Page 82 - Kol Bogrei Habonim - Winter 20

amongst my happiest, even though I have know, I also worked for the Lobjoits. The
gone on to do many different things in my life
since. I assume George was the farmer I
knew. How old is Edward? I was quite
excited to be reminded of the past and to
establish contact so many years later.
C – John wrote to Milton on April 1, 2015:
I was looking for steam tractors. The Lobjoits
were early innovators in steam engines, and
traders in traction engines. I found the blog
about the Hachshara interesting, as well, as
it is a great piece of social history –
something I would never have known about.
Two of Messers. W.J.Lobjoit & Son’s Tractors
(“The Commercial Motor”).
Book of Market Gardening 1906
George was running the business at that time.
His father was still alive and living at
Raymond House in Langley. Edward is 79,
he had two sisters Ruth and Mary. Frank
Sharp was the cowman.
We forwarded these mails to Van, who
Milton correctly thought might be interested.
D – Email from Van to Milton dated April 4,
2015
It is interesting how the Internet brings
people and ideas together. Without it, you
would never have known of the existence of
John Poynton and Edward Lobjoit. As you
82
incident, mentioned by Edward, of someone,
maybe Nat Ritsky, being run over by a cart
did in fact involve me and not Nat. I joined
Lobjoits at the time Nat Ritsky was called up,
and so I took over his job of carter, working
with the two farm horses, Prince and Kitty.
Wintertime, and I was working repairing the
gravel track that led from the main road into
the farm, filling in the potholes. I was riding
on the cart drawn by Kitty. She was a very
nervous creature at the best of times, but as
we came back into the farm, a tractor started
up with a great roar. This scared Kitty, and
she simply bolted, dragging the cart with me
on it. When she came to a closed gate, she
didn’t hesitate and jumped it beautifully, like
a proper steeplechaser. The cart struck the
gate full-on, the harness tore and I was
thrown sidewise to land face-down on a large
tree trunk by the side of the track. Kitty, now
free of any encumbrance, carried on running
until she was stopped by the stream at the end
of the farm. I was not seriously hurt, just
badly bruised. Mr. Lobjoit took me back to
the Grange in his car, and I had a couple days’
rest to recover.
E – Email from John Poynton to Milton
dated May 12, 2015
You caught the end of the Lobjoit Empire, as
Ryvers Farm was compulsorily purchased for
housing shortly thereafter, and the other
farms at Heston and elsewhere were given up.
At one time, they had had over 1,000 acres
and employed a large number of workers. It
was interesting to read a personal account
during the creation of Israel, and about the
kibbutzim and the changes, as time went on.
Your comment about how Lobjoits employed
lots of crazy Jewish kids was apt, as they