1870 - 1940
Fruit Grower at Old Rectory
Farm
Charles Jacob Page was a
member of a local farming family who spent all his life farming Old Rectory Farm (also called Church Farm) and Highams Farm. His father was Robert Wesney Page
who farmed Highams and Longwick farms from 1870s, and Charles was
probably born at Highams. Charles’s brother, Ernest Page farmed Beckingham Hall and William Robert Page, another
brother, lived and farmed Follyfaunts
between 1888 and 1903. Benjamin Page farmed White House in Tolleshunt D’arcy in
the early 1800s, who was Charles’s grandfather. Early postcard scenes of “The
Apiary” and “Poultry Run” have the name “Ralph Page” on them, but it is not
know what relation Ralph was to Charles. Over a period of 40 years in the
fields to the east of the Church and village Charles developed a mixed soft
fruit orchard with apple, pears, plums, cherries, greengages. He employed many
local workers who he called his “boys”.
The Page family also owned
the barge shown in this postcard moored at The Shoe, which was used to
transport farm produce to London and return with “manure”. The registered owner
was Robert Wesney Page of Highams Farm...
Charles always had an interest
in cars and mechanical devices, and was said to be the first person in the
village to own an automobile. His interest may well have stemmed from his
brother-law, Frank Wellington. Charles’s wife was
Ethel Beatrice Page, née Bailey. Frank’s wife was Ellen Maude Bailey.
Charles in the rear on the
right, his brother Ernest is next to him, Frank Wellington is the driver in the
photo on the left and he is in his 1906
Oleans car near the Old Rectory on the right…
.
Robert
Page on a bicycle outside Follyfaunts
These two photographs below
taken around 1900 at Highams Farm are said to show Robert Page (in left-hand
photo) and Charles Page (in left-hand photo)…
This postcard image showing
the very neat rows of fruit tree on the Old Rectory Farm has a very similar
reference number the postcard showing the barge at the top of this page which
would indicate it was taken 1910 and 1920. Charles Page could well be the
person on the left wearing a straw boater and the boy in the middle could be
one of his sons...
Charles Page’s interest in
all things mechanical led him to develop equipment for processing the fruit. He
acquired several old Ford Model T trucks. Initially he used to them to
transport produce to local railway stations which led to one bazaar circumstance involving these trucks. but later he
converted them to become spraying machines. He also developed his own jam
making facility, complete with his own version of a jam jar washing machine
that used water extracted from a well by a wind pump. He employed several local
girls to make the jam. The sketch is based on the a description of the facility
given by one of his workers…
The 1901 census lists Allen Carter, horseman -
worker on farm, as head occupier of the Old Rectory, so Charles was probably
living at Highams Farm at that time.
Hoever, in 1906 all of the properties of former Rector the Revd. C B Leigh were offered for sale. This extract from
the brochure shows that Charles was the tenant and he probably purchased it at
that time…
In 1922 the Chelmsford
Chronicle reported that were was a fire at the Old Rectory that caused
substantial damage to the roof. Charles seems to have taken this as an
opportunity to add a third floor to the building as can be seen by these 1900s
and 1950s photos…
He is said to have acquired
surplus building material from HMS Osea to
undertake the work, and the third floor extension and a new barn in the
farmyard adjacent were build in part with WW-1 round tent poles. The tent poles
are still in place in the barn, complete with the ferrules.
Charles’s wife Ethel Beatrice
Page participated in many village activites, was a founder member of the
Goldhanger W.I. and its president between 1949 and 1954, and for many years was
a village school manager. She was well known locally
as a musician, pianist and poet. Several of her poems describing local scenes
was published in the Essex Chronicle in the late 1930s and two were included in
the Goldhanger Millennium Calendar. Charles and Ethel had three
children. Sadly however Alan was killed at a very young age when he fell from a
tree in the Old Rectory garden. He is in this 1908 photograph (below on the
left) in a donkey cart with Rex and Winsome. The later photo (on the right)
shows just Rex and Winsome. After Charles’s death in 1940, Rex continued to run
the Old Rectory Fruit Farm until the 1960s.
Rex,
Winsome & Alan with Aske the Donkey
later Rex and Winsome
The postcards below of The
Apiary and the Poultry Run have the name “Ralph Page” in the titles,
but it is not know what relation this Ralph was to Charles. Local records from
around 1910 identify a “Ralph Page” as owner of the impressive “French Gardens”
in Tiptree that specialised in growing fruit and vegetable under glass, but it
not know if this person was related to Charles or the person referred to on the
postcards.…
an extract from… The Essex Chronicle - 28 December 1934
_____________________
extracts from… The Chelmsford Chronicle - 24 May 1935
A
TRAGIC TOUR
Frost
ruins fruit crops
Farmers
face bankruptcy and men unemployment
Damage to the
extent of many thousands of pounds was done to the Essex fruit crop by the
unusually severe frost that occurred towards the end of last week. Many small
fruit farmers are ruined, and it is doubtful whether some of the larger growers
will weather the storm.
A
few days ago the crop promised to be the best of recent years. Trees, bushes,
and plant, were blossom covered. Today that which would soon have been young
fruit is blackened and useless. Some of the apple and pear trees appear to be
untouched, but careful examination reveals the fatal black mark of frost. Some
of the younger growers have not yet fully realised what a loss they have
sustained. The whole county is affected, but the frost has caused terrible
havoc in those districts which may be considered as the heart of the industry -
Goldhanger, Tiptree, D'Arcy, Totham and Maldon. It has always been considered
that Goldhanger, because of the salt air, has been more or less protected from
frost. But this time there is not a tree untouched.
I
went round several farms with Mr. Charles Page of the Old Rectory Fruit, Farm,
Goldhanger. It was a tour of tragedy.
Mr. Page has been fruit farming for over 35 years. He knows the business
right through. His crop is wiped out. First of all he took me round his own
well ordered orchards. A day or so ago they were a picture and many people were
asking permission to walk round and see them. I can't find a tree untouched,
and I’ve been looking all day." said Mr. Page. Together we examined apple,
pears, plums, cherries, greengages. It was always the same story.
Then
Mr. Page took me to see some of his neighbours. On the way he said: "The
troubles is that the fruit farmer gets no help
from the government at all. Farm after farm, and smallholding after
smallholding, all revealed the tragic truth. We came to a field owned by Mr. H.
D. Smyth. Mr. Page spoke sadly: “Here is two and a half acres of what was one
of the best crops of strawberries I have ever seen. There could have been none
better in Essex. They were worth £250 at the least. Then the frost, - and now
Mr. Smyth will be lucky if ho gets a few shillings. Mr. Page added: "It is
a shame that so many will be out of work. Many of us have trained our men - and
good boys they are too. But the farmer cannot keep them on. There is nothing to
do and money will be scarce."
_____________________
extracts from… The Chelmsford Chronicle - 10 May 1940
A
NOTED FRUIT GROWER
Death
of Mr. C. J. Page
We regret to report the death, which
occurred suddenly on Wednesday morning, of Mr. Charles J. Page, a noted fruit
grower, of the Old Rectory, Goldhanger. He was about as usual on Tuesday, when
he drove his wife into Maldon. He was seized with illness during the night, and
Dr. Phillips was called. In the early hours of Wednesday be chatted with the
doctor, who was about to leave, when Mr. Page collapsed and died in a few
minutes. Mr. Page, who was 70, lived all his life in Goldhanger. He bought the
Old Rectory many years ago, and developed fruit growing, particularly apples of
the D'Arcy Spice variety, of which be was a pioneer, becoming well-known over a
wide area, and last yew he realised his ambition in producing a full crop.
He was skilled in mechanical appliances,
which he applied to both fruit growing and horticulture. He also reared poultry
extensively. In his early days he also had much to do with horses. His wife was
always an interested partner in his life and work, and as a capable musician
she has been of great help in the social life of the village. Mr. Page was a
kind and generous man, never refusing aid for any deserving cause. Ho leaves a
widow, a son (Mr. Rex Page, who assists at the farm), and two daughters. A
brother is Mr, Ernest Page, of Beckingham Hall. The funeral is to-morrow
(Saturday), at Goldhanger Church at 2.30 p.m.
An
Appreciation
What exactly was it that made Mr.
Charles Page through his long life in Goldhanger a unique personality and one
which an of us should endeavour to imitate? It was, firstly, the mechanical and
agricultural versatility that made him one of the builders and producers of
this present England of ours; and secondly, his broad democratic principles
which endeared him to his work people. He was everything that Defoe's character
Robinson Crusoe, was and more than this, because he produced beautiful fruit
for the market second to none. He never sought popularity - it just came to him
without the seeking - and anyone who found him a friend never lost him as one.
He knew how to forgive and forget any passing difficulty.
From the childhood day when his father held him up at the bedroom window at Highams in winter to show him wild geese over the Blackwater he had loved and protected wild life. One has only to ascend Goldhanger Church and look north, south and east over the forest of fruit trees he had planted and the buildings he had constructed, to say, "If you seek his monument look around." Some of the trees he planted from seed nearly half a century ago, and others he grafted. The Old Rectory, a ruin when he came, he reconstructed, and with the help of Mrs. Page made it into a beautiful residence. He had an inborn sense of justice. and was every inch a Briton. He died as he would have wished. in harness, surrounded by what his unflagging energy made a landmark of a lifetime and a proud feature of the district and the county.
_____________________
After Charles’s death in 1940 his son Rex continued to manage the Old
Rectory Fruit Farm while living at “Four Winds” in Church St. His daughter Winsome continued to live at the
Old Rectory until her death in the 1990s. Winsome trained as a nurse and met
her husband Bill Hopwood in a London Hospital. Most of the
photos on this webpage relating to her father and the Old Rectory were given to
the History Group by Winsome. Bill died in 1962 and Winsome died in 2000.
The scale of the orchards
that Charles created are shown as the dotted areas on the north east side of
the village on this 1960s map…
After Rex’s death the
orchards were sold and then destroyed in the early 1970s as part of a Common
Market agricultural scheme to reduce the number of fruit orchards in northern
Europe.
The late Cyril Southgate’s
wrote in his early Goldhanger memories...
“Charles Jacob Page (Paddy),
Old Rectory Farm, was buried in May 1940.
His grave was lined with
apple blossom from the orchards which he planted in this younger days and
farmed all his life”.