William John Pilbeam (1849 - 1919, Warbleton, Sussex)

Family:
Father - James Pilbeam (1811 - 1870) Farmer
Mother - Sarah Simmons (1814 - 1891)
Siblings:
Ann (1840 - 1912)
Harriett (1843 - 1892)
Thomas James (1845 - 1847)
Emily (1847 - 1921)
Lucy Hannah (1852 - 1884)

Wife - Phillis Funnell (1849 - 1947)
Children:
William John (1878 - 1954)
Thomas James (1879 - 1964)
Caroline Alice (Carrie) (1883 - 1957)
George Charles (1884 - 1954)
Lucy Ann (1887 - 1957)
(Please note: I have not checked out all the above information as yet and so cannot take it as 100% correct until I have proved otherwise)


Little Rigford Farm, Three Cups, near Punnetts Town, Sussex

Census Information:
1851 census:
During the 1851 census William, age 2 was living with his parents and Ann, aged 9, Harriet, aged 8 and Emily, aged 3 at Rushlake Green. James was an Agricultural Labourer and Dairyman.

1861 census:
During the 1861 census William was still living at home, aged 12 with his parents. Also at home were Harriet, aged 18, Emily, aged 10 and Lucy Hannah, aged 9. William was working as an Agricultural Labourer on the farm. James was now a Bailiff and Agricultural Labourer on a farm at Tye House, Herstmonceux, (probably down Lower Road near Golden Cross, Herstmonceux).

1871 census:
By 1871 the family had moved to Little Rigford, Earl's Down, Warbleton. James died the previous year and Sarah was now a farmer of 20 acres. Harriet, 28 was married to James Martin who was helping on the farm. Emily, aged 23 still lived at home. William was a gardener.

1881 census:
By 1881 William had taken over the farm at Little Rigford, in 1877 he married Phillis Funnell and their first sons, William, aged 3 and Thomas, aged 2 were both living with them. Sarah, by this time, 67 years of age had moved to a cottage, Golan Cottage, Warbleton with Emily and her daughter Edith, aged 4. There is no mention of a husband for Emily.

1891 census:
At the time of the 1891 census Little Rigford Farm had become Rushford Farm, (still in the Pilbeam family to this day). William was a Farmer and Chicken Fattener. With them were children; William, aged 13, helping on the farm, Thomas, aged 12, Caroline, aged 8, George, aged 6 and Lucy, aged 3.

1901 census:
William was still living at Rushford Farm at the time of the 1901 census. He was aged 51 and a farmer. Living with him and Phillis were Caroline, aged 18, George, aged 16 who is working on the farm and Lucy, aged 13.

Marriage:
The marriage of William John Pilbeam and Phillis Funnell took place on 4 April 1877 at the Parish Church, Warbleton, Sussex. William was described on the certificate as a 28 year old bachelor and Farmer from Warbleton and Phillis was described as a 28 year old spinster from Warbleton. Both fathers, James Pilbeam and John Funnell were Farmers. The witnesses were Lucy Hannah Pilbeam, sister of the Groom and James White.

Chicken Fattening:
Chicken Fattening or 'cramming' was carried out on several farms in the Warbleton area and for a short time proved to be very profitable. Poultry farming was especially suited to small farms because of the skill and supervision required. The farmers organised themselves into two groups, rearing and fattening. Fatteners were often called 'higglers' and after collecting lean chickens from the rearers they would keep them for a month or so and sell them deadweight to the central markets in London, sent by train from Heathfield. In 1893 at a time when William was a chicken fattener more than one million chickens were sent to London.

The chickens were fed with oats and separated milk that was produced on the farm and the manure used on the farm. Thus a farmer could run a farm and cram chickens to help his family survive at a time when agriculture was generally on the wane in the Weald. To dispense with labour, the chickens, previously fed by hand were now crammed by a machine worked by a treadle. Apparently chicken cramming was a lucrative business and earned a lot of money for the young farmers who took part in this dubious activity!

The machine could be worked by one man, who could work the treadle with his foot and hold the bird with his two hands. The cram, mixed to a paste was poured into a hopper and one press of the foot would plunge a measured quantity of the cram directly into the crop of the bird, along 8 inches of rubber tubing which had been forced down its throat. Chicks could quadruple their weight in several weeks.

After killing, the chickens would be plucked, usually the stubbing (pinching out the new feathers and any remaining stubs carried out by women) and then turned quickly over a flame to singe remaining feathers. Then they were powdered with flour, placed in a press, breast down to give the appearance of a plumper breast and packed and sent to market.

© Kerry Baldwin