Manor Farm, Oddington
In the 1700’s, Manor Farm was clearly the most substantial holding in the parish. The farm house was built in around 1700 and was in the ownership of the Sawyer family, as was most of the parish.
On 1 December 1794 John Tomkyns, Yeoman, obtained a 21 year counterpart of lease of a farmhouse, 16 cottages and 345 acres of land from John Sawyer, Esq. of Heywood Lodge in Berkshire.
John Tomkyns, also spelt Tompkins, was born at Arncott in 1763, the only son of Joseph Tompkins and Anne Hopcraft, both of Arncott. He married Mary (surname unknown) in about 1790. Following their marriage they lived at Swanbourne, Buckinghamshire, where their first three children, William, Anne and Elizabeth, were born.
A second son, Robert, was born at Oddington in 1797 and baptised at St Andrew’s on 28 February 1797. Their fifth child, Mary was baptised at St Andrew’s on 13 January 1800. She died the following year and was buried at Oddington on 19 November 1801.
On 29 August 1815 the farm lease was renewed with John Sawyer for 2 years. It was then described as a farmhouse with 330 acres, 3 roods and 16 perches, at a consideration of £660 per annum. The leased lapsed in 1817.
Mary, the wife of John, was buried at Oddington on 21 January 1826.
Robert married Ann Osborne at Merton on 29 November 1829. They had a son, John, on 9 April 1830. He was baptised at St Andrew’s on 31 July 1831.
Elizabeth Tompkins married John Lipscombe at Stanton St John on 3 October 1827. They farmed at Oddington until John died in 1850.
St Andrew's Church 