Joseph Todd Bowman (28 Sep 1924 - 25 Mar 2019)

In loving memory of Joseph Todd Bowman who peacefully passed away on 25th March 2019 while sleeping in his chair at Little Brocklesby House Care Home, Great Limber, Lincolnshire aged 94 years.

Joseph started life in Pow Bank Farm near Wigton in Cumbria on 28th of September 1924 to John and Sarah (nee Todd) Bowman. He was followed by a sister Esther (still going strong down in Reading) and brother John who unfortunately passed away a few years ago at Pow Bank.

Born into a farming family he was a farmer or farm manager all his working life. In his early years he attended Nelson Thomlinson school in Wigton where he developed an active interest in rugby which he played at county level and even was offered a trial for England, which because of family commitments he was unable to take up. He must have had a relatively happy time at school as he often used to recall his days there. From school Joe began his formal agricultural education with a stint at the Newton Rigg Agricultural College near to Penrith.

Joseph married Isobel Mary Glover in 1947 and they produced three wonderful children (!!) - Joseph (Jo), Audrey and Stephen all born in Cumbria while the family were living in a small croft farm - The Craggs near Rosley. Shortly after Stephen was born the family outgrew the small croft and a decision was made to move down south. Prior to the move there was an interim stay in a rented house in Brackenthwaite for a few months until Joe had obtained a job as head cowman in a small village, Wistow, in Huntingdonshire. Manor Farm House, Wistow was then to be the new family home. This was a wonderful old thatched house and the family thrived.

Although Joe senior was always happy around his farm animals and his cows in particular he eventually decided prospects in Wistow were limited and he applied for and got a new job as an assistant farm manager on a large arable farm. This job entailed moving the family up into Lincolnshire - Aldhow Grange near Saxilby. The pattern of family life although not realised at the time was now set - farm management was to be a relatively unsecure occupation, houses provided with the job but the jobs not lasting. In fact for the rest of his working life the family had to up sticks and move every five or six years or so.

An opportunity arose to take over the management of an estate farm in Well, Well Vale near Alford in Lincolnshire and the family moved to a large imposing house at the entrance to the Well Estate. This was again primarily an arable farm though Joe was able to keep his hand in with the animals as there was a large park which was grazed by sheep. Unfortunately with the death of the owner the estate no longer required a farm manager and so another job was required. This time the job was located down on the marshes at Holbeach St Matthews, very flat and purely arable. It wasn't long before cattle were being fattened up and some of the old animal yards were brought back into use. The family had moved into a bungalow on the fens, a somewhat isolated and desolate part of the world. Again, death of the owner entailed a family move.

This time Joe joined a farm management group - Farm Partners - part of a well known farming business in Rothwell, north Lincolnshire - Nickersons. However, while the Head Office was in Rothwell the farm that Joe was employed to manage was down in Castle Acre, near Swaffham in Norfolk - the Wicken Estate. This was to be one of the jobs that was most enjoyed by Joe and the family. A large family house adjacent to 'the Big House' which also had a large indoor swimming pool. More importantly the farm had a somewhat run down dairy herd as well as being a large arable estate. Very quickly the dairy herd was built up, the facilities modernised and the farm became quite a local show piece. Joe became the proud owner of a tie - a member of the 300 cow club. In those days large dairy herds were not the norm and Joe was quite an innovator and a very successful farm manager - in the vanguard of developments that we take for granted today.

Family life at the Wicken underwent quite a change, children were growing up and leaving home but Joe had met someone that was to change his life completely - Betty. Shortly afterwards Joe and Isobel were divorced and Joe set up camp with Betty and they eventually married. The divorce however, resulted in the family leaving the Wicken and Joe and Betty leaving Norfolk and moving to Caistor in Lincolnshire where Joe took on management of part of the Nickerson farms and Betty took on a job in the offices.

Life in Caistor was not to last long and they were soon moving up into Yorkshire where Joe was employed to manage the very large Warter Estate near to Pocklington. Again after a few successful years in Warter the Estate changed hands and it was all move again - this time a bit of a change. The job was with a large Shropshire potato merchants who wanted to become more active in the actual growing of the crop.

Joe and Betty moved to Shrewsbury and Joe set about the job of establishing what was to become a large scale contract potato growing business. The idea was to rent land in the local area and use it for one season to grow and harvest potatoes for the Merchant. This involved the use of large machines and Joe was in the forefront of the move to the use of large self-propelled harvesters and mobile cleaning and sorting machines. Machines that are now commonplace in agriculture and people are often caught up behind on the roads! The potato business is notoriously fickle and the good times soon changed with the result that Joe and Betty were on the move again.

This time another change - being older and wiser Joe decided that working the land was for younger bodies and that his experience and knowledge could be put to better use wheeling and dealing for himself. So they set up a small agricultural trading business in Woodbridge, Suffolk. With a less strenuous job and more time on their hands Joe and Betty took up their clubs and set out to conquer the local golf club, a pastime that they both enjoyed until old age made it physically impossible to get around the courses. Joe also at this time expanded his slowly developing knowledge of orchids. Visitors to the house in Woodbridge were always treated to a trip round the orchid house where his displays were quite spectacular.

Eventually with thoughts of retirement on the horizon Joe and Betty ( a Norfolk lass through and through!) decided to move back 'home' to Norfolk and bought a house in Beachamwell near Swaffham. In Beachamwell golf and orchids became their passion - both were to become Captains of the local Golf Club. However, with age came infirmity and they realised that living out in the countryside was somewhat isolated and that they should think about moving closer to town. So they moved into a house with a large garden in Haspalls Road, Swaffham - along with the ever expanding orchid house and collection. They had finally retired.

The final move was dictated by the fact that the large garden in Haspalls Road was becoming too much to manage and so they moved closer to the centre of Swaffham - Adastral Place. After many happy years together and with the orchid collection now getting smaller and more manageable, Betty had to go into hospital for an operation in Cambridge. The operation was successful but just before she was due to be discharged home she slipped off the side of her hospital bed and hit her head on the bedside cabinet - unfortunately Betty suffered a severe brain haemorrhage and passed away. This was a big and completely unexpected shock for Joe who had never been on his own the whole of his life. He found living on his own in Swaffham was too difficult, he really missed Betty, so Joe moved back to Lincolnshire and continued to live with his son and daughter in law - Jo and Jayne.

Eventually as his health deteriorated, in particular the use of his legs it became apparent that more dedicated care was needed and Joe moved into Little Brocklesby Care Home in Great Limber near to Grimsby. It was here some four years later that, following a full lunch, together with his son Jo he walked with help to his chair in the lounge, sat down, finished his cup of tea and decided he was going to have a nap. Jo left him intending to visit again the next day but shortly after returning home to Caistor a call from the home relaying the message that Joe had become unresponsive and then passed away very peacefully.

A quiet, competent, unimposing but very full life had just quietly come to an end. He was 94 years old and had outlived most of his compatriots but will be missed by his three children, his six grandchildren and, although he never met him, his youngest great grandchild up in Edinburgh and all those fortunate enough to have known him.