Lingham Family History at Court Farm
The Trustees of the Rev. Formby sold the Estate to Messrs Hilton Anderson & Co. and a Partnership was formed between Thomas Lingham and a Mr Davies, known as Lingham & Davies in October 1881.
This Partnership continued until 10th October 1895 when they had a Live and Deadstock sale at Court Farm. Thereafter Thomas Lingham took over Court Farm completely.
The Lingham family still have the documents of these two Sales.
Thomas Lingham had three daughters Mabel, Edith and Nora and one son, Ivo. Ivo attended the South Eastern Agricultural College at Wye in 1912 and took over the tenancy at Court Farm sometime between 1917 and 1918.
Ivo married Gladys Dunford and they had four sons, Raymond, Douglas, Kenneth, Peter and one daughter Barbara.
Ivo died on 14th December 1971.
His sons all became farmers and it was Peter who took over the running of the farm at Court Farm for many years.
He grew a variety of crops including, wheat, barley, oats, peas, cabbages, potatoes, runner beans. He also ran a livestock enterprise and this consisted of a Pedigree Sussex suckler herd, laying hens and fattened store lambs.
Peter married Jean Elsie Cornish in 1956 and they had two children Andrew and Fiona.
Andrew returned to Court Farm in 1989 after travelling to Australia, New Zealand, farming in USA and completing 4 years studying Agriculture at Seale-Hayne College, gaining an HND and Diploma in Farm Management.
Peter created ‘Peter Lingham & Partners’ in 1992 and Andrew joined the family Partnership. Amanda, Andrew’s former Partner, helped on the farm with tractor driving, running the farmgate sales outlet (forerunner to the shop) two mornings per week, and did the farm bookkeeping.
Harry was born in February 1998 and Alex in April 2002, both of them were born at home in The Oast.
The Butchery fully opened in 2002, located in the old dairy building that had subsequently been converted with the help of SEEDA grant funding.
Andrew now manages the farm, growing a variety of arable crops under Regenerative Agricultural prescriptions including wheat, barley, oats, beans and Linseed. Beef and Lamb are also produced at Court Farm under the guidelines of the Pasture Fed Livestock Association.
The Farm Butchery has gone from strength to strength selling and promoting the Pasture Fed livestock produced here at Court Farm and at Ranscombe Farm Nature Reserve which Andrew farms for Plantlife International
The Farmshop also sells as much Kentish and Locally Produced food as possible.
Tania and Andrew married in Jan 2014.
Tania helps with the promotion of Court Farm to the wider public – bringing the WI Centenary Scarecrows here in 2016, organising the Sunflower Photo competition, and the ‘Fence Gallery’ for local sculptor and artist Ellen Cooper as well as leading her own informative walks on local history, Tania also led walks for the Kent Ramblers Assoc.
She has also helped to organise the Court Farm Barn Dances featuring the popular ‘Hot Rats’.
Harry and Alex, now at the beginning of their careers are both passionate about farming and British Agriculture.
Harry has just finished his 3 year course at Harper Adams Agricultural College and is now planning to work away on a variety of farms in the UK to further his experience and knowledge.
Alex is working at Court Farm this year to gain valuable experience and due to start his course at Harper Adams Agricultural College next year.
With this in mind the future of the Lingham Family at Court Farm looks set to continue.