John George Radford (1887–1953)

Corporal; Army Ordnance Corps

No Service Records or Medal Index Card has been found for a likely candidate. A possibility is that he did not serve overseas.

The presumption is that the listed George Radford on the Fritchley Roll and John Radford on the original 1920 Roll for Crich is one and the same. His name was omitted from the 2018 Roll for Crich as at the time of its preparation nothing could be found for this person. His name and regiment on the Fritchley Roll was not discovered until much later.

John George Radford was known as George: a bachelor, he farmed at Hollins Farm, Plaistow Green for many years.

Newspaper report
There appeared in the Derbyshire Advertiser a report on the Radford's Hollins farm

The Derbyshire Advertiser, July 21, 1911
Mr John Radford’s Farm, Crich
(BY OUR AGRICULTURAL REPRESENTATIVE)
If you do not know the uplands of Crich, the sooner their acquaintances is made the better. There is, it is true, a toilsome hill to be climbed, but the exertion brings its own reward; as one reaches the pure higher air, fatigue and any enervation from the wall atmosphere of the valley vanishes as if by magic, and then the view – go and see, and without “waiting.” leaving Crich on the right, and taking a road, leading to Matlock, for a short distance to the left, another turn to the right leads to top of (of course in Derbyshire) another steep hill, whence stretches a fresh vista over a wide plain, bounded by hills. Here lie Washington, Wheatcroft, Brackenfield, and in the extreme distance, Shirland. Dipping down the hill, Mr Radford’s farm is reached, an old stone building whose every wall proclaims antiquity. The exact date is not given for the early 17th century at least maybe conjectured. All the masonry is in excellent repair: if rough, work of Derbyshire masons is durable. In the centre of the front of the house is a curious and quaint little window, an oval set in a square frame of stonework. The kitchen entrance is well protected from all evil influence by a collection of old horseshoes; there is not probably not a farm in England, unless possibly it be a County Council one, without these protective charms. Inside, the rooms are airy and spacious, the typical farmhouse kitchen just now being pleasantly scented by a recent batch of home-made loaves. A considerable amount of butter making is done by the Misses Radford, who have studied at the travelling dairy school. they have not taken any prizes for the simple reason that they have never competed. And it is quite easy to understand that competition would hardly be in accordance with their father’s ideas. Mr Radford having an extreme dislike of publicity. Indeed it is only by a very kind concession that this sketch was permitted. An Alexandra separator is used and there is a modern churn, the Misses Radford prefer a very old friend, a quaint little oval barrel churn, worked by the old-fashioned and down movement. A little cheese is also made. Like all farmhouses, this boasts an ideal cellar, clean well lighted, and deliciously cool. The ceiling is supported on great stone arches, which remind one in miniature of the crypt at Wingfield, ample light is given by the lancet windows. In one of the sitting rooms upstairs hangs very uncommon large square clock, each corner beyond the dial being ornamented with inlaying. This is Dutch, brought from Holland by Mr Bates, Mrs Radford’s father a Derbyshire man who at the time of Mrs Radford’s birth was employed in that country by the Butterly Company, then engaged upon a contract there. Mrs Radford left Holland at the age of three.

Besides the great beauty of the surroundings of the farm, there is a very material advantage of an exceptional private supply of water. The soil is mainly gritstone and clay. At the time of the visit Mr Radford was engaged in the important operation of hoeing turnips, and a large, clean field with fine green lines meeting on the horizon, offers a good example of work. To quote from an authority on turnips: “Turnip cultivation is the most difficult, most complicated, and the most expensive of any. A man who is able to manage his turnip breadth will be able to manage the rest of his cultivation. The weakest link of the chain is the measure of his strength; and in the economy of managing a farm, the test crop is the root crop.” About 10 acres of wheat are grown, and eight of all trash, for use on the farm. Mr Radford keeps a flock of the favourite Lincolnshire longwools, his herd being mainly shorthorns. Unfortunately the cows just now of pastured at Plaistow, and time did not permit an inspection of them, only of an extremely promising lot of calves, which are not turned out this year, and which at present are leading the most luxurious of existences in a roomy shippon laid with the thickest and softest of clean straw beds. And most friendly little people are they, but only graciously responding to any expression of goodwill, but occasionally giving the strangest garments and inquisitive but quite amiable little nibble. Pigs are not serious department, usually only sufficient being reared to supply the home consumption of bacon. Poultry do well here, and a considerable sale of eggs is made in Crich. A few geese become more important as Christmas approaches. Mr Radford fully endorses the so often expressed opinion that on the whole a farmer’s life is a happy one, with tho usual qualification that it is useless to attempt to follow profession of agriculture unless one lives in and is been brought up to it. The first statement applies doubly to all occupations; conscientious work, it is true, may be done against the grain, one thing will be lacking, there can be no soul in the work unless the worker puts his own into it.

[The report had three photographs of the farm which were too dark to reproduce]


CENSUS INFORMATION

1901: Crich Common

Forename Surname Relationship Age Occupation Where born
John Radford Head 45 Farmer Crich
Annie C S Radford wife 47   Holland
Ann S Radford daughter 22   Crich
Mary E Radford daughter 18 School teacher Crich
Rebecca Radford daughter 16   Crich
John Geo Radford son 13   Crich
Alice Radford daughter 12   Crich
Samuel Radford son 9   Crich
Grace Bertha Radford daughter 7   Crich

RG13 piece 3231 folio 16 page 24

1911: Hollins Farm, Crich

Forename Surname Relationship Age Occupation Where born
John Radford Head 55 Farmer Crich
Annie Caroline Storey Radford wife 57   Holland
Ann Storey Radford daughter 32 Engaged in domestic work Crich
Rebecca Radford daughter 26 Supplementary teacher Crich
John George Radford son 24 Engaged in farm work at home Crich
Alice Radford daughter 22 Engaged in domestic work Crich
Samuel Radford son 20 Engaged in farm work Crich

RG14PN20985 RG78PN1251 RD436 SD4 ED14

1939 Register: Hollins Farm, Plaistow Green
George J Radford b. 1 April 1887; farmer (mixed); single
Storey A Radford b. 7 Oct 1878; dairy work etc; single
Richard George Dunn b.29 Dec 1884; farm worker general; married
Ellen Mary Dunn b. 24 Aug 1882; domestic duties; married
Three closed records
RG101/5941B/007/8 Letter Code: RCHO