Callowland

 later  North Watford

This page briefly looks at what happened to Callowland Farm, and ends with some early postcards of St Albans Road, North Watford

The large scale Ordnance map (See Old Maps) of 1883 shows Callowland Farm surrounded by fields, as it was in 1800, although there are building developments along St Albans Road not far to the south. The 1881 census  shows that the farmer was Adam Johnston (36) with his wife Jemima (35) and children Jessie (7), Robert John (4) and Jane Ann (2). The farm had 160 acres and employed 5 men and 3 boys. He is listed in the 1890 Kelly's Directory as farmer at Callow land and Bushey Hall Farm.

In the 1891 census the farmer at Callowland Farm was Joseph Bird and in the 1895 Kelly's Directory he is listed as a farmer at "Callowland, Newtown".

The  above post card was produced in "The Clarendon Series," is numbered A 05090, and may have been published about 1903. The group, three carrying fishing rods and one a landing net, is clearly not the normal farmer group one might expect - and wonder if one of the group is Dr. Tibbles. One end of a flat roof can be seen, one end fixed below the date of 1794 on the old farm building, suggesting modification of the area for industrial use.

See also North Watford History Group Web Site for more information including the site's later history.

Luton News 26th August, 1897

Dr Tibble's Vi-Cocoa Factory burning down,

Feburary 7, 1903

1908 Kelly's Directory reports that "St George's temporary church, Callowland, is also a chapel of ease to St Andrews." There was a Baptist Chapel in Leavesden Road (Callowland) under the Rev. Thomas Miller Johnson. The two schools at Callowland had an average attendances of 460 boys, 239 girls and 240 infants. A firm called Bolsselier's Chocolates were chocolate manufacturers at Victoria Works, Callowland, and the Watford Manufacturing Co. Ltd. are listed as coca and chocolate manufacturers. There was also a firm called Freeman & Hildyard:

St Albans Road, North Watford