Mary Williams’s Statement (c. 1974)

The copy held ends here, without a signature or date. Any further page has not been found.

“My family have lived and farmed at Great House Farm since 1667. Originally the farm consisted of about 45 acres the other side of the Lechwith Road and the land surrounding the farmhouse and buildings of which about 10 acres now remain.”

What it records: the family’s date of 1667, and a farm of about 45 acres reaching across Leckwith Road, of which about 10 acres around the farmhouse remained by the time of the statement.

A + B as oneParcel reading. Before 1877 the farm was one holding. The “about 10 acres now remain” is Parcel A.

“The freehold of the greater part of the farm consisting of the farmhouse and buildings and about 10 acres which I still occupy was sold by the Bute Estate to Daniel Thomas and another portion consisting of about 9 acres up on the top was retained by the Bute Estate.”

“… my grandfather entered into fresh tenancy agreements with Daniel Thomas and with the Bute Estates, so that he remained in possession of the farm but with two landlords in respect of different portions of the farm. The portion leased from the Bute Estate Office was given up later, and does not concern this action.”

What it records: Bute served notice to quit in 1877 (Mary says her father showed her the notice), then sold the house parcel to Daniel Thomas while retaining the eastern land. The farmhouse, buildings and about 10 acres went to Daniel Thomas; about 9 acres “up on the top” stayed with the Bute Estate. Her grandfather held each part from a different landlord. Mary had this from her father, not at first hand.

Parcel AParcel reading. The Thomas/Williams side was the full house/quarrying parcel: farmhouse/buildings, barn, stable and west-side yard, garden, north forest and south-east green ground. The c.10-acre description is not reduced to the farmhouse footprint.

Parcel BParcel reading. The ~9 acres Bute kept is the family’s best match for Parcel B, the fields. “Given up later” fits the fields being taken back in 1955.

“I remember that the agreement provided that the rent should progressively decrease as land was taken for quarrying. It was also provided that when the quarrying ceased the freehold should belong to my grandfather.”

What it records: Mary saw the Thomas agreement herself. She recalls a rent that fell as land was quarried, and a term that the freehold would pass to her grandfather when quarrying ceased. It was kept in the blanket box at the farmhouse. See The 1877 agreement.

Parcel AParcel reading. The agreement was with the owner of the house parcel, so the freehold it promised was Parcel A.

“In the year 1908 my grandfather died and my father took over the farm. I married my husband Frederick Buckler in 1936 and he ca[me to] live with me at the Farmhouse.”

“During the war my father had difficulty in farming the land to the satisfaction of the War Agricultural Executive Committee, owing to his age and in 1944 it was arranged that my husband should give up his job and run the farm as Manager for my father.”

What it records: John Williams took over in 1908. Mary married Frederick Buckler in 1936 and he moved into the farmhouse. In 1944, under pressure from the War Agricultural Executive Committee, Frederick became farm manager for her father.

Parcel AParcel reading. The marriage home was the farmhouse, Parcel A.

Parcel BParcel reading. The War Agricultural Committee was concerned with farming the land, so most likely the fields. Frederick managed that farming for John Williams, the tenant.

“… there was still machinery at the quarry until 1928 when the machinery was removed and the last payment of rent was made to Alfred Thomas the son of Daniel Thomas. I remember that this payment was made by my father and that the rent was then about £4 per annum. I saw the receipt for this last payment of rent. After this my father regarded the farm as his own …”

“I have never had any doubt that I was entitled to do so nor have I ever paid rent to or acknowledged the title of anyone as landlord.”

What it records: quarrying machinery left in 1928. Her father paid a last rent of about £4 a year to Alfred Thomas, and Mary saw the receipt [PENDING: EV-0016]. From then her father treated the farm as his own. Mary never paid rent on it or acknowledged anyone as landlord.

Parcel AParcel reading. Rent to the Thomases related to the full house/quarrying estate in the family’s 1928 title case. “The farm” is not restricted here to the occupied house group Mary later defended.

“He informed me that Mr. Knapp had asked him to look for the papers which my father had relating to the farm and that he had taken the papers which were in the blanket box including the agreement relating to the farm and given them to Mr. Knapp.”

“The first application was made by Western Ground Rents and I think that the disappearance of the papers was in some way connected with this.”

What it records: in June 1950 a Penarth estate agent and lay preacher, Mr Knapp, arranged for a lodger to stay at the farmhouse. The lodger stayed about two years. Later he told Mary he had taken the family’s papers from the blanket box at Mr Knapp’s request, including “the agreement relating to the farm”, and handed them to Mr Knapp. Mary found the papers gone. She told no one at the time. She linked their loss to WGR’s first possession application.

Parcel AParcel reading. The papers taken were the title evidence for Parcel A: the Thomas agreement and, probably, the 1928 receipt.

“I have dealt with the question of the two applications for possession in 1955 and 1962 in my previous statement.”

What it records: Mary made an earlier statement dealing with the 1955 and 1962 applications [PENDING: EV-0033].

Parcel BParcel reading. On 4 July 1955 WGR enforced possession of the eastern fields; on the family’s established account, the same operation also seized the north forest and south-east green belonging to Parcel A [PENDING: EV-0034].

Occupied house groupParcel reading. 1962: the farmhouse and garden that Mary still occupied, within Parcel A but not the full extent of Parcel A.

“My husband died in 1967 and I have contained [sic] in occupation of the farmhouse and land surrounding it ever since.”

“The other defendants of this action are my daughter Janet and her husband and my son William Buckler. None of them make any claim to the property as they are merely staying here to look after me …”

What it records: Frederick died in 1967, which settles the date against the estate paper’s December 1965. Mary stayed in occupation of the farmhouse and surrounding land, claiming it in her own right. Her daughter, son-in-law and son were co-defendants but claimed nothing themselves.

Parcel AParcel reading. “The farmhouse and land surrounding it” is read on the family’s case as the full Parcel A: house/buildings, barn, stable and yard west of the house, garden, north forest and south-east green ground later registered as VG41. The statement should not be reduced to only the occupied central area.