Little Luddington Farm

[tofgem]

My great uncle Thomas Higginson lived at Little Luddington Farm, Luddington  in and around 1910. Does anyone know anything about him, his family or the farm? I have located it on a map and read the current parish plan, but that is all. He moved there after the 1901 census.

[wozzle]

do you know where and when he was born who his parents were anything no matter how trivial may help.

[tofgem]

Yes, I do know a little. He was born in 1876 in Milton Village, Staffordshire (parents James and Ann Higginson). He was living in Lily Street, Wolstanton in 1881, in Walton, Eccleshall in 1891 and in Brookvale Cottage, Denby according to the 1901 census and was working at the ironworks. I believe he was married amd had children, but so far I have not identified his wife. There are several possible matches in Free BMD. His father died at Little Luddington Farm in 1910 and his sister gave the farm as her address when she married in 1911. I believe he was still at the farm in the 1920s.

[wozzle]

don't know if you have seen this already but if you google"little luddington farm" when it comes up go down to where it says "notes on the origins of luddington methodist chapel" click on it and you will see some info. on thomas higginson.

[tofgem]

Wozzle
I couldn't find the exact reference you mentioned, but on about page 13 I did find some information about methodism and Thomas Higginson. It shows that perseverance shows results (I have googled Little Luddington Farm several times, but have not scrolled through all the pages). I have certainly found something which I did not know before. Thanks a lot for your trouble.
Tofgem

[wozzle]

o.k. this is quite long you might already know this.
in the 1920's a tom sankey and his wife lived at the manor farm in luddington. he was a circuit steward of the stratford-upon-avon wesleyan methodist circuit.
thomas higginson was a local methodist minister his wifes name was martha .
the higginsons used to hold methodist garden party meetings at their farm(little luddington farm)
these were attended not only by the local methodists but by people from all around the circuit
tom sankey and his lady companion miss neen used to hold a sunday evening service at their farm.
about 1931 tom sankey retired and sold the farm .
the new owner of the farm a mr gwynne was not a churchman so the sunday services ceased .
there was a building in the village belonging to the higginsons farm. so tom higginson said he would turn it into a methodist chapel.
thomas higginson died in 1932 just as the work on the chapel was nearing completion.
his wife saw the completion through along with help from others.
thomas higginson was buried at stratford-upon-avon
before thomas died he supplied some land to a local builder.
this builder built two houses at the stratford end of the farm one of which was retained by the higginsons for payment for the land. martha higginson named the house heathville after her grandparents. the other house which was called southville was sold to a tom beckitt who was also a methodist local preacher. he became class leader at luddington.
in the early 1940's martha was the organist at the chapel
the children jim higginson and ted higginson became chapel organists
john higginson became a local preacher and robert higginson became a minister.

p.s. there is more if you want to know the rest i will post it but my hands are getting tired now.

[tofgem]

Thanks a lot for your trouble. I did not know any of the information you sent me. Yes, I would like to know the rest, but to save you the trouble of typing it, how about sending me the address of the web site and I will find it for myself.

[tofgem]

Wozzle.
I've found the web site myself. Thanks a lot.