Â鶹¹ÙÍøÊ×Ò³Èë¿Ú

Notes and Queries  permalink

Who owns Brookfield

• Message 1. 

  Posted by Peggy Monahan (U2254875) on Monday, 1st January 2007

  The following is in the Wikipedia entry on the Archers:
  
  "The farm has been passed down the generations from original owner Dan (now deceased) to his son Phil, currently the oldest surviving Archer, and is now co-owned by three of Phil's children: David (who manages it with his wife Ruth), Elizabeth and Kenton."
  
  Is it correct? It doesn't sound right to me.

  Link to this forum: Who owns Brookfield

  Report message1

• Message 2

  , in reply to message 1.

  Posted by chinesewhitebedsock (U5822019) on Monday, 1st January 2007

  Yes - when Phil'n'Jill decided to move from Brookfield after Phil retired they decided to make the farm over to the children (presumably to avoid inheritance tax.) There was a big fuss about it because Elizabeth wanted more than the proportion she'd been allotted, and she and David fell out because he had the lion's share as he was doing the work. Shula wasn't included as she'd been left Dan and Doris's cottage.

  Link to this forum: Who owns Brookfield

  Report message2

• Message 3

  , in reply to message 2.

  Posted by Peggy Monahan (U2254875) on Monday, 1st January 2007

  The way it is phrased sounds as if David is the manager for three equal co-owners. That isn't the way I understand it.
  
  My understanding is that David (and Ruth) run and have the income from Brookfield and only in certain circumstances do the others benefit from it. I remember that Shula said she didn't want a share - in contradistinction to grasping Lizzy and chancer Kenton (who had already had his share of the inheritance at least once and possibly twice). I didn't remember this was actually acted. After all Lizzy and her children get Lower Locksley.
  
  However I admit to being hazy on the details (C-shares and all that) and possibly the Wikipedia entry is correct in its basics. But I don't think it gives one a very clear idea of how things are run.

  Link to this forum: Who owns Brookfield

  Report message3

• Message 4

  , in reply to message 3.

  Posted by EJ Morgan (U2233032) on Monday, 1st January 2007

  Kenton was also very unhappy about the hand over, and worked in collusion with Elizabeth for some time to try and get the decision changed. That all seems to have been forgotten now.
  
  I think that the reason that Kenton was excluded from the farm deal was that he had already been loaned money by Phil and Jill - £10k if I remember correctly.

  Link to this forum: Who owns Brookfield

  Report message4

• Message 5

  , in reply to message 1.

  Posted by RosieT (U2224719) on Monday, 1st January 2007

  Isn't Wikipedia written by any old passing bod who wanted to try their hands at writing? There certainly used to be some rubbish about Jeffrey Archer being a family member!
  
  Phil and Jill sold some of the land to Ruth and David, to fund a trust that would pay them their pension: They also took some money to buy their replacement cottage. The rest of the farm was GIVEN to David and Ruth. Kenton had been GIVEN his share of the farm in the form of two massive payments for massive debts (one in Borchester, the other tax debts in Australia). Shula and Elizabeth will sell Glebe Cottage when the second parent dies, and be GIVEN the profits.
  
  Since David and Ruth could thus theoretically wait till they pay off the land debt (in not sure how many years) and then make millions on selling the farm, (not that they would!), the 3 other offspring were given worthless 'C' shares in the farm, which only can be called on if David and Ruth sell Brookfield, in which case, they get a minor cut of the profit on the sale, R & D getting the lions share, to reflect their working imput, and also, the fact that they own a lump of it outright (the bit that paid the pension and the cottage).

  Link to this forum: Who owns Brookfield

  Report message5

• Message 6

  , in reply to message 5.

  Posted by chinesewhitebedsock (U5822019) on Monday, 1st January 2007

  I thought Dan and Doris left Glebe Cottage only to Shula. Did Phil and Jill buy it off her?

  Link to this forum: Who owns Brookfield

  Report message6

• Message 7

  , in reply to message 6.

  Posted by RosieT (U2224719) on Monday, 1st January 2007

  Letty Lawson-Hope left Glebe cottage and 4 acres of land to Doris for her lifetime. She let it to someone (Ned and Mabel Larkin, I think?) and then she and Dan moved in. They bought the freehold from Letty L-H> Doris willed the cottage to Dan for his lifetime, and then simply to Shula.
  
  Ruth and David bought/were given brookfield, and this provided money for Phil and jill to buy Glebe Cottage from Shula.. Shula and Alistair then bought the Stables from Chris and George, who used the money to buy the pOLICE House. Clive Horrobin burned it down, and Chris sold the newly built boungalow to buy -- ta ra! a cottage belonging to Brookfield Farm!

  Link to this forum: Who owns Brookfield

  Report message7

• Message 8

  , in reply to message 7.

  Posted by chinesewhitebedsock (U5822019) on Monday, 1st January 2007

  Blimey, RosieT, what a veritable mine of information you are!

  Link to this forum: Who owns Brookfield

  Report message8

• Message 9

  , in reply to message 8.

  Posted by chinesewhitebedsock (U5822019) on Monday, 1st January 2007

  ...and what I should have added was thank you for that!
  
  (I would have added it sooner had it not been for the flea!!)

  Link to this forum: Who owns Brookfield

  Report message9

• Message 10

  , in reply to message 9.

  Posted by Peggy Monahan (U2254875) on Tuesday, 2nd January 2007

  Thanks RosieT for giving the gen (and thus confirming that my memory was not so far off even if hazy on the details).
  
  

  Link to this forum: Who owns Brookfield

  Report message10

• Message 11

  , in reply to message 10.

  Posted by Lyra (U2293272) on Tuesday, 2nd January 2007

  I think that I remember the question of ownership coming up again a couple of years ago, when David and Ruth were contemplating selling a field to Matt to raise capital for some reason that escapes me now. Didn't Elizabeth get to hear about and demand a share in the proceeds and try to drag Kenton in on her side again? Or was that when Chris bought the cottage?

  Link to this forum: Who owns Brookfield

  Report message11

• Message 12

  , in reply to message 5.

  Posted by Lizaveta Nikolaevna (U2265953) on Tuesday, 2nd January 2007

  Blimey Rosie, you never cease to amaze me with your TA expertise.

  Link to this forum: Who owns Brookfield

  Report message12

• Message 13

  , in reply to message 11.

  Posted by The_Blessed_KT (U6379231) on Tuesday, 2nd January 2007

  Yes, I remember that. Shula kept out of it, Elizabeth stirred it up with Kenton, demanding a share of any money made from the sale.
  
  David quite rightly said that if he wanted he could sell off almost all the land, field by field and not have to pay her a penny. That the C shares only come into play when the last inch of land is sold, (or words to that effect) and she wasn't getting anything.
  
  This didn't go down to well...

  Link to this forum: Who owns Brookfield

  Report message13

• Message 14

  , in reply to message 13.

  Posted by Keri Davies (U2219620) ** on Thursday, 4th January 2007

  I'm obliged to m'learned friends (especially Rosie) for this. Would someone like to expand that section of the Wikipedia entry so that it is more accurate?

  Link to this forum: Who owns Brookfield

Back to top