Fifty Farm, Isleham Fen

History of Filty Farm

Thomas Aves lived here as tenant. The farm was owned by a charity. It fell down after the war. Polly Hills book, The History of Isleham Fen in the 1930s contains a section of the Aves family; her interest in them is that she states that they are the only example of a Fen family which farmed on such a large scale, by Fen standards, over a period of at least a century.

1881

Charles Aves, bailiff

1901

Charles Aves, 57, farmer, b Isleham

Sarah, 53, b Downham

Bertie, 23, b Isleham

Thomas, 21, b Isleham

Valraita, 19, b Isleham

Belanda, 15, b Isleham

Emily, 12, b Isleham

In 1891 the Aves family were living at St Bernards Cottage, Mildenhall Road

1911 Fen Bank (farm rented from School Charity Trustees)

Thomas Aves, 31, farm labourer

Elizabeth, 27,

Dorothy, 5,

Cyril, 2,

William, 1,

The farm, of 50 acres, was large, with a dairy and up to 18 cows. Thomas Aves was growing sugar beet before the beet factory opened at Queen Adelaide in 1925.

1921 The Bank

Thomas Aves, 42, farmer, b Isleham

Elizabeth, 37, b Isleham

Sara Aves, mother, 73, b Little Downham

Dorothy, 15, b Isleham

Cyril, 13, b Isleham

William, 11, b Isleham

Sidney, 8, b Isleham

Lilian, 2, b Isleham

1948

Will Aves married Evelyn Palmer whose father was a farm worker on the Fen bank.

1963

Thomas Aves died