The Farnes family

The first members of the Farnes family to move to Blackham were William, a railway worker who was born in Buxted, and Elizabeth, born in Rochdale, who arrived in the village sometime between the 1891 and 1899 when their eldest son William George was born By the time of the 1911 census they had added Elizabeth (Cissie), Ian’s dad Percy and Charles (‘Tine’) to the family and a few years later came Iris, who was to marry a Blackham lad, Frank Kemp. Percy went on to be the wheelwright at the Forge. One day he met Helen Scott waiting at the bus stop. She had come down from Scotland to work for Nightingale family at Beech Green. Percy and Helen married, producing four more Blackhamites, Alastair (Mac), Ian, Moira and Christine. It is believed that Percy was involved in the building of the lych-gate at Blackham Church commemorating the fallen in two world wars and it was his grandson, Christine’s son Matt Goad, who restored it as part of the events to mark the centenary of World War I. The links below will take you to more about the family

Percy Farnes outside the family home

Helen Farnes

Iris Farnes marries Frank Kemp

Ian Farnes

Two more generations make their mark on Blackham