Employment

Farmers

Census records show that a number of different farming families have lived at Elm Farm, Newbold Farm and Ashby Road Farm. In 1827, records show that Benjamin Walker lived at Newbold Farm and was described as a farmer and coal master.

Other farmers listed in the village include W. Deakon (1855), Josiah Walker (1876), Joseph Knight (1891), Noady Walker - son of Josiah Walker (1912), William Hough (1912), Charles Barley - Elm Farm (1928), Herbert Martin - father of Edward Martin, Newbold Farm (1932), Philip Slater - Elm Farm (1936). The Nicklinsons a well known farming family resided at Elm Farm and Frank & Iris Cox lived at Newbold Farm.

Whilst many of Newbold’s residents worked in the mines and at the pipeyard and brickworks, others were engaged in different professions.

The Shoe and Boot maker

Kelly’s Directory of the Homestead lists James Statham as Newbold’s shoe and boot maker. James was born in 1865 and died in 1960 at the age of 95. James was married to Elizabeth Statham and they are both buried in Worthington Cemetery. We believe their daughter, Daisy Statham was an assistant to school master Reuben Sissons at Newbold School.

The Undertaker

In the early 1900s, Newbold had its own undertaker Samuel Crabtree. Samuel was the son of William and Clara Crabtree, landlord and landlady of the Cross Keys. Samuel used a horse-drawn hearse but was put out of business when motor cars began to replace horse-drawn vehicles.

Frank Hodges, Chairman of the Leicestershire Colliery & Pipe Company which ran New Lount Colliery, purchased Smoile Farm in 1936. He modernised the farm bringing electricity to the milking parlour. Electricity came to Newbold early as a result of its industrialisation.

John Hill potato picking.