John Kinross

     We regret to record the death of Mr. John Kinross, of "Grove Ley", Feltham Hill, Middlesex, formerly of Datchet, which occurred at Brighton on Monday at the age of 76 years.
     Early last autumn he went to the Continent for a holiday and spent much of his time in Poland. He returned towards the end of October, but his health had not improved to the extent that was hoped. Recently he went to Brighton for a further holiday, and it was whilst at this south coast resort that he was taken with the illness which proved fatal.
     Mr. Kinross was, up to a few years ago, among the best-known and most successful farmers in the Home Counties. For more than half a century he was actively engaged in the agricultural industry, and for nearly forty years he farmed Riding Court Farm at Datchet.
     In 1930 he retired and left the district to live at Feltham. Although he sold most of his land at Datchet to a large firm of market gardeners from Twickenham, he retained connexion with local farming through his son, Mr. James Kinross, who has continued his tenancy of the land in Windsor Road, Slough, rented from Eton College.
     Mr. Kinross came of famous Scottish farming stock. For generations his forebears had farmed the broad acres of Strath-Allan in Perthshire. He was born and bred on the land, and knew all there was to know about the agricultural industry in general. At the age of 20 he started out on his own account, and had two or three farms near Tamworth, in Warwickshire. Later he had a strong urge to come into the London suburban area, and eventually migrated to Harefield, Middlesex, where for some time he farmed over 1000 acres.
     It is now forty-three years since he came to Datchet and took Riding Court Farm from the Duchess of Buccleuch. This holding he subsequently purchased from her grandson, Lord Montagu of Beaulieu. The farm comprised 420 acres, which Mr. Kinross bought, and another 500 acres rented from several owners. He quickly became a prominent figure among agriculturists in Buckinghamshire, and was noted for his [line missing]

The pasture land he devoted to a herd of Dairy Shorthorn cattle, and these included some of the best milkers in the county. A permanent flock was never maintained at Riding Court, but it was Mr. Kinross' custom to buy a few sheep in the autumn and sell them out as stores in the spring. He recognized pig-breeding as a useful branch of farming and favoured Berkshires. Some prolific breeding sows were always kept and a number of good all-round bacon pigs produced each year.
     It was never his custom to exhibit at shows on a big scale, but whenever horses or cattle from Riding Court did come before the judges, outstanding successes were always secured. He joined the Royal South Bucks Agricultural Association soon after coming into the district, was Chairman for several years and at the time of his death was one of the oldest members and staunchest supporters. From 1893 he attended more than forty of the Association's annual ploughing matches and held the distinction of having won nine cups presented by Queen Victoria, King Edward VII and King George V to the South Bucks farmer producing the best all-round root crops, in which competition the winner is debarred from taking part for two years following a success. It took him 27 years to create this amazing record, but he carried off the cup every time he was eligible to enter the competition. In the course of his career he also won numerous other prizes as a result of his enterprise and prowess.
     The spirit of untiring energy and enterprise characterized his life in agriculture. From his first year as his own master he applied business methods to farming and proved beyond all doubt that agriculture can be, under proper conditions, rendered a profitable industry. He always held that it was essential for a farmer to move with the times and apply scientific knowledge to the raising of his roots and crops. When he took over Riding Court he was not by any means satisfied with the old-fashioned yet eminently useful outhouses on the farm. He erected a number of modern cow-sheds and ensured that his dairy cattle were housed under the best sanitary conditions, so important where a milking herd is kept. His progressive mind could also be found in the wide range of modern equipment installed on the farm, which he declared was essential in view of the higher rate of wages and shorter hours. At the same time he always believed in paying good wages to a good worker, and the labourers at Riding Court were fine all-round men. Referring to this subject on one occasion he remarked "A good worker is thoroughly worthy of his hire and no one can deny it, but a poor labourer is merely a drone in the hive of activity".
     Mr. Kinross' views on the difficulties which have faced agriculture since the War and his remedy for the fundamental causes of the decline of the industry were frequently voiced by him at farmers' gatherings throughout Buckinghamshire, and in no uncertain language. On his own confession he was a Free Trader converted to Protection. In an interview with a representative of the Express about the time of his retirement, he said "For fifty years I have been a strong advocate of Free Trade, but I have been forced to the conclusion that the time has come when our national policy in this direction must be changed. Free Trade was all very well when wages were low and cheap food was an absolute necessity. Now things are so different, and the only remedy I can see is a real system of Imperial Preference, with a duty on imported corn and an extension of safeguarding".
     As long ago as the late 'eighties, Mr. Kinross was convinced that among the greatest needs of the industry was the close cooperation of those engaged in it, and he never tired of preaching the gospel of "Unity is strength". Throughout his stay at Datchet he did his utmost to bring the farmers of the county together regularly to discuss each other's difficulties and to understand them. With Mr. John Provan and Mr. W.F. White, he founded the South Bucks branch of the National Farmers' Union and was its chairman for seven years. When he left the district he retained membership and continued to take a keen interest in the work of the branch.
     During the War he did a great deal of national work as agricultural representative on the Appeal Tribunal, and was Chairman of the Slough branch of the County War Committee. In spite of the fact that his time was always well occupied with agricultural matters, he devoted much time to public service. For thirty years he was a member of the Bucks County Council, and when he retired in 1929, he was, with the late Lord Anslow, of Bangors Park, Iver, one of the oldest representatives on that body. He took his full share of work with the Committees during the whole period of his service and his knowledge and advice was of particular value to the County Agricultural Committee.
     He was among the oldest of the Justices of the Peace for the Slough division, having been appointed in 1907, the same year as Mr. H.J. Daw, the late chairman of the Bench. For twenty years he seldom missed a court, but since 1930 he sat on but few occasions. The appointment of his son-in-law Mr. R.R. Purser, of Sutton Court Farm, Langley, as a J.P. for Bucks, in July 1935, 28 years to the day after his own appointment, was a source of great pleasure to Mr. Kinross. Another of his associations with Slough was in connexion with the ancient Salt Hill Society. He was an active member for many years, and on the occasion of the Society's annual dinner the programme was never complete without a few words from "J.K.".
     His removal from Datchet left quite a gap in the public life of South Bucks, and his loss to the district was keenly felt, but nowhere greater than in the village. He was one of the original members of the Parish Council, and took the chair for eight years in succession to the late Mr. Percy de Paravicini. Mr. E.W. Page succeeded him in 1925. Mr. Kinross was also, whilst a Parish councillor, chairman of the Cemetery Committee, a trustee of Barker's Bridge House Trust, a school manager and chairman of the Horticultural Society. During his 37 years in the parish he generously subscribed to any fund raised for the welfare of the village, and was largely responsible for the movement which led to Datchet having a new fire engine.
     He had eleven children, and was twice married, his second wife, formerly Miss May Purser, of Colnbrook, surviving. Seven of the children were of the first family and the six now living are all well known in Slough: Mr. J. Kinross, of Upton Park, Mrs. R.R. Purser, of Sutton Court Farm, Langley, Mrs. H.E. Purser, of Stanwell, Miss Kinross, of "Grove Ley", Feltham Hill, Mrs. J.E. Wright, of "Lynton", Sussex Place, Slough, and Mrs. John Hayward, of Hillingdon. The four children of the second family are, of course still living at home. In the war-time he suffered great bereavement when his eldest son, John, was killed in action. Riding Court Farm, which Mr. Kinross always regarded as home, is situated close to St. Mary's Church. The house is a fine example of Elizabethan architecture and full of interesting historical associations. Its quaint narrow windows and low dignified oak wainscotted rooms are typical of a beautiful period and stamps the building as being true in character of the old fashioned English farmhouse.
     The funeral takes place to-day (Friday) at Datchet Parish Church.²¹

     Mr. John Kinross, the well-known farmer and public man who died last week, bore a name which is known to have existed in his family for an astonishingly long period of time. It has not, however, died with him, and there is still a John Kinross in Slough. For several centuries, generation after generation, there has always been a John Kinross and a James Kinross in the family. Mr. Kinross himself carried on the tradition by christening his elder son "John" and his second son "James." John was killed in the war, but Mr. James Kinross survives, and lives in Upton Park. (It is he who farms the Eton College land on the Windsor-road between Slough and Eton. He married a Miss White, daughter of Mr. White, of Broom Close, Langley, another prominent local agriculturist).
     Mr. James Kinross also is keeping the tradition alive, as befits the senior member of the family, because he has christened his two sons "John" and "James," John being now fourteen years old, and James ten. Doubtless their parents look forward to the custom being carried on by them in due course of time.
     The above facts were gleaned by a friend of mine in course of conversation with a member of the family this week. He also learned that the late Mr. John Kinross owned most of the large houses in Upton Park facing Albert-street, besides a grat deal of house property in Datchet and elsewhere in this neighbourhood.²²