Indholdsfortegnelse for Winter 2023 i Tractor & Farming Heritage

It’s officially our winter issue of Tractor & Farming Heritage, so welcome to all those early dark nights. We will make it our mission to keep you entertained with some of the interesting features we have in hand over the coming months. Hopefully, you too will have time to jot down your reminiscences of times gone by. Or dig out your old photos. Whatever your story, we would love to hear from you and share it with our readers. Write or email in to the usual addresses in our magazine. While we are on the subject, Christmas also seems to be bearing down on us at a rapid rate. If you turn to page 18, we are already talking about our great subscription offers leading up to the big day.…

Thomas Corbett was born in 1846, the son of Wellington blacksmith and ironmonger, Samuel Corbett. Rather than join the family firm of Samuel Corbett & Son, Thomas chose independence and took a job as an agent for a company called Samuelson, selling reaping machines in Shrewsbury. In the late 1860s, Thomas established his own ironworks, initially working alongside implement seller Richard Chipchase. Competition By 1871, Thomas had developed the Perseverance Ironworks, establishing himself in direct competition with his father Samuel and his brother William (Samuel Corbett & Son). Thomas was a talented entrepreneur, and he exhibited tirelessly at shows and events, promoting his products, and winning many prizes. Victorians were extremely fond of new contraptions and labour-saving devices, so agricultural shows were an excellent shop window for engineers, inventors, and…

Well, that’s all the shows and selling over for this season. Melton Mowbray was the last one of the year for us. Like the majority of farming operations for most of the year, it’s pay, pay, pay, then comes harvest time and hopefully, you get some “brass” back. The Melton rare breed show and sale is our main harvest time. We take anything we have to sell that we have bred over the last season. This time we had six ewe lambs, one shearling ewe and one shearling tup to take. Of course, nothing ever goes according to plan. Two days before the sale weekend, two of the ewe lambs got the squits, their tails, back legs, and anything else in the proximity got a good coating of the green…

In 1847, Daniel Massey began making farm machinery in a workshop in Ontario, focusing particularly on reapers, threshers and mowers and setting the pattern for his Massey Manufacturing Co. becoming a driving force for harvesting machinery and a plethora of other implements. Of course, Massey had competition, including a certain Alanson Harris, who began his farm machinery business in 1857, based at Beamsville in Canada. Also producing harvesting machinery such as reapers, the two companies came together in 1891 to form Massey-Harris. Harvesting machinery Massey-Harris produced a huge range of farm implements, with still a strong emphasis on grass and cereal harvesting machinery. It took until 1917 before the company took the step into tractors. Many long-established farm equipment manufacturers were dabbling in this field, but the board of Massey-Harris…

The first Marston Steam & Vintage Show back in August was a great success, says organiser Jack Brown. “We attracted approx 2000 people (which I am told is pretty good for a first attempt) alongside really positive feedback. There were over 20 full-size steam engines with eight half-size, around 30 tractors, 20 classic cars and 10 commercials, all supported by numerous trade and craft stalls.” Plans are already in progress for next year’s show, with a field acquired already to offer better parking and another hopefully in the pipeline for steam and tractor ploughing to expand the demonstrations on offer. Exhibitor applications for next year’s show will open up in January 2024. For more information visit the show website at the following address www.marstonsteamshow.co.uk which will be live in December.…

With the Great Dorset Steam Fair not taking place in 2023, it seemed more heritage vehicles than ever were chugging their way toward the Shrewsbury Steam Rally. These collectables were, of course, followed by huge numbers of enthusiasts, leading many to comment that they had never seen the event so well attended. Setting the scene The show, organised by the County of Salop Steam Engine Society, has almost half a century of history behind it, and has existed at various locations during that time, but is now settled at the picturesque Onslow Park. Dotted with vast majestic oak trees, the Onslow site is a piece of quintessential English countryside, which provides a beautiful backdrop for a celebration of the engineering marvels and farming relics of yesteryear. For many who attended…

OCTOBER 27 - Online Timed Machinery Collective Auction. Edward Buckland, www.edwardbuckland.co.uk 27 - Kidderminster Machinery Sale-To include Special Vintage Tractors & Implements Section. The Gallops, Stanklyn Lane, Stone, Kidderminster DY10 4AR. Halls, tel: 01562 820880. 27 - On Farm Dispersal Sale. Stuartslaw, Duns. Harrison & Hetherington, tel: 01228 406200. 27 - Wessex Machinery Sale. Salisbury Road, Shaftesbury, Dorset SP7 8BT. Southern Counties Auctioneers, tel: 07971 571612. 27 - Auction of the Wilbur Jueneman Caterpillar Collection. Online Bidding. 413 N Railroad Street, Hanover, KS, US. Aumann Auctions, www.aumannvintagepower.com 28 - Vintage & Classic Tractors, Engines, Implements, Cast Iron Seats, Signs & Tools. Hazle Meadows Auction Centre, Ross Road, Ledbury, Herefordshire HR8 2LP. H J Pugh & Co, tel: 01531 631122. 28 - Farm Dispersal Sale. Kenwick, Cockshutt, Ellesmere. Halls, tel: 01691…

Lewis Weaver from Shropshire was born and raised in the county and runs his own haulage firm. Last year he celebrated the 70th anniversary of a business that was originally started by his father. Agricultural way “Charles Albert Weaver started the business in 1952,” he explained. “My father left school when he was 13 and, like a lot of lads of his age, went to work on a farm. Agriculture was the usual way of making a living back in those days. He eventually decided on a change of scenery and started driving for a local haulage company. After the Second World War, he worked in lime spreading for several years. “Agricultural lime has been popular with farmers for centuries and comes in several forms. It is mainly used to…

A big personality on the vintage tractor scene, Mike Patrick sadly passed away on August 1, aged 86, writes Anne Bates. Mike was a big supporter of tractor runs and shows throughout the UK. A successful businessman, he was the brains behind MS & EM Patrick Ltd, the waste disposal company known all over Herefordshire and the surrounding counties until 2019, previously he had worked as an estate manager and farmer. Mike was a regular participant of the annual Easter National Vintage Tractor Road Run and latterly the Welsh National Tractor Road Run in June, going to various locations on his flag-bedecked Fordson E27N with P6 engine. In 2011, Mike, at the age of 74 undertook one of his greatest achievements by driving his beloved Fordson E27N on a marathon…

The show was the penultimate chance for the club to celebrate this anniversary. The final show for members to celebrate this landmark year will be the Newark Vintage Tractor & Heritage Show on November 4-5. Early Marshall products The exhibits at Haddenham outlined the Marshall story and here we concentrate on the tractor development. By 1856 William Marshall’s two sons James and Henry Dickenson had entered the business and pestered their father to build portable steam engines to provide power for their thrashing machines and saw benches. The first Marshall oil tractor was built in 1908 for the UK market and this was followed by larger tractors for export to the Colonies, but production ceased in 1914, with the beginning of the First World War. Marshalls first single cylinder diesel…

I had been told about this event for years but could never get here until 2023. Good value for money is another title for this show on Richard Baker’s farm along Rockland Road which has been going on for he thinks 27 years now on 120 acres. It all started following his daughter suffering a major horse riding accident, and he wanted to raise money for charity and that carries on today. Support Richard only charges a £5 entrance fee and is in aid of East Anglian Air Ambulance. He says: “Why charge a £10 to come? They will hopefully spend the other £5 with traders or food outlets that support this show and are having a hard time.” I like Richard’s attitude and more need to think the same,…

CLARKE UTILITY SEAT The Clarke CMUS3 is a compact and robust multi-function seat, ideal for keeping tools to hand while working in a garage or professional workshop environment. The rolling seat offers the comfort of a mechanic’s utility seat with the added convenience of three ball-bearing drawers, a fitted side tray and three circular holders for aerosol cans or similar-sized containers. Other features include a soft and comfortable padded seat cushion and four swivel castors for manoeuvrability. Seat dimensions 400x400x400mm, drawer dimensions 300x150x40mm. RRP £95.98 (inc VAT). More details from machinemart.co.uk COMPACT SCREWDRIVER SET Laser Tools’ Compact Ratchet Screwdriver Set (ref 8675) is a versatile kit packed with features. It includes a handy screwdriver that features a smooth and robust 60-teeth ratchet mechanism with reverse, lock, and forward modes. It’s…