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On This Day in Wembury

9 October 1877 — Old Barton Farm to Let by Tender

On this day the Western Morning News carried notice that Old Barton Farm, Wembury, amounting to around 163 acres, was to be let by tender from 20 October for a term of either 7 or 14 years. The holding comprised both pasture and arable land, with a “very good farmhouse and homestead” included. Interested parties were directed to Mr. F. Ellis at the South Wembury entrance lodge on Mondays and Fridays, or to view the farm itself on Wednesdays. Further particulars were available from Mr. Adams of Boringdon Villas, Plymouth, to whom written tenders were to be submitted by 15 October.

Reflection: Old Barton is one of Wembury’s long-established farms, closely tied to South Wembury House (later Thorn). This 1877 tender shows how the estate was actively managed and its lands leased out to tenants. The detailed acreage and flexible terms also illustrate the importance of tenant farming in Victorian rural Devon, where continuity of stewardship was central to sustaining both community and estate.

Source: Western Morning News, 9 October 1877.

On This Day in Wembury — 9 October 1950

Harvest thanksgiving at the Jubilee Inn

On 9 October 1950, the Western Evening Herald reported on the annual harvest thanksgiving service held at the Jubilee Inn, Wembury.

The service had taken place on the Saturday evening and was conducted by the Rev. K. Tagg. For the occasion, the bars of the inn were decorated with fruit, vegetables, corn and a harvest loaf, turning the pub into an unusual but very local setting for a traditional harvest celebration.

After the service, the produce was auctioned, raising £10 3s.

That money was not simply added to church funds. The report says it was to be placed in trust “to improve conditions for aged people living in local almshouses.”

It is a lovely little snapshot of post-war village life. The harvest service itself was rooted in the farming year, but the money raised was directed towards practical help for older local residents. The whole event also says something about the role of the Jubilee Inn at the time: not simply a pub, but a place used for community gatherings and charitable events.

The amount raised, £10 3s, may sound modest now, but in 1950 it represented a useful contribution to a local cause, especially from a single evening’s service and auction.

So this was harvest thanksgiving in the most practical sense: produce brought in from the fields and gardens, displayed in the village pub, then sold to help older people in the community.

Source: Western Evening Herald, 9 October 1950.