THREADGOLD FARMS


Click here for John Threadgold's memories of the 1953 Flood

History

Frederick & Frank Threadgold (father & son) 2nd and 3rd generation blacksmiths on Foulness Island decided to go into farming instead.

When Oxenham & Millers farms came up for auction in September 1935 they bought them for £2600. They were sold by R. & B. Millbank of Friars Farm, Shoeburyness. Later they bought Rushley Island, which at the time it was being farmed by Sid Rayner of Home Farm Great Wakering.

During the war the farm was shot up by 4 German fighters returning to the continent following a raid on RAF Rochford. Nobody was injured but they did kill the farm cat!!. A minefield was laid through the farm in case of invasion, this did however claim some casualties. In June 1941 a 13 year old Bernard Aubrey Wendon, was throwing stones with two other boys at an exposed mine, caused it to explode and sent part of the fence marking the minefield through him, he died on the farmhouse kitchen table!! Also killed in November 1941 was Sgt William Wood Dow Petrie. While he was removing the minefield, he set one off, and the biggest piece they found of him was his foot still in his boot. At some point just following the war we had two German POWs working on the farm, one of which (Wolfgang) we kept in touch with. He visited Oxenham in the late 1980's and couldn't believe the changes as only one building was the same as when he worked here.

The German POWs & John, The barn in the background is still here

Frederick died in December 1945.

In 1949 the seawalls were breached on Rushley and it was flooded for several weeks, Oxenham was also flooded but the water stayed for one day only, this however had a greater detrimental affect on the land than the 1953 flood (Use the flood link above to find out more), where the land was underwater for nearly four weeks.

In 1954, the area of grass known as “the Piggery” which was being rented from W. Bentall, was added to the estate. In 1962 a new Partnership was formed between Frank, his wife Eva and son John, then also in 1962 “Taylor’s Piggery” was bought off Harold Taylor a butcher from Southchurch.

Rushley Island seperated from the rest of the farm in 1979, to be farmed by Johns sister Ann and her husband Peter Walker, and has since been bought buy the MOD, where the land is now rented by I F Burroughs from Foulness Island.

Frank died in October 1981.

Neil entered the partnership in 1987, and farms with John to this day (father & son).