THIS IS FINDON — www.findonvillage.com  created by Valerie Martin, contains scenes from her home village of Findon, West Sussex, U.K.

ROBERT ROGERS OF CLAPHAM?

The earliest photograph I have found of Rogers Farm is dated 1906.  Church Hill is in the background.

Copyright Valerie Martin 2002

It was Pam Stepney of North End in Findon who told me that the name Rogers Farm
is said to come from Robert Rogers of Clapham (1557).   If anyone has further information on this gentleman and his connection with Findon, please do let me know.

Findon hay field.

At the end of 2002, Deirdre Farquharson of Rogers Farm in Findon (O.S. ref: TQ 119 077) contacted Bert Jordan of the Findon News following the publication of my articles.   Deirdre told him that Rogers Farm had been so called since the 1500s.   She had purchased Rogers Farm with her husband in the 1960s and they decided not to change the name.   While researching some old maps at Lancing College, their son, Andrew found that the family homestead was shown on a very old ordnance survey map.

Another picture of Rogers Farm taken at some date before 1907.  West Hill Shaw as the backcloth.

The earliest map I have found Rogers Farm to have been shown on is dated 1823 (the date that the Findon Windmill was built).

Harvesting at Rogers Farm pre 1907

Some of those who farmed the land were  ...

Robert and John Hare
Henry Stapley
George Harrison
J W James
Albert Short
C M Squier
W H Wills

View of the Findon Downs from West Hill across Rogers Farm land, some time before 1913 — looking across to Nepcote.  The tall trees on the left of the picture at West Hill Shaw were a landmark known as the Seven Sisters.

 

Here's a neat etching of West Hill above Rogers Farm with Cissbury as backcloth.   Executed by Miss W. H. Bloomer of Worthing.  

This artist lived at 32 Harrow Road in Worthing and donated in 1961 to the Worthing Museum an oil "Portrait of Miss Langley, postmistress at Tarring c. 1910.  

In 1965 when living at 97 Rectory Road in Worthing she donated a pastel "Portrait of Les Fuller, Worthing Lifeboat" to the Worthing Museum.

In June 2008, Laura Kidner of Worthing Museum described Miss W. H. Bloomer as "very much an amateur local artist"...... but I still like the above etching.

 

 

 

Continue if you would like to read He Shot a Partridge at Rogers Farm.

 Back to Farming Index
 Back to Main Index

This is Findon — www.findonvillage.com is a continually growing record created exclusively for documenting life in Findon.

E-mail: valeriemartin@findonvillage.com