In February 2000 Michael Booth, ex of Kiveton/Wales emailed me with the following history of some of the older houses that stand behind the war memorial opposite the Conyers pub in Wales square:
“I know that in the 17th and 18th centuries, the farm was tenanted by the Ingall family: James Ingall crossed swords with Sir Thomas Osborne of Kiveton, later first Duke of Leeds, for non-payment of tithes. In 1810 Edward Ingall of Manor House Farm died, leaving the tenancy to his daughter Cordelia and her husband Joseph Booth, which is how the Booths came into possession. Joseph Booth lived until 1846, when his son Edward took over. Edward Booth farmed until his death in 1865: he married into the Marshall family, who were also farmers and landlords of the Leeds Arms. Edward’ son Joseph (1851-1919) was the last to farm there, and he gave up the tenancy in 1891 to his sister Elizabeth and her husband Charles Archer. It was Joseph’s two sons, Joseph and Frederick Booth, who founded the Booth and Fisher Bus Company based at Halfway near Killamarsh, which operated in these parts until the 1970s.
This is a photograph (circa 1900) of my great grandparents, Joseph and Mary Booth. Joseph was the last to farm Manor House Farm, Wales, before handing it on to the Archer family. Mary was the daughter of George Walker of Wales, who used to run a local shop and who was at one time publican at The Leeds Arms. Joseph and Mary were the parents of Joseph and Frederick Booth, who founded the Booth and Fisher Bus Company in 1919.“