Rectory Lane Cemetery, Berkhamsted

Farndon Frederick Beesley

1848 –1902

A miller's son, himself a miller and later a coal merchant.

• Melanie Hilton

Unmarked grave Farndon Frederick Beesley

Farndon was born in Berkhamsted in 1848 to Francis and Matilda (née Webb) Beesley.

His father as a miller and baker born in Rugby. Farndon was baptised in his mother’s home parish of Brington, Northants 27 August.

Farndon was their third child. His elder brother and sister had been born in Brington, but by the time of his birth the family had moved to Pitstone where his younger brother was born in 1850.

It appears that Francis owned two mills in Pitstone. One was Pitstone post mill, today owned by the National Trust. The website states “During the 19th century much of the machinery was replaced by the Canal Company, who owned the mill until 1842, or by Francis Beesley, who sold it for £400 in 1874 to the third Earl Brownlow, owner of the nearby Ashridge Estate.” There is no house associated with this mill.

In 1842 Francis had bought Brook End mill, a water mill powered by the Whistle Brook, the parish boundary between Pitstone and Ivinghoe.

Francis Beesley set about developing the site, including the high wall (mostly now demolished) which surrounded the mill and its buildings.

At about the time that Francis sold the windmill the watermill was converted to run on steam. “The diary of Mr Hart the local Headmaster recounts that he visited “Beesley’s Mill on Friday the 2nd September 1864, to inspect the damage occasioned by the explosion of the boiler. This resulted in an unfortunate horse being blown across the yard and the bringing down of the chimney. The damage to the Mill may have been quite considerable since it seems to have triggered a complete rebuild. In his book on English Watermills Mr K. C. Reid refers to “Brook Mead” Watermill, Pitstone, being rebuilt in 1866 “using timbers from the original mill”. The rebuilding complete Beesley continued in residence until his death in 1894 at the age of 75. The mill then passed to his wife Matilda and then to his daughter Sarah and it remained in the family until 1903 a total of 61 years in all.” (History of Pitstone (Brook End) Mill. https://pitstone.co.uk/)

In 1851 Francis was employing a female book keeper, a general servant, a miller and baker’s apprentice, a miller’s and baker’s labourer and a journeyman baker. All lived in the household, as did Francis’s widowed mother and his half-sister.

The 1861 census records Farndon as a schoolboy living with his family in Brook End Mill.

By 1871 Farndon and his younger brother George were working as millers with their father.

Farndon married Anna Allen in 1873 in the Thame district. He was still a miller and they lived in Northampton where Rebecca was born. By 1878 they had moved to 141, High Street Newport Pagnall where Lizzie and Herbert were born and Farndon had become a merchant’s clerk.

The 1891 census records the family in Charles Street, Berkhamsted. Farndon had become a coal merchant.

Farndon died in Charles Street in December 1902 aged 54.

Anna moved to Carnarvon with Lizzie and Herbert.