Properties
Related sites:
Charles Crocker successfully defends his good name in a court case over
watered-down milk
Air
Crash on
Cross Lanes Farm, 1931
Church Tithe Payments
1919
Arborfield Hall Estate
Sale document,
Lot 2:
Cross Lanes Farm
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In 1839 the farm is not named on the Tithe Map but we
know that the land was owned by John Walter Esq. and occupied by
Edward Hewitt. By comparing the 1839 map with one dated 1990, it would
seem that Walden Avenue was built on the field known as Causeway
Pightle and Pudding Lane Nursery is to be found on what was Pudding Lane
Ground (which was owned and occupied by Messrs. J.&C. Simonds)
Edward Hewitt also occupied land near to Ducks Nest Farm. White Well
Hill Field was owned by John Walter Esq., Long Hill and Short Hill by
Sir Samuel Fludyer and The Rances (4 fields) by Mrs. Baster of King
Street. The white area to the top and right of the 1839 map lay in
Newland, hence the lack of detail on the Arborfield Tithe Map.
Edward Hewitt occupied one final piece of land with Henry Englefield and
William Strudwick. This land named Common Mead was situated down by the
River Loddon and was owned by Sir Henry Russell and Mrs. Baster.
THE OCCUPIERS OF CROSS LANES FARM
1839 Edward Hewitt (1839 Tithe Map)
1854 Richard Wells - farmer (P.O. Directory)
1861 Richard Wells - 55 farmer - 141 acres employing 5 men
Catherine Wells - 46 wife
Elizabeth Wells - 18 daughter
John M. Wells - 16 son
Thomas Hambleton - 21 cowman
John Goodenough - 14 carter boy
George Smith - 14 carter boy
(census)
1863 Richard Wells - farmer (P.O. Directory)
1864 Richard Wells - farmer - Cross Lanes (P.O. Directory)
1869 Richard Wells - farmer (P.O. Directory)
1871 Richard Wells - 64 farmer - 130 acres emp.5men 2 boys
Catherine Wells - 56 wife
Richard M. Wells - 23 son
Susannah Wells - 21 daughter
Thomas Pocock - 18 farm servant
Thomas Merrit - 15 farm servant
(census)
1876 Richard Wells - farmer (P.O. Directory)
1881 Richard Wells - 75 farmer - 140 acres emp.5labs.2boys
Catherine Wells - 66 wife
Richard M. Wells - 32 farmers
son (census)
1883 Richard Wells - farmer (P.O. Directory) (also 1887)
1889 Richard Wells - Cross Lanes Farm (Electoral Reg.)
1891 Richard M. Wells - 42 farmer
Catherine Wells - 75 (wid.)
mother
Elizabeth Wells - 47 sister
James Mitchell - 20 farm
servant
James Powell - 14 farm servant
(census)
1895 Richard Mallam Wells - farmer (P.O. Directory) (also 1899)
1901 Richard M. Wells - 52 farmer
John M. Wells - 54 brother -
farmer
Elizabeth Wells - 56 sister
(census)
1903 Richard M. Wells & John M. Wells - farmers (P.O.Directory) (also
1907)
1924 Charles Walter Crocker - farmer (P.O. Directory) (also 1924, 1928,
1931, 1935, 1939)
In 1862 Richard Wells (senior) was appointed as a Church Warden (with
Harry Englefield) on April 21st at a meeting about the New Church - the
foundation stone of which was laid in August 1862.
From 1894 to 1901, John Michael Wells and Richard Mallam Wells (junior)
were both named as an Overseers.
It would seem that Richard Wells (senior) died sometime between 1889 and
1891 as Catherine, his wife, is referred to as ‘widow’, and his son
Richard Mallam Wells has returned to Cross Lanes by 1891 and lived there
with his mother and sister, Elizabeth.
Charles Crocker featured in the Reading Mercury in
1931 when he was forced to defend his good name when accused of
watering-down milk that he sold at his shop Whitley Street in Reading.
Read about the case here.
The Farm was considered in 1943 as one of the proposed
sites for post-war housing (see Newland
Parish Council Minutes, under 'Amalgamation of Parishes'),
but in the event, a site along School Road was chosen instead (Anderson
and Emblen Crescents).
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