This article was written by John Wright for the Baldons 2001 Local History Exhibition
Sir Christopher Willoughby was arguably one of the Baldon's most illustrious sons. He lived at Baldon House during the late l 8th and early 19th centuries and bought fame to the Baldons with his advanced farming methods.
The Willoughby connection with the Baldons began in 1754 when Christopher Willoughby Snr. leased Baldon House for one year from Elizabeth Lane; the latter still remembered today for her bequest for a school. The two families had had close trade associations in Bristol where an earlier Willoughby had been mayor. After Elizabeth Lane's death, Christopher Willoughby Snr. bought the manor of Marsh Baldon. He died in 1773 and was succeeded by his son Christopher.
Sir Christopher lived during the period of great experimentation in farming, with a view to obtaining improved livestock and yields of crops. He himself was one of the great innovators and followed these exciting developments closely. His new methods were quoted several times in "General View of Agriculture in Oxfordshire" by Arthur Young, an authoritative and respected work of the period.
He was an exponent of the new seed drill, which he altered to deliver more seed and encouraged the cultivation of swedes by keeping the seeds for his neighbours, with the result that considerable tracts of them were grown.
Among Sir Christopher's other advanced ideas were the new systems of crop rotation, folding sheep on newly sown wheat and buying coal ash from Newcastle for fertiliser.
Sir Christopher kept a considerable part of his land in his own hands and from a farm of 400 acres aimed at raising everything the climate permitted to feed his household of 30 people.
He killed 80 sheep a year, ate his own beef and kept 19 cows for butter, milk, cream and cheese. His fishpond provided carp, tench and perch and he had an abundance of poultry and game. He grew his own wheat, hay, oats, barley and hops and made his own malt.
For services to agriculture Sir Christopher was awarded a Doctorate of Letters (DCL) from Oxford University.