Trogues Farm

“Trogues Farm” 118 acres is just above Wensley village in the parish of Darley Dale in Derbyshire on the left hand side of the road going up the hill. Abraham Clay who was born in 1746 was the tenant farmer there from 1799 until 1821. He rented the farm from Richard Southern at a yearly rent of £64, the Land Tax he paid was £4-9-10 per year. The original farmhouse is in the village square at Wensley and still has the original bottle glass windows. 

Abraham Clay had cattle on the farm and supplied the locality with milk, his landlord Richard Southern passed away in 1809 and part of his Will reads. - “I give my farm, lands and hereditaments called Trogues Farm now in occupation of Abraham Clay to my brother John Southern.” Abraham retained the lease of the farm until he died in 1821 and passed the tenancy onto his family. In his Will he left cattle, stock and implements of husbandry (farming) to his wife Elizabeth and one half of the profits from the farm to his son Job Clay in order to assist Elizabeth with the farming. Abraham also left a house to his sons Job and William Clay, Job was already living in that house in 1816 at which time he paid one shilling and one penny Land Tax on the property. 

From 1828 to 1832 Elizabeth Clay widow paid £5 -3s -2d per year Land Tax on the house and land called “Trogues Farm” rented from Mrs Southern and Elizabeth Clay was listed in the 1829 Derbyshire Traders Directory as a farmer at Wensley. Elizabeth passed away in 1837 aged 78 and her son Job Clay took over the tenancy at “Trogues Farm”. The farmhouse in the square was let out to another tenant as Job Clay had his own house on “The Lane”. On the 1847 Tithe Map Jobs house is shown and the area of “Trogues Farm” with its individual field names and plot numbers listed as farmed by Job Clay. By the time of the 1851 Census Job Clay was listed as a retired farmer, his younger brother William Clay took over “Trogues Farm” he had married Mary Marsden and they were living at the house called “Marie Knoll” on the main road next to “The Lane”. 

Twenty years later in the 1871 Census William was listed as a farmer of 117 acres and had his son Benjamin living with him. In the 1881 Census William Clay is listed as a farmer aged 81 still at “Trogues Farm” which is given as 120 acres, his wife Mary was listed and their son Benjamin Clay aged 27 described as a farm labourer. In 1885 William Clay the farmer of “Trogues Farm” died and in his Will left all his estate to his wife Mary during her life and afterwards to go to his sons Adam Clay and Benjamin Clay equal shares and proportions as tenants in common, witness to the Will were his wifes relations Benjamin Marsden and William Marsden. In the 1887 Traders Directory Mary Clay and Sons are listed as farmers at Wensley. Mary Clay passed away and in the 1891 Census Benjamin Clay aged 38 farmer is living on his own at the same house “Marie Knoll” and Adam Clay aged 58 farmer is living with his wife Elizabeth and children. Adam died in 1902, Benjamin Clay was still listed as a farmer in 1916 he died in 1924 and had no children and that would appear to be the last of “Trogues Farm for the Clays as tenant farmers. Adams son became a shopkeeper at Wensley and the Marsden family became the farmers at “Trogues Farm”. 

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