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Jonas Clark

On October 20, 1846 Elizabeth Harvey appeared before Ambrose Goddard, Esq at the County Sessions 'having feloniously stolen a piece of Lace'. The records show that she was sentenced 'to be confined in the New Prison at Devizes for Two Cal. Months to hard labour'.

She was 18 years old and had been in the employ of Jonas and Alice Clark at Wick Farm who brought about the charge.

Jonas and his family farmed at Wick for about 40 years and we will be visiting his grave on the first of our guided churchyard walks at St Mary's churchyard on June 5 between 2 - 4.30 pm.

Jonas' rough account books are held at the Wiltshire and Swindon History Centre and make for some fascinating reading. Particularly interesting is that he refers to his herd of more than 70 short horn cows by name. There is Pretymaid and Darling and Dainty, Squrel, Scarlet and Lovly, affectionate names for all his cattle. Perhaps Jonas had a soft side - unfortunately it didn't extend to young Elizabeth Harvey.

Jonas died on March 31, 1862 and is buried just inside the churchyard gates.

At the time of the 1851 census Elizabeth Harvey, an unmarried 23 year old farm servant,
was an inmate at the Stratton Workhouse with her 3 year old son William Harvey.


an aerial view of Wick Farm before the 1990s developments


The same view today



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