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)…
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
These postcards 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.…
.
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an extract from… The Essex Chronicle - 28 December 1934
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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.
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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. He was killed during World War Two.
Most of the photos on this webpage were given to the History Group by
Winsome. The scale of the orchards that Charles created is shown as the dotted
areas on the east side of the village on this 1960s map…
The orchards were destroyed
in the early 1970s as part of a Common Market 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”.