Farms and Farming

THE "SECOND DOMESDAY"

"At the commencement of the Second World War in September 1939, Britain was faced with an urgent need to increase food production … and under Defence (General) Regulation 49 the Minister of Agriculture and Fisheries was empowered to set up County War Agricultural Executive Committees to which the authority to increase food production was delegated."

This was followed by the National Farm Survey which was a "permanent and comprehensive record of the conditions on the farms of England and Wales".

In April 1941 the County War Agricultural Executive Committees received a Circular Letter from the Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries setting out the scope and purpose of the extended Survey. This would comprise of three components:

1. A Primary Farm Record for each of farm providing information on conditions of tenure and occupation; and on the natural state of the farm, including its fertility, the adequacy of its equipment and of its water and electricity supplies, the degree of infestation with weeds or pests, and the management condition of the farm.

2. The complete 1941 June 4th census return for the farm including statistics of crop acreages and livestock numbers and information on rent and length of occupancy.

3. A plan of the farm showing its boundaries and the fields contained in it. Every farm and holding of five acres and more was to be surveyed, including those of market gardeners, horticulturists, and poultry-keepers. Holdings of one to five acres, in fact, represented less than one per cent of the total area of crops and grass and were subject to a separate survey of the horticultural sub-committees of the County War Agricultural Executive Committees.

Below is the information recorded from a smallholding in Burghclere.

Name of Holding: Burghclere Grange Code: 3/147/2824

Name of Farmer: Lt. Col. Hayter Tenure: Owner Parttime farmer (retired army officer)

Does farmer occupy other land?

Yes This information is taken from Leaflet 129, Public Record Office, Ruskin Avenue, Kew, Richmond, TW9 4DU