Moco Farm

The Name

Usually just known as Moco, one wonders whether this refers to a location or more specifically to a farm. Certainly, historically, there was a farmstead at Moco, which was part of the Steeple Morden manorial estate acquired by the Earl of Hardwick in 1755, although it is not mentioned by name in the deeds at that time. The earliest mention of the name, that has been found, is in connection with the murder of Elizabeth Pateman in 1734. In The Placenames of Cambridgeshire by P H Reaney Moco is only mentioned as a local or field name submitted by the local school children and no origin is suggested for the name. Reference is made to Mocha Field recorded in the Tithe Apportionment 1839, which is adjoining on the west, but this field was carved out of a large Allotment granted to Hardwicke at time of Enclosure in 1807, so one would imagine the field was named after the farmstead, rather than vice-versa.

Moco is not recorded by name in the Enclosure documents 1807 or in the Tithe Apportionment in 1839. The earliest recorded use of the name is 1871, when Moco Lane is mentioned in connection with the residence of Henry Jarman in the 1871 Voters List. A suggestion for the origin of the name is that it is a corruption of Mocha referring to the port city in Yemen on the Red Sea. Arabic coffee and chocolate that came from “far away”, may have inspired the ironic name to describe a farm sitting well away from main centres of population. By coincidence, there is a Moco Farm at Station Road, Swanbourne in Buckinghamshire and that is also remote from the village.

Access to Moco was by a lane or right of way over the fields from Knotts Bridge and earlier there was a similar parallel lane the east side of Cheyney Water, dropping down off Litlington Road. Access could also come from Ashwell Stret at Upper Gatley and via Lower Gatley. Now a footpath it was still wide enough for a horse and cart in the early 20th Century and was the route taken with horses on their way to the blacksmith’s on The Green to be shoed.

An attraction of the location would be the plentiful supply of spring water from the brook that ran through the centre of Moco, known as Cheyney Water

Moco Hamlet

During the 19th Century Moco was a hamlet with a total of six dwellings and a typical population of around 30 people. Two of the dwellings were slightly to the north at a spot also known as Bush Andrews. As the Agricultural Depression took hold in the 1870s the population at Moco reduced and in 1881 just two houses were occupied with nine inhabitants. There was a revival by 1891 with five occupied dwellings and fourteen residents, although these levels soon collapsed and 1901 witnessed the beginning of the end with two dwellings occupied and only three residents. In 1911 there was one cottage occupied by Herbert Barnes and family, he had originated at Rampton, Cambridgeshire, but had been living at Holloway in London until 1910 and his three children had been born at Holloway. The Rule family replaced the Barnes about 1913 and stayed until after the First World War, although were resident in Bassingbourn by 1921.

In the 1800s, Henry Jarman, father and son, lived in one of the two cottages just to the north, at what was also known as Bush Andrews and the cottages here were abandoned in the 1870s and Henry Jarman junior moved to The Green. The Charter family lived in the Moco farmhouse proper until the mid-1880s, when widow Ann moved out to live with her daughter and son-in-law in Kentish Town, London. It was probably, inhabited for a while by John Peck farm bailiff, but lying empty by 1900.

In the 1933 Sale Particulars Moco is described as “A freehold accommodation holding known as Moco Farm with farm premises which consist of a stock yard with shelter shed and disused cottages now used as stores”. No mention of a farmhouse.

It seems likely that the Rules were the last residents at Moco and the surviving cottages were abandoned as dwellings by 1920?

Moco Farm

It is probable that Moco Farm in origin was never much larger than 60 to 65 acres and for much of the 19th Century the majority was let split into two small-holdings of 24 and 25 acres to the Jarman and Charter families and most remaining land went with Church Farm. At the Wimpole sale in 1892 Church and Moco Farms were offered together, so were viewed effectively as one farm, despite being let for many years split into small holdings.

On 31 December 1892 John Jarman of Kneesworth bought both Church and Moco farms at the Wimpole Estate sale and after his death, his trustees sold both farms on 12 July 1933, described as 230 acres, split across ten lots, the main tenant Bertram Parrish bought a portion, but not the whole. Lot 5 Moco Farm totalling 59a 1r 33p is noted as sold to Parrish for £1020 and a plot of arable and pasture adjoining 6a 1r 5p also to Parrish for £200.

It would appear, however, that at the sale Parrish was bidding on behalf of another person as Moco Farm, including the adjoining 6 acres, was acquired by George Frederick Jarman, who had a County Council small-holding on Litlington Road, to which he added the Moco land. The Moco farm buildings were left to tumble down and farming operations, along with the name Moco, were transferred to the Litlington Road farm.

To read more about Moco:      Moco     Moco Farm Modern     Elizabeth Pateman Murder 1734     Moco Ghost     John Charter of Moco Death 1884

Moco Residents

1841 Census

The first entry for James Cubis is listed at Bush Andrews and the enumerator comes from The Green and goes to The Thrift. All other entries have the place name as Moco and are consecutive on the Schedule and there are no other Moco entries. The enumerator came from Gatley End, Thos Rule shepherd and went to Gatley End, Thos Finkell farmer – Lower Gatley Farm.

6 dwellings and 30 residents.

William Savage is son-in-law to Susan Charter, married to her daughter Elizabeth Savage.

Jane Hammond married William Hammond 1792, she was nee Gray. He died 1831 age 74 and she died 1843 age 75. Richard was their child baptised 1805 and he married Sarah Cubis of Litlington 1825 and Benjamin, Holben, Richard, Susan and David are their children.

Eliza is Richard’s sister and Jane is her illegitimate daughter. When Jane married 1862 her father was given as Henry Cubis?

Y means born in Cambridgeshire and N is for out of county. William Savage was born Potton, Beds.

1851 Census

Moco is place name for each of these entries and there are no other Moco entries. The entries are in three different places in the Enumerators Schedules. It is difficult to imagine the enumerators route and suggests the Schedules were written up later, in no particular geographic sequence of properties.

6 dwellings and 27 residents

Susan Charter, mother of John Charter below, was living here in 1841 Census, but in 1851 Census is living with son-in-law William Savage and daughter Elizabeth in Hay Street.

James Cubis, who was at Bush Andrews in 1841 Census had moved to Litlington by time of 1851 Census.

1861 Census

These entries all have the place name as Moco and are listed consecutively as number 1 to 5 Moco. There are no other Moco entries.

The enumerator comes from Gatley End and moves onto Knotts Bridge, which suggests a south to north sequence for Moco.

There are 6 dwellings and 29 residents.

1871 Census

All entries have the place name as Moco and are listed consecutively in the Schedules. There are no other Moco entries.

The enumerator comes from Gatley End and moves onto Wet Bottom, which suggests a south to north sequence for Moco.

6 dwellings and 33 residents.

1881 Census

These entries all have the place name as Moco and are listed consecutively in the Schedules. There are no other Moco entries.

The enumerator comes from Gatley End and moves onto Wet Bottom, which suggests a south to north sequence for Moco.

4 dwellings and 9 residents.

1891 Census

These entries all have the place name as Moco and are listed consecutively in the Schedules. There are no other Moco entries.

The enumerator comes from The Green and finishes at Moco, so difficult to identify precise route taken.

6 dwellings and 14 residents.

Number of rooms shown if less than 5.

Sarah Peck is deaf.

1901 Census

There are only the two entries shown as Moco and no mention of unoccupied dwellings.

The previous enumeration is Club Row and the one after is Gatley End and next The Green, so Moco was a little diversion?

2 dwellings and 3 residents.

1911 Census

Only one entry with Moco as location and no mention of unoccupied dwellings.

1 dwelling and 5 residents.

1921 Census

There is no entry citing Moco as location of any residence. On census day 19 June 1921 at least Moco was uninhabited.

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