JOHN SUTTON of REEDS FARM

The entry for the christening for John Sutton, recorded in 1787 by Edward Newton the Curate, simply reads:

John Sutton S of John and Sarah….Augth 6

From his birth in 1787 nothing is known about John’s formative years. His first appearance is the record of his marriage in Bidston Parish Church on 18th October 1808. The entry in the parish records reads:

John Sutton of the parish, Servant, married Elizabeth Clark spinster, of the is parish. By banns at Bidston. Witnesses Daniel Robinson and Thomas Wilson . Ceremony performed by William Shewel, Minister.

Note: Daniel Robinson is the bother of Mary Walton (nee Robinson) 3rd wife of James and mother to Sarah who in turn is John of Reeds Farm mother . Daniel was also present at the baptism of Sarah and her sister Ellen. It would appear that Daniel may be acting as a stand-in given that Sarah's father died in 1767. Thomas Wilson was the Best Man, born in Bidston in 1796 and is listed on the 1851 census as an Agricultural Labourer.

Using the information extracted from various entries in the Bidston Parish records we get a fleeting glimpse into the early life of John and Elizabeth.

The birth of their children are recorded as follows:

27 August 1809 - John son of John and Elizabeth Sutton of Moreton

10 November 1811 - Joseph son of John and Elizabeth Sutton of Moreton

25 July 1814 - James Sutton son of John, Labourer and Elizabeth Sutton of Moreton

29 December 1816 - Margaret daughter of John, Labourer and Elizabeth Sutton of Moreton

At this point I feel that reference should be made to the marriage of Margaret Sutton to James Stanley in 1838. It is noted in the parish register that Margaret was born in Reeds House, Morton. This snippet helps us place the family as early as 1816.

This photograph of Reeds Farm, Leasowe was taken circa 1900 and I am sad to say that the building has since been demolished. It stood where Farmside is now just off Birkett Avenue.

2 August 1820 - William and Emma Sutton, St. Peter Parish Church, Liverpool

10 October 1824 – Sarah and Maria Sutton, twin daughters of John, Labourer and Elizabeth Sutton of Moreton

The Land tax records for Moreton – cum – Lingham suggest that John Sutton took over the management Reeds Farm in 1824 from William Pendleton. Henry Youds owned the land. In 1824, John paid £0.11.10 in land tax for 15 acres that came with the farm. Managing 27 acres in 1830 cost John £1.5.0 in tax. It appears from the records that in 1831, Henry sold 14 acres of land to the Vyner Estate, however overall management remained with John. So it appears that John took what must have been a gamble in 1824 to move from being a farm labourer to tenant and that gamble paid off, because, as we will see he became a successful and influential farmer. The 1851 census return notes that John is a farmer of 60 acres and by 1861 he had more than doubled his acreage to 160 acres.

The next event of note is the marriage of this eldest son John (of Gt Meolse) to Mary Croft at the Holy Trinity Church, West Kirby in 1832.

The Tithe records for this period of time provides an excellent insight to the type of farming John and his family where involved in.

Plot Ref	Premises	Land Use	Acres	Roods	Perches
81	Pasture	Pasture	5	2	17
159	Half of Pasture Meadow	Pasture	3	3	26
178		Pasture	7	1	29
179	House Buildings Yard and Garden	Building and Garden	1	0	9
180	Plantation	Woodland	0	0	23
182		Potatoes and Turnips	5	0	12
183		Pasture	6	3	34
184		Oats	4	3	18
185		Clover	5	0	12
186		Wheat and Turnips	4	0	7
187		Wheat	3	2	19
188		Potatoes	3	3	6
190		Pasture	16	3	35
191			11	0	9
192		Pasture	9	3	5
196	Inclosure Adjoining Reeds Lane	Arable	0	2	8
197	Cottage and Garden	Building and garden	0	2	26
Owner: Robert Vyner, Occupier: John Sutton, Township: Moreton, Parish: Bidston.

Following the marriage of John and Mary Croft the family ran into a period of trauma. On 4th July 1835 James, died aged 21. This event was closely followed by the death of his mother on 17 October 1835 aged 47 years. To date I have little information about the origins of Elizabeth Clark. I know that Elizabeth was born in Moreton in 1788, the youngest daughter of John and Amy (nee Williams) and was buried on 17 October 1835 in Bidston PC.

On the 11th April, 1839 Margaret married James Stanley in St. Oswald Parish Church, Bidston.

John married Mary Ann before 1841 but I cannot locate the marriage information.

1841 Census - Moreton HO107/126/3 P7

Name	Age & Sex		Profession, Trade or Employment
	M	F
John	50		Farmer
Mary		50
William	20
Emma		20
Sarah		15
Maria		15

Christmas of 1843 again saw trade strike in the Sutton household with passing of Maria on Christmas day. The family attended St Oswolds Parish Church on 27 December 1843 to bury Maria.

In 1846 the family again returned to St Oswolds to witness the marriage of the youngest daughter Sarah to William Hazelhurst (b 1823, Neston) Sarah and William had 9 children.

1851 Census - Moreton HO107/2174/190 P84 - Entry 41: Fender Lane

Name Relationship Condition Age & Sex Profession, Trade or Employment Where Born M F John Sutton Head Marr 63 Farmer 60 acres 2 Lab Wallasey Mary Sutton Wife   53 Farmers Wife Bidston William Sutton Son UnMarr 30 Farmers son Bidston Richard Brown Servant Unmarr 17 Farm Servant Liverpool Edward Davies Servant UnMarr 22 Farm Servant Bidston Richard Smith Servant UnMarr 19 Farm Servant Bidston William Smith Servant UnMarr 17 Farm Servant Bidston Henry Smith Servant UnMarr 12 Farm Servant Bidston Mary Jones Servant UnMarr 25 House Maid Wales Mary Davies Servant UnMarr 17 Dairy Maid Bidston

1861 Census - Moreton RG93658 P10 Moreton- Entry 44: Reeds Farm

Name	Relationship	Condition	Age & Sex		Profession, Trade or Employment	Where Born
			M	F
John Sutton	Head	Marr	73		Farmer 130 acres employing 4 men and 2 boys	Liscard
Mary Sutton	Wife	Marr		63	Farmers Wife	Bidston
Richard Brown	Servant	Unmarr	27		Cowman	Liverpool
Mary Dodd	Servant	UnMarr		12	House Servant	Wallasey
Mary Edwards	Servant	UnMarr		15	House Servant	Moreton

William (later of Leasowe Side Farm) married Jane Hardman daughter or John and Ellen in 1854

Joseph married Emma Clarke, daughter of Thomes Clarke, on the 4 November 1855 in Our Lady and St. Nicholas Parish Church, Liverpool. Emma was a widow. Emma Potter, with children, when she married Joseph. By 1851, Joseph had his own 16 acre Fender Farm, Moreton, which he built up to an eighty acre farm.

Aged 74 years and 8 months John Sutton of Reeds Farms died on 2 May 1862 in his home. Buried in St Oswalds Church 3 days later sees the passing of the father of a farming destiny which was to have a far reaching influence in the Wirral area for more than 100 years.

Regarding the name of the stream called by Mortimer "Birkin" and by later writers "The Birket".

There has been considerable amount of controversy; it has been ascertained by some that the name Birket was invented by Ordnance Survey (OS). So far fro being a fact, the stream was called on the one inch map N.E. dated 1839 "the Main Fender" but in a subsequent edition in 1872, the stream in named the Birket.

On enquiring with the Director General of the OS he informs me that the name Birket was given to the stream flowing from West Kirby to Wallasey, on the authority of Rev WC GRAHAM of Bidston; Mr SUTTON of REEDS FARM and of Mortimer's History previously mentioned.

Furthermore, the name was again authorised by Mr Peter STEPHEN of Mollingham, who wrote - "The Birket was diverted when Wallasey Pool was made a dock in 1842 since which date if flows a straight cut into a culvert under Beauford Road".

Map at large scale