Salt family

Please note: Family pages are organised by surname; however, this does not mean that all those people featured are related to each other. Where possible we will try to be clear about any connections there may be.

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William Salt d. 12th April 1918
William Salt (died 12th April 1918)

The first member of the Salt family to live on Hickling Pastures was Richard Salt; he was born in Stanton-by-Dale (Derbyshire) and he married Mary Davies who was from Hickling Pastures in 1881. Their children were all born on Hickling Pastures (at Field Farm) and Richard seems to have farmed both Turnpike Farm and Field Farm:

  • John Arthur, born 9th March 1883
  • Albert Davies, born 26th August 1884
  • Richard Ernest, born 17th March 1888
  • Mary E, born 12th August 1889
  • Thomas William, born in 1896 (known as William)

In 1911 the boys, ranging from age 28 down to William at 14, were all working on their father Richard’s land on Hickling Pastures, along with their father’s brother Thomas.

Of this first generation: Richard died on 18 November 1927.  The Grantham Journal reported: “The death of Mr Richard Salt took place at his residence on Friday last week, at the age of 79 years.  For many years the deceased was engaged in agriculture on the Hickling Pastures.  Retiring in favour of his eldest son, he came to reside with his wife on some property he had acquired in the village several years ago.  He lived a very quiet and retiring life, devoting his time to his fowls and garden.  His remains were laid to rest on Monday afternoon, in the Parish Churchyard.  He leaves a widow, three sons, and one daughter; one son gave his life during the late war.”  Mary died on 10 December 1928.  The Grantham Journal reported: “The death of Mrs Mary Salt, widow of Mr Richard Salt, took place on Monday.  Deceased, who was in her 76th year, had a stroke three weeks ago.  For many years she lived at Hickling Pastures, where her husband farmed, and being of a cheery disposition she had many friends.  Her remains were laid to rest on Wednesday, in the village Churchyard.”

Turnpike Farm orginally straddled the Melton Road with Field Farm on the Kinoulton side. There is some confusion over records referencing Turnpike Farm and Field Farm but it seems that they were farmed together until the death of Richard Salt in 1927 which brought about a separation between the two; Richard’s eldest son, John, farmed Turnpike Farm and his second son, Albert, farmed Field Farm (as recorded in the 1939 Register).

The Melton (turnpike) road as it passes through Hickling Pastures, between Turnpike Farm and Field Farm)
  • John Arthur Salt, it is believed, married Elizabeth Ann Allcock in the Codnor Bethesda Chapel in 1911.  On 11 June 1938 his daughter Helen married Police Constable Charles Sanforth Bennett from Coventry. The Grantham Journal of 18 June covered the event:  “A Full Church at Hickling for Wedding of Miss Helen Salt.  At St Luke’s church, Hickling, on Saturday, Mr Charles Sandford Bennett, of Coventry, was married to Miss Helen Salt, only daughter of Mr and Mrs JA Salt, of Turnpike Farm, Hickling Pastures. …  The ceremony attracted a good deal of interest, the church being filled.”  In 1939 John and Elizabeth were still living at Turnpike Farm where John was a dairy farmer, also listed is Alwyn Salt (born 1921).  An Alwyn Salt gave Helen a wedding present, so he may be her brother.
  • Albert Davies Salt married Mary Oxby at Kinoulton on 24 October 1912.  Albert was described as a grazier, as was Mary’s father.  In 1938 Mary and others “contributed songs and sketches” at a pork pie tea organised by the Kinoulton women’s British Legion.  In 1939 the family were living at Field Farm, Hickling Pastures, with their son John Richard.  Albert was working as a dairy farmer, his wife assisted in the dairy and John Richard assisted his father.  Albert was buried in Hickling in 1951, aged 67.  As a young woman Margaret Wadkin had helped her brother Donnie, who ran a butcher’s business in Hickling.  She recalled delivering meat to Albert’s house: “Mrs Salt always made me a cup of tea with a slice of cake and wanted to know all the news from the village”.  In 1976, when Margaret Wadkin wrote her memoirs, Albert and Mary had died “a long while ago, but their only child, John lives at the farm with his family”.  John married Janet B Taylor in Leicester in 1955 and they had two children, Richard A and Jennifer A.  A descendent of this branch of the family still farms at Field Farm.
  • Richard Ernest Salt married Elizabeth Ann Dawn of the Lime Kiln Inn, Cropwell Bishop, in 1915.  They had two daughters baptised in Hickling, Mabel on 14 April 1916 and Grace in 1919.  In 1932 Grace was the May Queen in the village school May Pageant.  In 1937 Mabel and Grace won second and third place respectively in the WI competition for home-made scones.  The winner was Mrs Salt, but it is not clear which Mrs Salt!  Over the years Mabel also won WI competitions for, inter alia, sewing, best-dressed doll, writing a poem, begonia growing, scrapbooks (sent to the children’s hospital for Christmas) and knitting.  She also served on the WI committee and represented the local branch at national meetings.  In 1937 it was Mabel’s 21st birthday and a party was held in the school for 80 guests, with dancing in the evening.  On the following day Mr and Mrs Salt entertained all of the school children to a tea and then an evening of games and dancing.  In 1939 the family were living at The Blossoms, Hickling Pastures, where Richard was a dairy farmer, along with Mabel and two others whose identity has been withheld because they are believed still to be alive.  One of these was probably Grace.  She married Robert Ernest Webbon, a draughtsman from Upper Broughton, in 1942.  Grace was at that time working as a shorthand typist.  Mabel died in Nottingham in 1981, age 65.  Her father Richard had died in 1958 and at that time the family probably left The Blossoms.
  • Mary Salt married John Boswell, a farmer from Kinoulton, in 1910.  By the census of 1911, they had a three-month old daughter Winifred.  In 1939 John and Mary were living at Black’s Farm, Kinoulton, where John was a dairy farmer.  Living with them were two daughters, Alice Elizabeth, born in 1915, and Margaret Ellen, born in 1922.  Alice Elizabeth married Francis Thomas Tomlinson (who farmed Manor Farm, Hickling Pastures) in 1942.  Margaret Ellen married Robert Ellis Faulks, also a farmer from Hickling, in 1952.  Like Margaret, Robert Ellis had an uncle killed in the Great War (John George Faulks).  These last two later lived at Black’s farm.
  • Thomas William Salt, born in 1896 (known as William); click here.

From the Hickling Parish Registers.

There are no entries of births, marriages or deaths prior to 1905 – later records have not yet been transcribed. However, there are two graves:


Richard (born 1848, Stanton-le-Dale, Derbys) & Mary (Davies) Salt (born 1853, Hickling) – lineage, census records & notes

Richard Salt died 18th November 1927 aged 79yrs and Mary (Davies) Salt, his wife, died 10 Dec 1928 aged 76yrs: “in loving memory of Richard Salt died Nov 18th aged 79 years Peace perfect peace. Also Mary, wife of the above who passed away Dec 10th 1928 aged 76years. Re-united” 

Richard Salt (lineage to 1881):

Richard SALT was born 13th August 1848 at Stanton By Dale, Derbyshire (Q3 1848 Shardlow Vol 19 page 597). He was baptised at the age of 2yrs on 22nd December 1850 at Stanton by Dale Abbey Church; his father Thomas is listed as a farmer.

Richard was the son of Thomas Theophilius and Jane (Sheldon) Salt.

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Richard and Mary (Davies) Salt – 1881 onwards:

Richard Salt married Mary Davies in 1881: Q2 1881 Shardlow Vol 7b page 759. Mary Davies was born in Hickling, the daughter of John and Elizabeth (Hallam) Davies. They are recorded as living at Turnpike Farm (or possibly, Field Farm), Hickling Pastures.

  • See Davies family page (census records and parish registers)
  • In 1881, Mary’s father (John Davies) is recorded as a retired farmer
  • It may be that Richard and Mary (Davies) Salt took over the Davies farm when they married
  • More work is needed but census records imply that John Davies may have inherited the farm from his unmarried relative, John Davies (born 1877, Wymeswold) – this would take ownership back to at least 1841.
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Notes:

  • Richard Salt (senior) was named next of kin when his son, Thomas William joined the army aged 19yrs during WWI.
  • Richard Salt’s father died in 1901: Thomas Theophilius Salt of Sawley Derbyshire, Gentleman died 18th July 1901. Probate Derby 25th October 1901 to Richard Salt – farmer and John Salt Iron Works Company Clerk. Effects  £989.2s.2d.
  • Richard Salt died 18th November 1927 aged 79years. (Q4 1927 Bingham Vol 7b page 481). He was buried in Hickling Churchyard. Probate 1928: Richard Salt of Hickling Pastures Kinoulton Nottinghamshire died 18th November 1927. Probate Nottingham 16th March 1928 to Mary Salt widow. Effects £722.14s.7d.
  • His widow, Mary Salt, lived for just another year and died on 10th December 1928 aged 76yrs; she was buried in Hickling Churchyard with her husband.

An evacuation story – Field Farm, Hickling Pastures

apples - JF stock image

Picking up a page from our website about William Salt who died during WWI, Avril Thesing contacted us to share her memories of the Salt family, her evacuation to Field Farm and a friendship which has continued for over 75 years.

Avril has written her memories down so that they can be read by her grandchildren and we are incredibly grateful to her for offering to share her writings with us, too. The old farmhouse, the orchards, visits to Melton Market, milking, cheese-making, knitting circles, Bill in the shafts of the family trap, leghorn chickens roosting in the apple trees, problems with 3-legged stools; Avril’s writing is wonderfully descriptive, gently kind and full of understanding. These pages give us an extraordinary view into wartime England and an almost lost part of our village history – enjoy!


From the Wadkin Archives:

Scrapbook of Hickling:

  • (p.40) Women’s Institute. The institute was re – formed in 1947 after the war with Mrs. Muriel Ashworth of the Manor House president. Mrs. Windey was the first Hon. Secretary and Mrs. Timms the first Hon. Treasurer. Presidents until the present time were as follows: – Mrs . Ashworth 1947 – 1952, Mrs . Windey 1952 – 1955, ltrs. V. S. Walker 1955 – 1958 , Miss. Mabel Salt 1958 – 1963, Mrs. Windey 1963 – 1967 …

Maggie’s Memories:

  • (pp.21-22) (pp.21-2)  Donnie weighed up the ingredients, flour, fat etc. and put in front of the kitchen fire to warm, this was for the pie crust. Emmie was chief pie maker, my job was to fill the pies with meat, again Donnie cut and seasoned all the pork for the pies putting on the pie lids, the gravy and Butchers’s cart pinning grease proof paper around every pie, then put on the bakers trays all ready for Sid Whittaker to take them to bake in their bakers oven at Long Clawson. The pies would be returned ready for the meat round on Friday morning. Every Tuesday I went with Donnie with the butchers cart round Hickling and Kinoulton, and in the winter I was almost frozen, there wasn’t any hood to the cart, we sat high up and didn’t matter if it hailed, snowed or poured in torrents, we just had to put up with it. On Friday afternoons I cycled up Bridegate Lane (was then Chapel Lane) walked or pushed my cycle up the ‘Big Hill’ on to the Turnpike to the road gate leading to Mr. Albert Salt’s farmhouse. I left my cycle inside the first field and walked over two or three more fields to the farm. I remember the first time I went I walked right round the house to find a door, and learned later that it was the front door and always kept locked and bolted, and the other door was through either a cowshed or similar. I know how relieved I was when Mrs. Salt emptied the butcher’s basket, her order was mostly the same, sausages, pork pie, potted meat, brawn and st. meat, and I had to carry that lot, and ride my bycycle with one hand. Mrs. Salt always made me a cup of tea with a slice of cake and wanted to know all the news from the village (she was originally an Oxby from Kinoulton). Mr. & Mrs. Salt died a long while ago, but their only child, John lives at the farm with his family.
  • (p.94) Salt Three sons Farmers on Hickling Pastures. One killed in 1914/18 War. Mr. & Mrs Salt (Parents) retired & died in cottage in Chapel Lane.