Our immediate predecessors at Ladymoor Gate Farm lived here only for a short time. Their hobby was rennovating old houses and then selling them on. We know that before them the family of our original neighbour had lived here for many years and seen significant changes, such as the arrival of mains water. We also know that over the years the land had been sold off and the size of the farm reduced, until today it is a small holding approximately 2.8 hectares. So who lived here in the 19th century? 

From census entries we know the the Stoniers, the Shufflebothams, the Harrisons and the Durbars have all lived here at some time. 

In 1841 the property was occupied by the Stonier family and their servants, 13 people in all. It must have been somewhat crowded, at least by modern standards. Although the census information does not give the size of the farm it is likely to have been at least 92 acres, its size in 1851. All the occupants are likely to have worked on the farm.

 By 1851 the Stonier family had moved out, all apart from Samuel who appears to have stayed on as an agricultural labourer working for Richard Shufflebotham, aged 36, the new farmer. The farm extends to 92 acres. It is unlikely that the farm would have changed much in the ten years, but the 1851 - Shufflebotham family including its two servants numbered only 8 people and so they would have been much less crowded. Read more  about Horton in 1851 (from GENUKI) and Horton Parish (From British History on-line)

Richard Shufflebotham and his family still farmed at Ladymoor Gate in 1861, but had reduced the size of their holding by 5 acres. Richard now employed two people, but had no servants living in his house. The household now numbered only six.

By 1871 the size of the holding had halved to 46 acres and it was now farmed by Roger Shufflebotham, son of Richard. The household size had increased again and now included three servants. 

The Shufflebothams were replaced by the Harrisons who were here by the time of the 1881 census. By 1881 the size of the holding had been reduced again to 30 acres. The Harrisons remained for some time and were still here in 1891 but by 1901 had been replaced by the Durbars.