Offmore Farm, Kidderminster

[Yegvard]

Hi Folks,

I have a George HANDS, born in Kings Norton in 1831.  In the 1871 census he is living at Offmore Farm, St. George's parish, Kidderminster, with his family.  The occupation looks like Farmer & Leather Manufacturer, employing 50 men.

Does anyone have a photo or drawing of the farm as it might have looked then please?

Also can anyone tell me anything about the leather trade in Kidderminster at that time.

Regards

Mike

[Nemo]

Hi Mike

There was at George Hands who was the owner of the Stourport Tannery in Park Lane Stourport. He was dead by 1876. Information gleaned from the Access to Archives website  http://www.a2a.org.uk  and the on-line directories www.historicaldirectories.org.uk. I think that may well be your George Hands. Unfortunately there seems to be a gap for relevant directories on-line for Offmore Farm between 1855 and 1879. From that date until 1892 Robert Lloyd is listed as the farmer. He also ran the Lion Hotel in Kidderminster.

 “Stourport-on-Severn - A history of the town and area” by Anne Bradford edited by Michael R Kettle, published in 2002 by Hunt End Books does not mention the Park Lane Tannery, but there is some information on tanning in Stourport that you may find helpful. There’s copy of the book at Worcestershire CRO, not certain if there’s one at the Worcester Family History Centre. You could search the on-line library catalogue for your area
http://opac.worcestershire.gov.uk/TalisPrism/index.html

a2a does list deposited documents from a Kidderminster solicitor re Hands and the Tannery and a search of the full index in Worcester may well give you more clues. You may find that the sale of Offmore Farm to Robert Lloyd may yield more useful info/plans.

I see that you would like a drawing or photo of the farm in the 1870's. Does that mean that you know the farm was subsequently rebuilt?  If it wasn’t, then I guess that you have already looked - without any luck - at the pre-war aerial views of Kidderminster in the Worcestershire Photographic survey.  Others maybe interested to know that Worcestershire County Council has over 60000 photographs taken in the county. The handlist can be found at
http://worcestershire.whub.org.uk/home/wcc-records-photo-survey-database  Although Offmore doesn’t get a separate mention, the collection includes both pre-war and post-war aerial views of Kidderminster. The Offmore Farm Estate wasn’t built until the late 1960’s, but looking at the County Council GIS   http://gis.worcestershire.gov.uk/website/Environment/viewer.htm I am wondering if the farm still exists. The words Offmore Farm are shown to the east of the Offmore Farm Estate. I am not familiar with Kidderminster, so hope someone with local knowledge can help.

Commercial photographic companies had only been in existence for about 20 years in the 1870’s and I suggest that you email Ray Jones through his surfworcester photographic archive website for advice.

HTH
Nemo

[StintonLomas]

Hi
I don't know about sketches/photos but you can certainly find Offmore Farm on the 1888 map on www.old-maps.co.uk.

Use Offmore Road, Kidderminster as your search criteria, choose a middling number say 100 Offmore Road, then move east  2  clicks until you see an isolated farm in the middle of the red square, then zoom in.

[Yegvard]

Many thanks for the detailed replies,

I only sorted the location of this HANDS out on Saturday.  Although George and family were living in Kidderminster, the first few children, at least, were being baptised in Kings Norton.  I think someone in Kings Norton confused George with his younger brother, Charles William, as George was also listed as a commercial traveller.  Offmore Farm is now a carehome

Although George died in 1876, aged 46 years, he did seem to leave his wife well supported.

Thanks again

Mike

[lymtile]

My name is John Oliver Marshall and I was born at Offmore Farm on 2nd December 1950.
 The farm was one of two, owned by my late grandfather, William Oliver Attwood. The other being The Low Farm at Arley near Bridgenorth. I understand that his father had a string of butcher shops around the Worcestershire area, and the farms were the main source of supply.

Both farms were sold on my grandfathers death in 1953/4

I also seem to remember that his mothers parents occupied the farm at some stage, and I believe, but I'm not certain that their family name was Oliver.
I would be pleased to hear if anyone has any further information  concerning the Attwood/Oliver families.

[della nee scriven]

hi  my name is Della Frances Barber nee Scriven , my father Brian Francis Scriven lived at Offmore farm

 I think from his birth 11/1/42 until he married in the early 60's.

He worked for Robin Blakeway who owned the farm until he retired. 

please ask if there is anything you would like to know and I'll try my best to help .

Della

[Yegvard]

Hi Della,

Welcome and thanks for replying.  I'm looking for any information regarding the farm and it's activities around 1870.  That includes old stories (gossip even) as well as photos or sketches of the original (1870) buildings.

Thanks

Mike

[cnickless]

Resurrecting this old one!

The original Offmore farmhouse is still there today, it is a care home, I have visited it and have a photo as my family was once connected to the farm in the early 1900's.

A William Henry Nickless, who is buried in St. James Church Wollaston, it is written on his tombstone, that he was of Offmore Farm Kidderminster.  His father had owned Hodgehill Farm which is near by.

Was wondering if you were ever been able to get any old details of the farm or older pictures?  I am not sure of the ownership of the farm when my family occupied it.

[Yegvard]

Hi

Sorry I don't have anything useful, but I have just thought of the Return of Owners of Land, 1873.

Go to http://www.uk-genealogy.org.uk/cgi-bin/DB/search.cgi?action=loadDB&DB=1 Worcestershire has been transcribed and there are 2 NICKLESS mentioned.

Are they yours?

Mike