct. 15, 1676." (Registers of All Saints of Aston Parish). He become known in America as John Scholey, Junior. (Note John, Jr., had a daughter named Isabel).
More about the Scholey Family
The principal home of this branch of the Scholeys in England was about one-half mile west of the ancient village of Aughton, and was known as Scholey’s Copse or as Smallage Farm. These properties were known as the Scholey homes for scores of years. This farm, of about eighty acres, lies on an elevation and has a good view of Aughton and Aston, and also west-ward over the Valley of the Rother to Woodhouse and Handsworth, about one and a half, and two miles away.
James Holland
A Patent was granted in about 1823 to James Holland, of Fence House, shoemaker, for certain improvements in the manufacture of boots and shoes.