Farm Cottage

A lavender and vegetable farm

By Cheryl Bailey

This little farm on Wrythe Lane was just south of the St.Helier Estate footprint opposite Connaught Road and was not demolished till the late 1930s. During the 19th century, it was the home of Charles Simms, a lavender grower who brought up a family of six children there although it was a small, one-storey building. 

Two of his sons, Joseph and Charles, also became lavender growers, Charles working from Westcroft Farm. This younger Charles gave information about his farming practices to a Parliamentary Commission in 1868. The information must have been true of Farm Cottage too.

Probably about 300 acres of medical herbs are grown in this district altogether, and about nine-tenths of that extent consist of mint and lavender.

“My brother and myself grow about 60 acres of medical herbs here. We cultivate altogether about 160 acres. Probably about 300 acres of medical herbs are grown in this district altogether, and about nine-tenths of that extent consist of mint and lavender. Women are employed a little in the spring for pulling up the young plants in the nurseries before they are transplanted into the fields; that work lasts one month or five weeks; they are paid 1s 3d or 1s 6d a day with one pint of beer. They are sometimes employed with their husbands in cutting the crops; but there is no other labour in connexion with cultivation in which they are employed. Very few children are employed; they sometimes work with their parents, but there is no special employment in connexion with the herbs which occupies boys.”

At the end of the farm’s life it was managed by Luther Ansell on behalf of the Carter family. A little lavender was still grown, but the main crop was vegetables. All the farm work was done using three Shire horses.